I would start by creating a list of possible PhD programs and looking at the research that has been done by the faculty at those schools. Also, do you desire an emphasis on clinical work or research? Some schools have a clinical program but the professors are mainly researchers. Look for a nice balance. I went for interviews and I was interviewing them as much as they were me! One school treated me like I was a nuisance. That showed me their orientation toward the field. I wish you the best!

I appreciate it! There are so many it is like an ocean of possibility. A blessing and a curse I suppose. I have been sort of doing what you suggest but I think I need to narrow it by location first. I just hate crossing any options off my list for fear of missing something amazing. To answer your question, I am more interested in clinical work overall but want to do research when possible. The PsyD seems like the better fit but less traditional focuses seem to be more in research ironically.

If you may want to do research, then I recommend a PhD not a PsyD. Pruning the list by location is a good idea! Where would you like to spend the next 4-6 years?

Add me on FB if you'd like: Salsa Moshe Mark Wexler (I teach Latin dance).

It depends what you are looking for. Many programs prepare students to be academic researchers and the clinical work is mostly CBT or some variation of manualized treatment. Feel free to call me or email questions. [email protected] or 607-498-5376

I'm in a similar boat, as I worked in an unrelated field for over a decade before deciding to pursue a new career in psychology. I graduated from a terminal MA clinical/counseling program in December 2019. As I was in my last semester, I submitted applications to 15 clinical PhD programs. I found the book "Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology: 2018/2019 Edition" by Sayette and Norcross (2018) immensely helpful in selecting schools and preparing applications. The authors write a new edition every year; the 2020/2021 edition is the most recent. I subsequently received four interviews. Please contact me at [email protected] if you have additional questions.

Hi Jill, are you finishing your MA in SMBI at Teachers College, by chance? I am a graduate of that program (third-year cohort). I have spent the last 2 years in the Psy.D. program at James Madison University. However, I have transferred to the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at Case Western Reserve University this fall to focus more on research. I am happy to talk about the pros/cons of each (from my experience so far), and about applying to doctoral programs after SMBI. Please feel free to reach out. [email protected].

Hi Jillian. Based on your interests, Adler's PsyD program comes to mind for you to check out. I did my searches for grad school based on a PsyD program ranking I found online and from there, based on my interests. Hope this helps. It's obviously a big investment of time and money, so it's great you're being diligent in your search. Best wishes.

Hey there! The tough, and probably best, method would be to go through all the currently APA accredited programs with PhD and/or PsyD and identify the faculty at each program. Review their research interests and then consider whether or not you would be a good fit.

As a side note, if you're very research oriented, I recently compiled a list of R1 and R2 universities and cross referenced them with their APA accreditation. Check it out here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/108jWsJcf709zAT7LGSvR74ELxzmg4yAPXS9rnwnuVlc/edit?usp=drivesdk