Description
Book SynopsisAccessible and unbiased, Careers in Mental Health introduces upper-level high school students and beginning undergraduates to the different aspects of various mental health professions.
- Contains essential career advice for anyone considering an advanced degree in one of the helping professions within mental health
- Covers clinical psychology, counseling psychology, social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy, substance abuse counseling, and school psychology
- Clarifies the distinctions between professions by discussing the history and philosophy of each field, requirements for advanced education, licensing, available jobs, salary potential, and more
- Includes a section with practical information applicable to all the professions, such as characteristics for success, ethical issues, the importance of critical thinking, applying to graduate school, and current issues affecting the field of mental health
Trade Review"Careers in Mental Health was written for undergraduate psychology students and students in other mental health fields and provides a strong introduction to the most frequently entered mental health fields. It quickly outlines each field�s philosophical origins, educational requirements, and opportunities for licensure, typical work settings, and average salaries by people in the field.It is too narrow for a careers course, but since it solely focuses on the mental health professions that require graduate school and culminate in licensure or certification, it could be a good supplementary text for either that course or an Introduction to Counseling course.
Careers in Mental Health could also be a good resource for faculty advising students about graduate school but confused by the variety of apparently similar professions out there�clinical, counseling, and school psychology; guidance counseling; social work; and licensed professional counseling. I am a clinical psychologist, have worked in the field for 25 years, and have advised students about these fields for most of that time, yet as a result of reading this book, I better understand issues I�ve talked about and taught for years. For example, why do these similar fields go by different names? Metz argues that this is at least in part because these are homologous fields, appearing similar but having different philosophical roots...
Much of the information in Careers in Mental Health is available on the Internet, but Metz provides it in a simple and available manner that allows students�and faculty�to compare apples with apples. She filters the information about fields in a straightforward manner that makes their comparisons easy." (PsycCRITIQUES January 16, 2017, Vol. 62, No. 3, Article 6)
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
Unit 1: Career Essentials 1
1 Ph.D. or Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology 3
Overall History and Philosophy of the Profession 3
Education 10
Licensing 17
Types of Jobs for which the Degree will Qualify You 19
Earning Potential 24
Types of Clients Served 25
What about Getting a Master’s Degree in Psychology? 26
2 Ph.D. or Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology 29
Overall History and Philosophy of the Profession 29
Education 34
Licensing 35
Types of Jobs for which the Degree will Qualify You 35
Earning Potential 39
3 Master’s in Social Work (MSW) 41
Overall History and Philosophy of the Profession 41
Education 46
Types of Jobs for which the Degree will Qualify You 50
Earning Potential 54
4 Master’s in Counseling 57
Overall History and Philosophy of the Profession 57
Education 62
Licensing 66
Types of Jobs for which the Degree will Qualify You 67
Earning Potential 68
5 Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy 69
Overall History and Philosophy of the Profession 69
Education 75
Licensing 75
Types of Jobs for which the Degree will Qualify You 76
Earning Potential 77
6 Substance Abuse/Chemical Dependency Counselor 79
Overall History and Philosophy of the Profession 79
Education 83
Licensing 84
Types of Jobs for which the Degree will Qualify You 88
Earning Potential 89
7 School Psychologist 91
Overall History and Philosophy of the Profession 91
School Psychologist versus School Counselor 98
Education 99
Licensing 102
Types of Jobs for which the Degree will Qualify You 103
Earning Potential 104
Unit 2: Strategies and Skills 107
8 Why (and Why Not) to Pursue a Mental Health Professional Career 109
Why TO Pursue a Mental Health Career 109
Why NOT to Pursue a Mental Health Career 115
9 Critical Thinking 123
Distinguish between Real Science and Psychobabble 124
Always Ask Questions 126
Pay Attention to the Way Terms are Operationalized when Evaluating Information 127
Examine the Evidence – Both Sides of the Evidence 128
Analyze Assumptions and Biases of Those Making Claims 129
Avoid Emotional Reasoning 130
Consider Other Interpretations 132
Tolerate Uncertainty 133
10 Ethics: A Primer on Mental Health Profession Guidelines 137
Confidentiality 138
Boundaries 141
Record-Keeping 144
11 How to Increase Your Chance of Getting into Graduate School 147
GPA and GRE Scores 148
Research Experience 149
Volunteering 150
Internships 151
Personal Statement 151
Letters of Recommendation 153
Vita or Resume 154
Interview 155
Attend to Deadlines 156
12 After You Have Earned Your Degree 157
Continuing Education 157
Malpractice Insurance 159
Telehealth/Telepsychology/Online Support Groups 161
Prescription Privileges 162
Conclusion 167
Index 169
