Mental Health, Therapy, and Counseling Related Careers
Learn more about careers in mental health by reading our detailed descriptions below, or if you prefer video content, visit our Clinical Advising Videos.
Psychiatrist, MD
Degree, Schooling, and Licensing Required post-bachelors:
- Doctor of Medicine (MD) – 4 years
- Psychiatry Residency – 4 years
- A state medical license and board certification
What does a psychiatrist do?
Psychiatrists are medical doctors. They assess and treat mental illness using a medical model, and often treat mental illness using biological interventions (e.g., medications). They can prescribe medications. Some psychiatrists have training in “talk therapy,” but this is dependent on their residency training program and doing therapy is dependent on the job they end up working in.
In which settings does a psychiatrist work?
Hospitals, government offices, private practices, mental health clinics, research, Psychiatry residency/medical training programs
Pros:
- Highly paid and in demand profession
- Strong general medical knowledge
Cons:
- Cost (high student debt)
- Highly competitive – for medical school AND residency
- Time to degree
- Jobs often don’t have a large “talk therapy” component
Learn more about How to Become a Psychiatrist.
Programs in Michigan:
Medical schools:
- Central Michigan University, Michigan State University (MD & DO), University of Michigan, Oakland University, Wayne State University, Western Michigan University
Psychiatry Residency programs:
- University of Michigan, Henry Ford Hospital, Wayne County Health Authority Consortium, Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State, Michigan State University, Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, Henry Ford Allegiance Health Program, Western Michigan University, St. Mary Mercy Hospital, Oakland Physicians Medical Center Program, Central Michigan University, Beaumont Health Program
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, PhD, LP
Degree, Schooling, and Licensing Required post-bachelors:
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Clinical Psychology (5-7 years)
- A state psychologist license (LP – Licensed Psychologist)
What does a clinical psychologist with a PhD do?
Focus in graduate school is on learning to conduct research to understand mental illness. Training in working with all populations across age range, types of disorders, mild to severe disorders.
They are trained in:
- Research (the focus)
- Therapy
- Assessment - administering tests and other assessment tools to measure and observe a client’s behavior to arrive at a diagnosis and guide treatment
A dissertation is required and is usually an independent research project that you solely conduct and write.
Must complete a pre-doctoral clinical internship – this is a one year clinical internship to which you are “matched” to a site that you apply to and interview at
In which settings does a clinical psychologist with a PhD work?
Universities as professors, medical centers, hospitals, schools, private practice, government/VA centers, business, forensic work
Pros:
- Least restrictive degree for doing a wide-range of professions (except prescribing medication)
- No restrictions on professional license – can open one’s own private practice because no restrictions on insurances that one can bill
- Low cost (little to no student debt because students will get assistantships – work study programs where they work in graduate school to pay for their tuition)
Cons:
- Highly competitive
- Highly selective (only 4-5 spots per program)
- Time to degree
Additional info:
When you apply for graduate school, you apply to work with a specific person/mentor who does research in an area you want to conduct research in. You should not apply to programs if there is no one there to work with.
Programs in Michigan:
- Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Michigan State University, University of Detroit Mercy, University of Michigan, Wayne State University, Western University
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, PsyD, LP
Degree, Schooling, and Licensing Required post-bachelors:
- Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology (4-6 years)
- A state psychologist license (LP – Licensed Psychologist)
What does a clinical psychologist with a PsyD do?
Focus in graduate school is on treatment of mental illness. Training in working with all populations across age range, types of disorders, mild to severe disorders.
They are trained in:
- Therapy (Focus)
- Assessment - administering tests and other assessment tools to measure and observe a client’s behavior to arrive at a diagnosis and guide treatment
- Consumers of research – understanding and reading research, some programs may require small, independent projects
A dissertation is required and is generally a large literature review on a relevant topic in mental illness.
Must complete a pre-doctoral clinical internship – this is a one year clinical internship to which you are “matched” to a site that you apply to and interview at
In which settings does a clinical psychologist with a PsyD work?
PsyD programs as supervisors/instructors, medical centers, hospitals, schools, private practice, government/VA centers, business, forensic work
Pros:
- Good training
- Generally can do anything someone with a PhD can do aside from working as a professor at a research/teaching university (can work as a professor at PsyD programs or MA programs)
- No restrictions on professional license – can open one’s own private practice because no restrictions on insurances that one can bill
- Less competitive than PhD (but more competitive than master’s degrees)
- Often PsyDs are more competitive for clinical internships than PhDs given they receive so much more clinical training
Cons:
- Cost (high student debt)
- Time to degree
- Lots of programs exist to make money – need to be extra careful when researching programs
Additional info:
You apply to programs (not persons/mentors) when applying to graduate school for a PsyD (in contrast to the process for a PhD).
Programs in Michigan:
- Michigan School of Psychology
Counseling Psychologist, PhD, LP
Degree, Schooling, and Licensing Required post-bachelors:
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Counseling Psychology (4-6 years)
- A state psychologist license (LP - Licensed Psychologist)
What does a counseling psychologist do?
