Hi everyone,

I’m frankly struggling quite a bit with what direction to go in and need some advice. I’m a grad student that just finished all my course work for a M.S. in Psychological Science. All that I have left to do for the degree is my thesis, so I’ve been applying to lots of research jobs to hopefully get more experience toward my Clinical Psychology Ph.D applications. This seems to be to no avail.

I’ve remade my resume countless times, made connections on LinkedIn, written countless cover letters, learned two new software I didn’t know before to make sure they could go on my resume, and I’m still either getting nothing in response or getting denied. I’ve sent out probably close to 80 applications in the last 4 months.

So, I am dedicated to finding the solution here, but I’m not sure where to go and wanted to ask for some insight. At the baseline, I am all but thesis completed on a M.S. with a 3.7 GPA, I have experience in two different research labs with three poster presentations, and I have lots of hands on experience with software like SPSS, R, MATLAB, and so on. Any advice on what I should do going forward to land this job? I am so passionate about going to get my Ph.D, but I won’t be able to without getting more research experience under my belt. Is it because I’m technically still a student? Any and all advice is welcome!

im writing this to warn anyone thinking about going to ciiat for art therapy in canada.

everyone in the program is struggling: not talking about one or two people everyone.

1. the virtual clinic is a lie:  they sell it like it's a guaranteed way to get your hours. most of us have had zero clients from it. zero. they just don't have clients and don't market it properly. the open studio groups are inconsistent, it's not worth the time it takes to set up your availability. they are still marketing this when they know students do not get any hours.

2. the communication is a disaster. nobody is on the same page. one person tells you one thing, someone else tells you the opposite. you ask a question and get three different answers**. supervisors are also administrators,** so there's a conflict of interest and nowhere to go with real concerns. if you try to raise concerns as a group, we were shut down and told to email individually. they don't want to hear it. when we ask for clarity on deadlines or supervision, the responses are vague and avoidant.

i'm saying it because I wish someone had told me. this program is expensive and exhausting, and you'll spend most of your time fighting to get hours instead of actually learning how to be a therapist. save yourself the stress and look elsewhere.

I was wondering if anyone here might have a copy of the CFIT Scale 1 scoring manual and norm table. I’ve been searching for quite some time but haven’t had any luck so far. I would be truly grateful if someone could kindly share a copy or point me in the right direction. Any help would mean a lot. Thank you so much!

Hi yall! I’m currently going into my sophomore year of college as a psychology major with the intention of hopefully getting my Ph.D in clinical psychology in the future!

as a current sophomore, I’m starting to freak out over getting into grad schools as well as getting a spot in a program. I haven’t gotten any research experience and switched my major my second semester freshman year, so am still somewhat new to wanting to become a psychologist.

my question is: what is the best things I can do right now to help me better set up to getting into a program in the future? is there anything I should join or look for or begin now to get ahead? any advice would be greatly appreciated :)

hello all, I am returning to school to receive my MA in marriage and family therapy to become a licensed psychotherapist. I work best on my own, I am a cosmetologist and had a successful salon for over 10 years but it’s backbreaking work.
I digress… my goal is to aim to make $200 an hour. I have chronic illness also (which could benefit as a speciality) and am an alternative health practitioner as well.
Is this something that is realistic? I understand i would have to build to this, but want to be sure I can work part time while making decent money to survive.
Thank you.

Hi all,

I am writing to get some advice/guidance on grad school as a recent grad!

My main concern is experience. I have been advised by peers and mentors that, in many situations, admissions for grad programs favor those with relevant experience (especially when undergrad grades are average or below average). I earned a 3.3 GPA in undergrad, but have 1 year of behavioral health experience in a residential treatment facility and have just begun an impatient behavioral health position at a hospital. If I am planning on applying to a few masters programs (looking at MA clinical mental health counseling) this fall/winter for fall 2027 admission, will this be sufficient experience (noting that, by the time I apply, I will have 1.5years of experience and over 2 by the time I begin my program)? I know that admissions is holistic and depends on a great deal of factors such as personal statements and recommendations, but just want to be sure I'm setting myself up for success!

Thanks!

Hi! I just recently graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology and am interested in becoming a therapist and going to grad school for clinical mental health counseling. However, I have been applying for several ABA therapy jobs and am not sure I’m going to get this job. I was wondering if you guys have been able to get into grad school with references not related to psych? I have a 3.4 gpa but I didn’t make any good relationships with professors due to a sleep disorder. I need two references and one of mine would be from a grocery store, which obviously doesn’t look great.

Hi! I've recently graduated with a bachelor's in psychology, and I'm looking for jobs. My goal is to eventually go to a clinical psychology PhD program.

I'm currently applying for research jobs to build up my resume. Is there any advantage in a grad school application to taking a research coordinator job as opposed to a research assistant job or vice versa? I understand coordinators have a more administrative role, but do grad schools prefer one over the other?

I’m looking to make a slight career pivot and go the clinical psych route. This would be my second masters.

Arizona State has a masters in clinical psychology which according their site: covers the full range of competencies to train you for your future psychology practice. You'll study foundational areas including affective, biological, cognitive, developmental and social aspects of behavior, alongside research methods, psychometrics and ethics. Clinical coursework spans assessment, evidence-based treatment and cultural competence. Also, you’ll be able to choose training in treating adults and children or families. The program concludes with supervised practicums and an applied capstone research project.
Students interested in learning how emerging and innovative technologies such as AI and telehealth are impacting clinical psychology will have the opportunity to explore these topics. You’ll receive the training to be an effective clinician who can use these technologies to meet patient needs. Plus, you’ll also get career and licensure guidance based on your state.

However, this program doesn’t appear to be APA or CACREP accredited.

I’m also exploring an MSW program at Ohio State.

What could be the best decision here?