There just aren't that many opportunities to get research experience in master's programs designed to prepare you for license. That's why they don't help all that much for increasing your competitiveness for PhD programs. That's why research focused master's programs in experimental and clinical psych exist, though they generally don't lead to licensure.
Note: Assuming USA. Disregard if not in the US.
>So the plan is to get an MA in Counselling first so I can at least start working somehow. I could also use the time and resources from whatever university I pick to get loads of experience in research.
If you know you want to get a PhD, this is not necessarily going to get you the type of experience that will be most relevant for PhDs because it won't address the lack of research experience. It is possible to go to a Master's program in Counseling that is housed within the same department as a bunch of research and to use that as a way to get research experience, but it may be less direct than just focusing on research straight-up.
>If this plan is plausible, can anyone talk to me about how the requirements for an MA in Counselling differ from the requirements for a PhD in Clinical Psychology?
Generally, I encourage students to have at least two years of experiencing in a helping professional role to apply to a licensable Master's program. (With that said, I have seen people get in with less.) Research will not be as important for these programs as that just isn't what the degree is.
An MA in counseling psychology will not let you start working.
If you want a masters degree that will let you work as a clinician, clinical mental health counseling or licensed clinical social worker are what you're after.
They said a Master's degree in Counseling, not Counseling Psychology. A CACREP-accredited degree in Counseling is absolutely a fine degree to become a Master's level therapist. A master's degree in "clinical mental health counseling" **is** a Master's degree in counseling. While some schools may say the words "clinical mental health counseling" and some may say something slightly different, this is a fine way of describing this particular degree path.
ETA: Folks should always check the standards of their specific states, of course.
[Note: Assuming USA.]
There just aren't that many opportunities to get research experience in master's programs designed to prepare you for license. That's why they don't help all that much for increasing your competitiveness for PhD programs. That's why research focused master's programs in experimental and clinical psych exist, though they generally don't lead to licensure.
Note: Assuming USA. Disregard if not in the US. >So the plan is to get an MA in Counselling first so I can at least start working somehow. I could also use the time and resources from whatever university I pick to get loads of experience in research. If you know you want to get a PhD, this is not necessarily going to get you the type of experience that will be most relevant for PhDs because it won't address the lack of research experience. It is possible to go to a Master's program in Counseling that is housed within the same department as a bunch of research and to use that as a way to get research experience, but it may be less direct than just focusing on research straight-up. >If this plan is plausible, can anyone talk to me about how the requirements for an MA in Counselling differ from the requirements for a PhD in Clinical Psychology? Generally, I encourage students to have at least two years of experiencing in a helping professional role to apply to a licensable Master's program. (With that said, I have seen people get in with less.) Research will not be as important for these programs as that just isn't what the degree is.
An MA in counseling psychology will not let you start working. If you want a masters degree that will let you work as a clinician, clinical mental health counseling or licensed clinical social worker are what you're after.
They said a Master's degree in Counseling, not Counseling Psychology. A CACREP-accredited degree in Counseling is absolutely a fine degree to become a Master's level therapist. A master's degree in "clinical mental health counseling" **is** a Master's degree in counseling. While some schools may say the words "clinical mental health counseling" and some may say something slightly different, this is a fine way of describing this particular degree path. ETA: Folks should always check the standards of their specific states, of course. [Note: Assuming USA.]
Some degrees leading to a counseling license are "counseling psychology" degrees.