Counseling

I am new to this forum and would love some advice. I graduated in 1994 with a BA in Psychology. I have never done a thing with my BA degree. I have been a stay at home Mom for the past 6 years and we are a military family so we move about every 2 years. I would like to obtain a masters degree but I don't want to get a degree that I cannot use. I would like to be able to be licensed to practice counseling in private practice and to possibly teach lower level psych classes perhaps in community college. I don't have a high enough GPA to get into any social work programs so that is out of the question completely. I also have to be in a program that is entirely done through distance learning. Unfortunately I feel this leaves me with few options. I am willing to explore any other avenues in the counseling/psychology/education field that are suggested. I have looked at Capella and I'm a little overwhelmed right now with which way to turn..or run!!!! I would love to do APA accredited program such as Fielding but again my GPA undergrad leaves too much to be desired for this. Any help???

 

Hi Holly,

There are a number of distance programs available. The one you mentioned, Capella, is seeking CACREP approval, which is the highest level of acccreditation for a graduate degree program in counseling. Check their webpage for residency requirements. Seton Hall University also has an interesting counseling program but requires periods of residency as does Liberty University, University of Sarasota (also known as Argosy) and possibly Southern Christian University.

As you are aware, many states require licensure for private practice so it is important to ascertain these requirements (1.e. courses, practicums, internships, etc)since they differ from state to state. Also there is an examination that will be required for which one must prepare.

 

I'm assuming that you feel that your previous academic work does not represent your current capabilities. In this case I would not rule out the intstitutions that you have previously mentioned as many graduate schools are accustomed to dealing with applicants that have been away from college for some time and have less than stellar academic records. You may want to simply take some courses somewhere as a way to get back into the academic swing and to demonstrate that you are now capable of higher level work. You can go to the distance learning web site at about.com http://distancelearn.about.com
and look at the listed distance learning courses that are offered at various schools.
You could then apply anywhere you want without too much concern about how your application will be received. By the way, you may also want to look at the Masters program at the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology http://www.pgsp.edu
Good luck,
Jack

 

This is a hard question to answer because it is a little unclear what the job goal will be. A doctoral level counseling degree which need not involve an internship? All the graduate, masters and doctoral programs in the general counseling field, that I am familiar with, appear to require some residency and an internship or practicum. These programs range from rehabilitation counseling to social work.
Utah appears to have a DSW program that requires little on campus time. It is somewhat experimental and may only be open to residents of Utah.
I like the Antioch of New Hampshire approach which seems to require graduate students to be on campus one or two days a week for their psychology program.
Part of the problem may be that the graduate program may not accept current work, as equivalent of an internship or practicum.
A little more about the job goal or the nature of prior work experience would be helpful.

 

Hi Holly,

Don't give up on Fielding without discussing it with school officials first. You might be surprised.

(Disclaimer and off topic comment: I'm a Fielding grad from the "Human and Organizational Development" (HOD) side of the house. I did interact some with the 'psychos', though. (Wonder why none of them hung out with me much? Do ya think it had something to do with the nickname I gave them??

Barry Foster

 

Dear Barry Foster,
While you were in the HOD program did any of your cohorts come from a ministerial background? I have been reviewing the HOD program as a possible route after my MBA...

Regards,
Steven King

 

Uh .... yeah .... OK. Why bail out of her preference - an APA-approved program, prior to asking some questions - first?? Going to the horse's mouth seems better than getting advice from anonomous posters. Plus, I've known an awful lot of folks whose previous academic experiences failed to provide positivistic "proof" that they couldn't be successful at achieving their educational goals.

If she wants an APA program, then I say "Check it out!" Getting more information never hurts. Ya never know ... maybe something good could happen. Seems pretty reasonable.

Barry Foster

 

Hi Steven,

There were / are a number of students with substantial ministerial experience - including three or four faculty members. Hey, even a guy like me might have a few years in that biz!!

Barry Foster
(who's BA is in Bible and Theology, Southeastern College - but that was another life ....)

 

Barry,
Ahhh...that's good news. If possible, I would like to move this conversation to private email...

Please respond to [email protected].

Regards,
Steven King

 

Argosy University/Sarasota does not require a practicum nor internship for their EdD in Counseling Psychology. Now I'm beginning to get concerned. Will this cause me problems with licensure? How can they get around this? Note: I've already earned a cacrep accredited master's in counseling from Georgia State University. Any thoughts on this?
Thanks,
David

 

Hi Barry! Thanks for your advice and encouragement. I may check into Fielding's PhD after I have finished my Masters degree. It looks like Capella is going to be the right place for me. One of the main reasons that I was uncertain about pursuing psychology was not because I was unsure of what I wanted to do but mostly because I felt deterred by my GPA (from long ago as an undergrad) and from the possibilities of distance learning which are more abundant and legit than I thought before. Your encouragement is appreciated. I too believe that a GPA from when I was 21 does not accurately affect who I am today at 30 and hopefully the 9 grad level credits that I have taken in the last year and received all A's in will give a more accurate portrayal of who I am today and what I am capable of accomplishing. Capella has been really great and I hope to start fairly soon. I am very excited about all the good things I have heard from them. Thanks again for your responses which were much friendlier than some others!

