What degree do you look for in a T?

So, I made a major life decision recently to go back to school and get my Master's Degree so that I can become a T!

I'm looking at different programs and some offer a program where I'd earn a MSW and some I'd earn a MS where I could be a LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor). I've been reading conflicting info where some people say that it doesn't matter which degree I have that people don't care when they select a T and others say that a MSW is far more respected. So when you're shopping for a new T, are you looking for a particular degree? My current T happens to be a Licensed Psychologist with a PhD, but that was not a factor when I chose her as I did not care whatsoever what degree she had. My old T, who I refer to as, "Blank Slate T" was a MSW.

Would love to hear any and all thoughts.

Actually, I am looking into the same thing atm. I personally feel that the MSW has less focus on the mental health aspect than the MHC degree, which makes it more interesting for me.
Have you looked at the coursework?

My T is a LISW, but I did not look for that, really.

She told me the same thing, tho. In the end, passing the licensure is what really matters.

Ill follow this thread.

I looked into the PsyD, too, but it's a long and costly program... Thats why I started considering an MA.

Where I am (not US) I only really trust clinical psychologists. Here they have around 7 years training in university and practise before they can be licensed. I just don't trust that other counselors with lesser training have the intelligence and knowledge to assist me with what I need help with.
I also like the person I work with to be continually upskilling and keeping up with current research because the understanding and treatment of the neurobiology of dissociation and complex trauma is such a rapidly developing field. I definitely would not work with a "run of the mill" counselor.

This probably isn't helpful in relation to your question, but if I were to look for another therapist, I would probably want a clinical psychologist. I think I would look for a PsyD over a PhD because of the focus on clinical practice over research. My current therapist is a PsyD. My group therapist is a LPC and I don't think I would stick with her as an individual therapist. She seems to focus too much on CBT, which, although I feel bad for feeling this way, just seems to annoy me more than help me.

It did not really matter to me. I don't think any particular degree makes those people better or has any bearing on them at all in terms of practicing really.

I prefer a degree in mental health or counseling to a social work degree.

Honestly, yes, I care about the degree... but in a different sense.

To me, a master's is a master's, regardless of which master's degree it is (psychology, social work, etc). But master's vs PhD/PsyD? I prefer the doctorate.

I guess I'm biased though. I have a master's in computer engineering and I know 95% of the stuff MS Computer Scientists need to know, and that's because I'm required to. The degrees are very similar, but not the same, but both degrees can land you the same job. And either degree student is just as capable of doing that one job if they take the time to develop the right skill set and gain the proper knowledge.

For those reasons, I'm not picky about which master's you have or which doctorate you have. BUT, when it comes to psychology, I prefer a psychologist. And yes, I realize that some MSW or LMHC people can be better than PhD/PsyD people, but I've had better luck going the doctorate route because of the types of things a doctorate holder can do, so I'm sticking with what works, I guess.

Between the two you listed, I'd go with the MSW. I get the sense that MSW programs tend to be more competitive, so it's maybe a more prestigious degree. But I think the background you get is different, so it could be good to look at the required courses for each program. I feel like for therapists, more of it comes down to experience and style than the specific degree. I've seen LCSWs (who would have MSWs, then have done the clinical hours of training) and PhDs. They have seemed oriented somewhat differently, but that may have as much to do with their personalities as the actual degrees.

If you're possibly considering ultimately doing a PhD, I'd look into those programs as well. I know in some disciplines, people tend to go right from undergrad to a PhD program, while in others (including the one I'm in, public health), it's more common to get a bachelor's, then a master's, then go for a PhD. So it could possibly make sense to apply to a few PhD programs now as well (if that's something you'd maybe want?) in addition to master's level programs.

Didn't look at degrees or levels of whatever. My abusive Childhood had keep me down so much that they would have been a privilege to have even been able to formulate that kind of thinking and things. It would have felt like questioning an adult.

In my country the system is such that you can get a master's in clinical psychology from university but that's only a basis - after that you should train as a therapist in a particular school of thought. PhD doesn't give here any advantage - this is for people who want to do research. I personally see only those who have been trained as psychoanalysts.

I really looked for a PH'D in clinical psychology, and undergrad at a good school.

I don't find that it matters. The therapist who sexually abused and exploited me had a doctorate in psychology

I am an academic and in my experience, these basic degrees say little about someone's professional knowledge, ability and competency 5+ years post-degree. What matters far more is motivation and continuing education, but not necessarily the formal kind, it's what the person learns as a combination of own effort to dig into things and experience. An ability and willingness to learn from own trial and error and a desire to grow and improve beyond school. Of course when we know nothing about someone, we look at their resume, degrees, whatever documented.

Despite my opinion above, when I was first looking for a therapist, I wanted someone who had similar education to mine, so I mostly considered PhDs. My first T had a MSW and a PhD, both from respected universities, long years of psychoanalytic training, and he was neither a good match for me nor someone with the kind of knowledge I was hoping for; he is mostly only interested in one modality. The second T had a MSW and educational pedigrees from so-called top notch institutions, and his breadth of interests and knowledge, as well as ability to engage and communicate, was way way above the first one. He was also a much better fit for me. But I really think it was related more to his personality and general social background than schooling per se.

