Expert: Libby Bonner - 2/3/2005

Question
Hi Libby, Mental health is my passion, but I'm not sure I can get into the psychology masters program here in Milwaukee. I do think I could get into the social work program but, considering my interest in mental health, would I enjoy an MSW? To what extent do social workers work in mental health settings? Thanks for being an Expert!  

Answer
If mental health/illness is your passion, you will probably find being a Psychiatric SW much, much more rewarding than being a psychologist.  [And - I may be out of date - aren't there severe limits to what an MA, as opposed to PhD, psychologists can do?]

Be sure that your MSW program is credentialed by whatever national body does that so that there are not limits on employment.  Not sure if you take the psychiatric/clinical component as a specialty w/in the regular MSW program or as an add-on later.

You can practice in any mental health setting: doc's office; in-pt psych unit; community mental health center, etc.  You may even be doing individual therapy, so give this careful thought and/or get any testing needed to reassure yourself that you have what it takes to be effective w/ patients and happy in your work.

Sorry to say that there are a million "therapists, counselors," etc., out there, of whom perhaps 10% are minimally competent, 5 % are quite effective, and 2 % are brilliant.  The bell curve does not seem to operate with these professions; it is dreadfully skewed to the left.

This opinion is shared by my daughter and myself, and by one of my closest friends, a Clinical MSW at a mental health center [whose clinical work is, in my opinion, brilliant.]

Hope you find satisfying work.  NB - you can also take a psychiatric specialization w/ a nursing degree.