Yeah, there don't seem to be many differences in the degrees.
In some programs the only difference may be one or two classes
and the internship. Both the school counseling and clinical
counseling programs seem to be designed to give you the
specific classes you need for licensure so all you need after
the degree is to be sure to get the full 60 credits if you are
in a masters program that stops at fewer (most MD school
counseling programs are 48, clinical/community/mental health
counseling programs and clinical psychology MA programs seem to
run from 45-60 depending upon the specific program).
I don't think people look down on the school psych or school
counseling degree, it is just in some settings I don't think
people understand what it qualifies you for. In the
psychiatric hospital I worked in they were a HOSPITAL, the
medical staff were the primary staff and they lived in the
medical model. The doctors and nurses who ran the place didn't
understand that a Ph.D. school psychologist is a fully
qualified psychologist or a school counselor with his/her LCPC
is a fully qualified counselor. To them, the school in front
of the name means that the person is just qualified to work in
the schools. What counselors, psychologists, or social workers
as the hiring professional would think in another setting I'm
not sure.
One drawback of the school counseling degree is that I am under
the impression that to get an LCPC in MD one must have some
clinical/community experience, they don't accept purely school
counseling experience for the 2000 hours pre-licensing
experience. So, I'd have to take a part-time job before I
could be licensed and start a private practice.
I certainly understand that the day isn't over when the kids go
home. I am currently a special education teacher. The
beginning of the year can be a good 12 hour day for the first
month or two, then it drops to about 45-50 hours a week much of
the time. More experienced teachers can be assured to always
be finished around 4 or 5pm on even the worst days (we come in
at 7am). I do notice the counselors going home earlier than
the teachers on almost all days (and few seem to bring
briefcases or backpacks to carry work home). So, I figure that
I should have time for a part-time job or practice, though I
wouldn't want to do it every evening.
On 5/06/08, lacey wrote:
> i would ask around professionals in your state
> specifically. i am in grad school for school counseling in
> NC and my program is the same exact program as the community
> counseling track with minor differences: school track
> people take 2 school courses and an education based elective
> while community track people take a community course and
> DSM...obviously our internships reflect our chosen track as
> well.
>
> i want to work in the schools and earn my LPC (licensed
> professional counselor) certification so i can do private
> practice on the side if i chose. the only difference i see
> in my state is that i can do both school and community
> counseling with my degree, while community track people can
> only do community unless they get the add on certificate.
> both our school and community tracks are 60 credits.
>
> i haven't heard anything about community people looking down
> on school people who enter the community counseling setting,
> but i think it would be easier to get a job with a degree in
> community because your clinical experiences would be in
> community.
>
> i think it's possible to be a fulltime school counselor and
> do some outside community counseling work, BUT it would be
> very naive to think that a school counselor's work day ends
> when the school day ends, so i don't think you could do too
> much work outside of the school without short changing your
> students.
>
>
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