What I usually suggest to people pondering what graduate education to go for is to consider it from a variety of angles: of course how the actual program content fits their interest and goals, but also practical factors such as timing and cost of the education. Also, if you have an idea where you would want to practice location-wise and what sorts of clientele you would be interested in, maybe try to match the choice of school in a way that it would satisfy basic demands in the field and could also provide the opportunity to be competitive with/against other practitioners, especially if this is not very early in life or second career. How could you possibly build a unique professional pedigree considering already existing background, the degree of choice, and your specific interests? I think it's worth doing a thorough research and cost-benefit analysis before committing to a program.

I first looked for therapists with a PhD, just because this is the only way to be a therapist where im from. I quickly realized its different in the USA and first, I disnt even know what all the abbreviations after their names meant.

I think you should look into the course outline for both the MSW and the MHC. I have thought about this, and my problem with the MSW is that it focuses on a variety of social issues while id rather fully focus on the counseling. Since being a social worker for me wont be an option, I started looking into the counseling degrees only.

Are you thinking online, part-time, or full-time? Id love to go full-time but can't because I have to work.

I agree. My marriage counselor went to an Ivy League school for undergrad, then a fairly well-known school for his PhD. Yet many of you know the various issues I've had with him (unclear, inconsistent boundaries, etc.). Current T went to a non-prestigious state school for his undergrad (I say this as someone who got my master's degree there and as the wife of someone who got his undergrad degree there), then a school I'd never heard of for his PhD (like, if you go to the school's psychology department website, it actually says "APA accredited!"). But he seems very knowledgeable (has done additional training, too) and has been very helpful to me so far. So I don't think it's about the school either.

For me personally, I look for a PhD because I have a PhD and I need someone who is very knowledgeable about serious mental illness. However, I have worked with good PhDs and not so good, or even underprepared, PhDs. This week I have started looking for a therapist for my teenager and I am looking for a master's level social worker.

So I guess what I am saying to the OP is to pursue what you see as your calling, who you want to be your clientele, and what issues you want to become an expert in, and there will be clients interested in what you have to offer.

Thanks for everyone's insights and responses. I plan to go FT and work PT and am still debating between online and campus programs. I'm really leaning towards the MA in Counseling as opposed to the MSW because I want to be a T and so far the Counseling programs seem to offer much more of what I'm looking for. I do not have the ambition to go for my PhD and will be stopping with my Masters Degree! Thanks again!

In my area the good MSW programs tend to be much more rigorous and highly regarded than any of the MA programs, and it is much much much easier to get a job as an LMSW than as an LMHC. Definitely look into whether anything like that is the case in your part of the country, since this can vary quite a bit by region.

Personally, given the crappy reputation and job outlook that counseling MA programs have near me, I have mostly avoided LMHCs for my own therapy. Other than that, I don't particularly think degree matters tremendously. I have had one excellent therapist with a PsyD, and one absolutely terrible one. Same situation with MDs--one psychiatrist who is an excellent therapist, and one who was awful. A few mediocre LMSWs/LCSWs, and a couple of awful ones. A couple of awful LMHCs. So my experience is that many/most therapists aren't great, and a degree is no guarantee of competence, and sometimes you get lucky!

I prefer the PhD over social work and have tried both a couple of times. It seems with the Master whichever route you choose, to me it is how much experience you get in the field, internships, residencies, grants for research. I also prefer a certain focus on techniques. Some of my learning is DBT, but I prefer my therapist who has experience in other modes. I prefer someone who is capable of supporting a client through the past pain, yet can offer the skills of DBT in the present.

I don't care about the degree per se. My best two Ts, one was a LCSW and the other a Psy.D. I don't think I'd go back to a Ph.D. again. I've had at least 3 bad Ph.D.s.

Do clinical psychologists only have 7 years of uni? Around here it's 12. 3 years for basic psychologist, 4 for healthcare psychology (= a psychologist who can treat mental illnesses). Most psychologists that treat you are healthcare psychologists. Then after a few years of work you can try to get accepted into a Clinical Psychology program where upon graduation you'll be a clinical psychologist.
Clinical psychologists here supervise healthcare psychologists (not supervising like the HCP can only treat how the CP says she should - just that they discuss their cases a lot), healthcare psychologists are qualified therapists though. CPs also treat some of the very complex cases. Not to say that all complex cases see a CP or at least not all the time (I think I've had 5 sessions with 1, which was in addition to other therapy by another T (one I saw on Monday the other on Wed), and about 20 with another, when I needed multiple trauma T's and he was my trauma T's supervisor so I also saw him) but they don't generally treat short-term or 'straightforward' cases. (By short term I mean: if you only need 20 sessions total before you're all better, you'll probably not see a CP. If you're in a multi-year treatment, you might see a CP for 1 or 2 or 6 or 20 sessions throughout.)

I don't care about the degree. As long as they are fully licensed. In my younger years, it had to be a psychiatrist with an Ivy League pedigree to do my therapy (no medications). me now, the therapist has to be over a certain age (50) because they have more life experience. If the therapist only has a year or two of solo experience, but the meet my age qualification I would not shy away from working with them.

Good to you for going back to school. I wish you well.

I don't look for degrees, I look for an it factor....can't be taught no amount of schooling can teach it.

I look for a PhD or PsyD. Since I have a PhD, I prefer a T with a similar educational level and who has better insight about the field of academia (since I’m an academic). I’ve tried seeing T’s with master’s degrees and one was great but many are not. Several have been quite naive, over eager, and into really “woo woo” stuff and I prefer someone who is more analytical.