I am graduating with my BA in psychology and now am thinkng of getting my MA in clinical social work. I wanted to know what exactly are the differences? I want to do therapy basically and help people or kids. I dont mind getting invloved in abusive areas and child neglect etc... however my passion is psych and i think that going for my masters in psych will basically be repeating all I learned now with more depth. Any hlep will be greatly appreciated. Thank you
Psychology - 5 Answers
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1
I'm going through almost the same thing. I have one more year of undergraduate left and I'm thinking of career choices. But from what I got from some professors, MA in psych might not be that useful, you might have to go for PhD, which takes much longer, as I'm pretty sure you know already. Also the pay is worse for Social work, so that's an important factor. I'm pretty sure psychology is also broader once you get the PhD, you can do other things besides just therapy if you ever get bored. Also, many people who want to get PhD after getting an MSW do so in Psychology. That's all I know.
2
Depends on if you want to manage a McDonald's or be a cop? Seriously, I was thinking about how these masters degrees seem to mean so little compared to a MBA. Search online job sites for the kind of things you would like to so and see what they require.
3
MFT, or the equivalent, is a state-by-state licensure. They are mostly counseling therapists, although not able to administer tests (must be a PhD). LCSW is more social work, but can have own practice to do therapy, if licensed. The LCSW is also able to take more forms of insurance, an can work in the government setting. MFTs are trained more in psych, and counseling techniques such as; marriage and family, behavior, drug and alcohol, adjustment, and so on. It really comes down to personal preference, and what setting you would like to work in. In Ca. the demand is currently greater for LCSWs, which is a licensure with MSW.
4
I went through this same thing when I was in school and I didn't know I would need a doctorate in psych. For me it never happened. So I also considered the MSW. It is a two-year terminal degree. In my experience, it is more oriented to social issues, and social work doesn't have the depth of theory in terms of clinical work. That said, some of the very best therapists have the MSW. I agree that there is little use for the masters in psych. If you are sure you can't go for the Ph.D. then you would do well to choose an MSW program in your area of interest. Both fields have trouble with reimbursement because of the emphasis on short term therapy instead of dealing with the abuse and childhood trauma issues that demand long, diligent work for patient and therapist. In some states...maybe all...MSWs have to be signed off on by psychiatrists or psychologists to be paid by insurance. And in a few states, psychologists now can prescribe medication. I think they are both good fields where a good therapist in private practice can be innovative and creative and do much good.
5
Well the biggest difference is they are two totally different professions with very different philosophical orientations. Social work is primarily concerned with social justice and clinical work is considered a part of what social workers do, but all social workers are concerned with social justice and by professional ethics are directed to address the multiple sources of oppression. Psychology is primarily concerned with intra-psychic issues, concerns and depending on which school of psychology unconscious desires. Now as for licenses - The LCSW is the most respected (largely due to how long the license has existed and the rigor of the accreditation process for schools of social work. You have two other options for licenses at the MA level - the LPC (licensed professional counselor) and the MFT (marriage and family therapist) - both are much newer (some states have them both others only one). The rigor of the accreditation of these MA programs is much lower. DA
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