What's the difference between an MSW and a master's in counseling?
I am currently a student in a master's
program in psych. I will be
finishing here this May, and am in the process of
deciding where to go from here. I am certain of
what I want to do with my future career, but I have
been given mixed information from different people
as to what the best way is to go about doing this.
I am interested in working as a counselor with
couples and families in a therapeutic setting
(clinic, community mental health center...). I plan
to pursue another masters degree these next two
years, and was wondering if you could help
distinguish between the MSW degree and the MA in
counseling degrees (most of which lead to the LPC
degree). I have been told that the MSW is more
marketable and employable; I am concerned however
that the perspective of those programs is not as
similar to my own perspective/interests, which lie
more in the family systems area. Also, does an MSW
degree limit me to working with urban populations?
Finally, what is the difference between the
settings that people with these two degrees work
in? If you could help clear these questions up for
me, I would be VERY appreciative!! Or, if you could
recommend someone else who could help, that would
be great too! Thank you so much. KS
A lot of good questions here! To clarify, the feedback I give may not be that which everyone gives, and to some extent you need to consider what the requirements of your state are, as well as the job market.
(1) In my state (Pennsylvania) there is no intermediate licensing. As a result, an MSW degree is more marketable because it is perceived by many (including insurance companies) as a "terminal" degree. I generally recommend that my students get an MSW rather than a MA in counseling. (I feel like a traitor when I say this!)
(2) While there are many wonderful therapists with a family systems focus in Psychology, there is a much stronger historical focus towards family systems work as well as the recognition of culture and context in social work. If you are hoping to find this in graduate school -- and I wasn't sure of this from your letter -- I think you will be pleased by this focus. Psychology is a "Johnny come lately" to this recognition.
(3) Certainly social work is important in urban areas, but many of the issues remain important in a very rural area like the one I live in. Don't let this stop your decision.
(4) Social workers work in a variety of settings and positions: as administrators, therapists, and policy makers, in hospitals, clinics, private practice, community mental health, and other agencies. In fact, the viewpoint and employment opportunities for therapists is often not predictable based on their background, although generally counselors are more individually focused and social workers contextually and systemically oriented. JMS
Page by Jeanne M. Slattery (jslattery@mail.clarion.edu)
URL= http://psy1.clarion.edu/jms/qMSW.html
