According to guidetopsychology.com, clinical psychologists hold either a Ph.D (Doctor of Philosophy) or Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) degree. These courses are quite difficult to get accepted for and involve five to six years of full-time study. If interested in a career in counseling, aim to achieve a Psy.D. degree rather than the Ph.D, as the latter focuses on extensive research. The Psy.D. clinical psychology graduation was created as an alternative to the Ph.D. and is designed for students who want to practice psychology and are not interested in intensive research. Psy.D. programs do cover some research training but the main focus is on individual and group psychotherapy, marriage counseling and testing. Many Psy.D. programs also require experience in a wider variety of settings during internship than in Ph.D. programs. Psy.D. clinical psychologists often work in clinics, hospitals or private practice.
According to John Suler Ph.D., from Rider University, if you want to study counseling psychology, you have a choice between Ed.D and Ph.D graduate courses in this subject. Prepare yourself for four to five years of full-time studies, which could take longer if you decide to study part-time. Counseling psychology graduate courses are less difficult to get accepted for than clinical psychology programs. The emphasis in these courses is on the different counseling and psychotherapy methods. Counseling psychology courses also include some training in research techniques, but are usually not as extensive as in clinical psychology programs. If you follow a Ph.D. study, research training will however be more intense than with the traditional Ed.D.
Older, working people often opt for part-time counseling psychology graduate courses.
According to allpsychologyschools.com, counseling psychologists often have a private practice, work for private clinics or are employed in government agencies. They may serve in the private sector or work in community programs to assess the needs of the community and make suggestions for intervention.
According to John Suler Ph.D., from Rider University, clinical social work graduates earn an MSW-degree, which takes two to three years to complete in a full-time study program. How difficult it is to be accepted to a clinical social-work course will depend on the reputation of the university at which you apply. Clinical social-work students learn how to work in social welfare and mental health systems. Training in counseling and psychotherapy is not as extensive as in psychology programs and research is usually not emphasized. Clinical social workers do group and individual psychotherapy, and are often employed in hospitals, specialized programs, clinics or private practice.
School psychologists give counseling and do psychological testing in a school-environment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most states require a specialist (Ed.S.) degree in school psychology. Courses span over two to three years of full-time study (a minimum of 60 semester hours is required). Coursework covers training in both education and psychology. A one-year full-time internship is required in your third or fourth year.