Focus in graduate school is on helping improve an individual’s personal and interpersonal functioning in life. Training involves across all ages, but generally focus is on adults and healthy populations. Training typically involves treating those with less severe mental illness or those who do not have a mental illness but still want counseling/guidance to improve themselves or their life. Training has a strong diversity/multicultural and social justice component.
They are trained in:
- Therapy (Focus)
- Assessment - administering tests and other assessment tools to measure and observe a client’s behavior to arrive at a diagnosis and guide treatment; Note, however, that there is often less training in this domain than in clinical PhD or PsyD programs.
- Research – will learn to conduct independent research but again to a lesser degree than a clinical PhD program
- Career and group counseling is also emphasized
A dissertation is required and is usually an independent research project that is conducted and written.
Must complete a pre-doctoral clinical internship – this is a one year clinical internship to which you are “matched” to a site that you apply to and interview at
In which settings does a counseling psychologist work?
College counseling centers, private/group practice, schools, universities, hospitals/VAs
Pros:
- Less competitive than Clinical PhD
- Better training in multicultural issues
- Greater ability to work with populations that have less severe mental illness
- Able to shape research to be representative of the populations you are interested in versus having to shape research to follow someone else’s research
- Some programs offer ability to specialize in working with underserved/less conventional populations
- No restrictions on professional license – can open one’s own private practice because no restrictions on insurances that one can bill
Cons:
- Less training in assessment/research may limit types of professions one can do; less assessment training may also make it difficult to be competitive for internship matching (vs. a PsyD or a clinical PhD)
- Less specialist training
- Less exposure to more serious forms of mental illness.
- Not much training in couples/family work typically
Additional info:
For counseling programs, you typically apply to programs, but you will need to identify specific people who you would want to do research with who can mentor you at that program.
Programs in Michigan:
- Western Michigan University, Wayne State University, Andrews University
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, PhD, LMFT
Degree, Schooling, and Licensing Required post-bachelors:
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Marriage/Couple and Family Therapy (5-7 years)
- A state license in Marriage and Family Therapy (LMFT)
What does a Marriage and Family Therapist do?
Provides mental health treatment to individuals, couples, kids, and families. Emphasis of training is on couples and families. Trained in diagnosing and treating DSM disorders but also relationship functioning and satisfaction. Also trained to read and conduct own research. A dissertation is required and is usually an independent research project that is conducted and written.
In which settings does a Marriage and Family Therapist work?
MFT programs as supervisors/instructors, hospitals, schools, colleges/universities, private practice, community mental health
Pros:
- Well rounded, systemically-focused understanding of health and disease.
- Focus on impact of relationships, past and present, on wellbeing.
- Learn about clinical interventions on the individual level but also the relationship level
- Emphasis on context and multicultural understanding
Cons:
- Less known and respected in Michigan when compared to LPCs and MSWs (not true for all states)
- Not all insurance companies panel with LMFTs
- Cannot work with patients with Medicare
- Reimbursed by insurances at a lower level than Psychologists, EVEN when you have a PhD and similar clinical training/experience
Additional info:
Not as many training programs available state or nationwide compared to MSW or Psychology programs
Programs in Michigan:
- Michigan State University
Masters Limited Licensed Psychologist, LLP
Degree, Schooling, and Licensing Required post-bachelors:
- Master’s in Psychology (MA or MS) (2-4 years)
- A state license as a limited licensed psychologist (LLP)
What does a Limited Licensed Psychologist do?
Focus in graduate school is understanding diagnosis, treatment, and psychological testing for mental illness.
They are trained in:
- Therapy (the focus)
- Some assessment - administering tests and other assessment tools to measure and observe a client’s behavior to arrive at a diagnosis and guide treatment
May have to complete a master’s thesis or a master’s project – this could be a research paper or a project
In which settings does a Limited Licensed Psychologist work?
Private practice, Community Mental Health, testing/assessment centers, businesses, psychiatric hospitals, prisons, community college (teaching)
Pros:
- May be the quickest route to a master’s degree depending on the program requirements
- With training/supervision, they can perform many of the same duties as a PhD or PsyD (i.e., therapy, testing/assessment)
- Programs are less competitive than PhD and PsyD programs
Cons:
- Requires ongoing supervision from a PhD or PsyD Licensed Psychologist – you cannot practice on your own with a LLP
- Not as widely sought after from employers when compared to other master’s level clinicians (LMSW, LPC)
- Some insurances will not pay for services provided by LLPs
- Not all states allow LLPs to practice
- Less community acceptance when compared to LMSW or LPC
- Cost per year is high due to low likelihood of receiving a graduate assistantship
Programs in Michigan:
- University of Michigan-Dearborn, Michigan School of Professional Psychology
Licensed Master's in Social Work, LMSW
Degree, Schooling, and Licensing Required post-bachelors:
- Master’s in Social Work (MSW) in a clinical track (2-3 years)
- A state license as a Licensed Master’s level Social Worker (LMSW)
What does a Licensed Social Worker do?
Social workers are trained to provide counseling, but they are also trained to help at a broader level of the society which means that they can work in a variety of different industries/settings.