 

Holly, best wishes in meeting your goals! Stick with it, and you'll be surprised how fast it goes and how much fun it can be!!

Barry Foster

 

Originally posted by simon:

So what section of thin air did you grab that one from?? I'd like Holly to meet her academic goals - with some encouragment. I guess I feel that if *I* can do a Ph.D., so can just about anyone. Reread Holly's post. She said:

Originally posted by simon:

I'm posting with my real name, SIMON. It is my perspective that consumers check out all their options. And ... I'm quite calm. You?

Barry Foster

 

BF:" So what section of thin air did you grab that one from? I'd like Holly to meet her academic goals-with some encouragement. I guess I feel that if I can do a Ph.D, so can just about anybody."

Response:

I too wish Holly the best in the pursuit of her educational goals.

Obviously Barry you were well intended and very encouraging. However, this is not the primary basis for assistng someone in making educational choices and decisions. Your statement above that if you can acquire a doctorate than anyone can is erroneous and inadvertently can be misleading. Not everyone can achieve this level of academic attainment for a myriad number of reasons including insufficent research interest or aptitude for advanced research methodology and statistics, financial and time constraints,lack of readiness etc, etc. Therefore, your ability to obtain a Ph.D does not by any means lead to the conclusion that everyone else can do the same. In effect, encouraging others to pursue a goal of the magnitude of a doctorate should be based on the clarification and exploration of a number of criteria that encompasses a vast number of personal characteristics and skills, and internal and external barriers that can lead to making a realistic and successful decision. This is especially true in a school such as Fielding where a doctorate in clinical psychology is primarily a research oriented degree program, which can take anywhere from four to ten years to complete and cost over $50,000, and enormous time and effort, residencies, etc.

The poster's original posting did not suggest readiness to pursue a goal of this magnitude at this time, not because she lacked the ability or aptitude but because she did not seem to be ready to make this level of committment at this time.

BF: "Reread Holly's post. She said I would like to do an APA accredited program such as fielding."

Reponse: It is truly remarkable how some individuals will extrapolate a specific sentence to prove their point but leave out a multitude of other statements that do not support their position. As you suggested, If one were to reread this individuals's original posting she also says that she would like to obtain a masters degree, that she would like to be licensed to practice counseling, that she was very concerned about her gpa being too low (even though in a second posting she reveals that she obtained three As in graduate level courses),etc, etc. Although she mentioned her desire to attend an APA program, this in itself did not imply that she was ready to do so.

The fact that this poster selected a masters degree program at Capella is congruent with what I was attempting to convey regarding processing and brainstorming versus making a realistic decision.

 

David, The fact of the matter is that regardless of APA-approved status you will not be eligible for licensure as a psychologist with the training you reference; an internship is an absolute requirement. I am surprised the program does not require practica. The number of *supervised* practicum hours is a factor intership sites look at quite closely. For a number of reasons psychology is moving toward restructuring the training sequence and offering the internship upon completion of the degree. Consequently, the number of supervised practicum hours has been inching- and is likely to continue to creep upward. Were you to decide to take the risk with the hope of securing an internship this may place you in an adverse position. As I recall, Ga State has an APA-approved Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology. I'd approach those folk and see what they can do for you. There is also an APA-approved Counseling Psychology program in Athens. Andy Horne, the Department Chair, is a great guy and you might want to give him a call. The Georgia Professional School (which I think has been renamed under the Argosy umbrella) would be a resource but I'd encourage you toward a university-based program. Read the articles by Bridget Murray and John Grohol in the February, 1999 APA Monitor and you'll see why I make this suggestion.

 

Simon, we are pissing in the wind now - so this will be my last comment on this.

I would agree that "anyone" is an overstatement. Someone in a coma probably would have a hard time. However, the average person - if s/he runs a hard race - can earn a Ph.D. Your stated obstacles can all be overcome with determination and using resources available to the average US student - most of us. For some it may take more time and effort, but it can be done.

Even tho you might type something else, the unstated assumption in your position is that Holly can't do it. My position assumes that she can - if she sets her mind to it.

Simon, if I might - let me give offer you some unsolicited advice for this board. I have looked at a few of your posts. You obviously know the psycho world and are contributing some valuable information - which is the purpose of this board. From my perspective, you could do folks a favor by toning down the elitism of which your posts smack.

OK, I'm done. Your turn - swing away. I won't swing back and continue this pissing in the wind.

Barry Foster

 

David, thanks for your feedback regarding practicum and internship requirements for psychology. I'm really at a crossroads, here, between licensure as a counselor vs psychologist. Nonetheless, I believe both require a specified number of hours either way. Although I'm concerned about GRE requirements, I'm beginning to see that heading back to Georgia State may be my best option, especially, in terms of licensure, affordability and credibility. Again, thanks for your input.