STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Teresa · Kate Spade

marriage and family therapist vs. social worker

HeatherLynn · Gucci

I think a social worker is a very great job and we don't have enough of those out there so I love that it is something you enjoy. With that said, your end goal is private practice therapy. I think going and ahead and starting as a therapist will get you there easier. Once people get into a career path they have a tendency to get stuck and have a hard time breaking away from that. Good luck with whatever you decide!

boobaby · Kate Spade

Someone I know started out in social work and then went into private practice. I believe she went back to school after a few years as a social worker, though.

pollyjean23 · Marc Jacobs

With regard to ease of reaching your goal of private practice, my first choice is to do a counseling master's degree and/or a PhD in counseling psychology. The nice thing about going the counseling route is you can earn all those licenses and certificates and put the initials after your name for extra clout when trying to build your client base. American Counseling Association - -you know, NCC, etc.

I'm in the biz (a career counselor at a college with an education student personnel master's degree); I'm partial to the counselor end of it all. Doesn't mean you can't do what you want with a MSW.

If we're adding psychologists & psychiatrists into the mix, I would first prefer psychologists, then counselors for therapy.

-- Edited by pollyjean23 at 10:27, 2007-04-13

atlgirl · Gucci

In order of preference:

- social worker

- psychologist

- psychiatrist

I've had counseling in the past. Also DH and I have been seeing a counselor for about a year. And I have definitely found that social workers' perspectives more closely align with how I think and feel about things. (DH doesn't really care). This has been consistent over the years. I actually have a BA in Sociology and considered going for my MSW, so someone else might feel differently, but I would definitely prefer someone with an MSW.

Good luck to you in school!

Suasoria · Chanel

For me it depends on the nature of the problem. Hub and I saw an MFT for a while a few years ago and he was great - this was for fairly generic relationship problems: 'you don't help around the house,' 'you push me away,' 'you talk down to me,' etc. I know - yawn.

However, if problems in the family involve physical or substance abuse, or if there are at-risk kids in the home, I think an LCSW would be my first choice. I guess I feel they would be more equipped to handle external pressures on a family, whereas an MFT would be better dealing with people's internal emotional issues.