Psychology or Social Work?

[anon]

I know I really want to help people in my future career and I have an interest in mental health, however, I always go back and forth between whether I should become a Psychologist or a Social Worker? Maybe even a Psychiatric Social Worker?

If anyone has any of these careers can you tell me your experiences and what traits are needed to pursue these careers?
I am going into university next year for a Psychology undergraduate degree, so this isn't an immediate issue, however, when I go to do a masters I am going to have to choose which route to take.

I really want to make a good salary so if I needed to I could sustain myself alone.
I am a really good listener and I am caring, I an also good at analyzing people and situations and I am very patient. I love school as well.

My only concern with becoming a psychologist is that I won't be done school for about 10 years (or possibly more) because I will need a Psy.D, or Ph.D, and it will also be extremely expensive. I am not even sure if I could handle doing a Ph.D, it makes me nervous thinking about it.

I would really like to work in a hospital, in the mental health department and maybe work with the inpatients, I would love that. A read a bit on Psychiatric Social workers and I would love to do that as well.

Any information is appreciated, and tips! Any advice as well!

[Jimmy]

Social

[Elaine]

I would go with being a social worker. As a psychiatrist like you said you need more qualifications and also in todays world psychiatrists arn't in great demand because not many people can afford them etc.

Being a social worker you will get the same satisfaction of helping people. Although you probably won't get paid as much.

If you're still conflicted I think you should write a pro and con list for each and the one with the most pros and least cons wins.

[Martell]

In my experience, there were a lot of unemployed psychologists. As it was a very popular major. But that was some years ago, and I don't know what it's like nowadays. I got an MA and an Ed. Specialist degrees in Guidance and Counseling, and worked as therapist with very troubled adolescents for the last 20 yrs of my working life. Loved the work! Also took all the in-service courses etc, available. The one psychologist that worked there just did the psych testing. But we all knew that info, in working with the teenager and his/her family members. I'd suggest that you see your school counselor and ask to take all the I.Q. and Vocational Interest Inventories that you can. You can get a better idea of the areas you'd like to go into, that way.

[joann]

Social workers have a wider potential scope of practice than psychologists with the same level of preparation do. That can be a major advantage where managed care has eaten up much of the profit in mental health private practice. Having a wide scope of practice also helps when you feel burned out and need a change.

Mental health workers of all types have a high burnout rate. It helps to be a crisis junkie, but even crisis junkies sometimes need a change of pace to stay fresh.

PhD or PsyD psychologists may make more money in some settings than social workers if they can find work. The market is pretty crowded, as another contributor stated. Clinical social workers licensed as independent practitioners make about the same as other talk therapists in most settings. As in some other talk therapist roles you can work under supervision with an intermediate license until you earn your independent license. In some states you can practice non clinical social work like case management with just a bachelors. That helps if you are working your way through school to get your masters. In some states with your bachelors in social work you can add a certificate in substance abuse counseling and broaden what you can do before you get your masters even further. Each state has its own rules about that.

If you are considering social work, major in it as an undergraduate rather than in another social science. You can then get advanced placement in a social work graduate program so that your masters is only one year instead of two. This could save you heaps of money. The University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work has advanced placement like this, and others probably do too.

Good luck in whatever you choose.