I have had an MS/LPC, two MSWs (one of whom was also had a DBH online from U-Phoenix), an MA/LMFT, and a clinical psychologist/PhD.

Oh, and I've done both insurance/private pay, too, but just females.

I have found very little difference in quality among the degrees. I got on with the MS and MA best, plus they were the most effective, and with the PhD the worst (she struck me as arrogant, plus, it was like she felt we were in an intellectual competition - I have a PhD in the humanities; she was not a researcher). I left almost every session with the PhD feeling worse.

Not sure what you mean by cultural touchstones, but the PhD was the worst in how I define that category too. Didn't understand allusions to Hamlet because she hadn't read it. Didn't know major historical events, even recent ones. So that added to the whole intellectual competition vibe. She was only a couple years older than me, while the rest were all at least ten years older, so we did both remember the 80s and 90s from similar perspectives.

Whereas the MS was easily the most intellectual of the lot. Sometimes I want to go back to finish a conversation about St. John the Divine we started once. And she had a daffy side.

So I'm winding up to the personality matters most. I would imagine different degrees and specialties might well attract one type of personality over another, but then you have to factor in the client's own personality too.

Eta: it sounds to me like there is no significant difference between SA and the US in terms of graduate training, given that both were influenced by the European and British systems.. A PhD will take 6-7 years here, requiring a research dissertation, and a master's 2-3, possibly requiring a thesis, but maybe not.