Social workers can do a variety of jobs and are trained in a variety of positions:
- Provide counseling for mental illness (individual and group, across age ranges)
- Advocacy for marginalized groups
- Case management
- Community organization
- Policy creation and implementation
- Agency administration
- Child welfare
In which settings does a Licensed Social Worker work?
Private practice, hospitals, schools, government agencies, non-profit organizations, healthcare administration, prisons, policy/political positions
Pros:
- Are trained broadly so can do a variety of jobs and work in a variety of settings
- Have the ability to open their own private practice and do therapy without any supervision
- Very limited, if any, restrictions on what types of insurance providers they can work with
- One of the most common licenses amongst those who provide mental health counseling/therapy services
- Training is focused on social justice issues
Cons:
- Secondary traumatic stress risk is higher given they are exposed to many more social justice types of issues
- Earnings are lower relative to doctoral level clinicians
- Overburdened caseloads working in some settings
Programs in Michigan:
- University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Andrews University, Eastern Michigan, Northern Michigan University, Western Michigan University, Wayne State University, Grand Valley State University
Limited Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LLMFT
Degree, Schooling, and Licensing Required post-bachelors:
- Master’s in Marriage/Couple and Family Therapy (2 years)
- A state limited license in Marriage and Family Therapy (LLMFT)
What does a Limited Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist do?
Provides mental health treatment to individuals, couples, kids, and families. Emphasis of training is on couples and families. Trained in diagnosing and treating DSM disorders but also relationship functioning and satisfaction.
In which settings does a Limited Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist work?
Private/group practice, community mental health, sometimes schools or hospitals
Pros:
- More specialized training working with couples and families
- Learn about clinical interventions on the individual level but also the relationship/family level
- Emphasis on context and multicultural understanding
Cons:
- Less known and respected in Michigan when compared to LPCs and MSWs (not true for all states)
- Not all insurance companies panel with LLMFTs
- Cannot work with patients with Medicare
- Reimbursed by insurances at a significantly lower rate
- Not as widely sought out by employers given the restrictions with who you can work with
- Generally, the master’s level degree in MFT is dying out given that it is harder to find a job with this degree
- Not as many training programs available state or nationwide compared to MSW or Psychology programs
Programs in Michigan:
- Western Michigan University
Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC
Degree, Schooling, and Licensing Required post-bachelors:
- Master’s degree in Counseling (Counseling Psychology, Clinical Mental Health Counseling) (2-4 years)
- State license in counseling – Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
What does a Licensed Counselor do?
Focus is to learn how to provide counseling and learn different treatment and therapeutic techniques to treat mental illness. Training involves across all ages, but generally focus is on adults and healthy populations. Training is to provide counseling in a variety of settings. Training typically involves treating those with less severe mental illness or those who do not have a mental illness but still want counseling/guidance to improve themselves or their life. Can get different specializations with this degree to serve more specific populations (e.g., working with mental health broadly, working in schools as a school counselor, working as a marriage/family therapist). There is no focus on research or assessment work.
In which settings does a Licensed Counselor work?
Private practice, psychiatric hospitals, schools
Pros:
- Education is often specific to the type of program you attend and what its specialization entails (e.g., clinical mental health, school, marriage and family therapy)
- Shorter program than a doctoral program because there is no research or assessment component
- Largely accepted state-to-state by employers and as a degree
- Accepted by most insurances (except Medicare) and is marketable
Cons:
- Cost per year is high due to low likelihood of graduate assistantships
- Less flexible than the LMSW because the LMSW can serve in roles that are outside of providing counseling (on the other hand, the LPC is more focused in counseling than the LMSW which trains more broadly)
- Requires two years of weekly supervision after licensing in the state of Michigan
- There is a wide pay range depending on the setting in which you work
Programs in Michigan:
- Andrews University, Aquinas College, Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Madonna University, Oakland University, Spring Arbor University, University of Detroit-Mercy, Wayne State University, Western Michigan University
Board Certified Behavior Analyst, BCBA
Degree, Schooling, and Licensing Required post-bachelors:
- Master’s degree typically in some area of counseling or school psychology (2-3 years) AND Certificate program in Applied Behavior Analysis (1-2 years)
- OR Master’s degree in Behavior Analysis (2-3 years)
- State License as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
What does a Behavior Analyst do?
Learn to use Applied Behavior Analysis with populations with developmental disabilities, intellectual impairment, or those on the Autism Spectrum. Training is to learn the specific treatment approach of Applied Behavior Analysis, and there is less of a focus on learning other treatment interventions or working with different populations. Learn to work with kids and adults. Some programs may show how Applied Behavior Analysis can also be used in non-clinical settings
In which settings does a Behavior Analyst work?
Schools, agencies which provide Applied Behavior Analysis services, consulting, healthcare settings
Pros:
- Highly in demand and marketable career path
- Salary is good relative to amount of schooling and cost of schooling
- Can have a master’s degree in a wide variety of areas before going for a certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis (so have flexibility with what you can do and where you can work depending on what your master’s degree was in)
Cons:
- Don’t learn other therapeutic interventions – really only limited to being certified in Applied Behavior Analysis
Programs in Michigan:
- Western Michigan University, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, Central Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, Northern Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University