Those with an M.A. or M.S. in psychology are not eligible for mental health jobs unless they are licensed (even if their program is clinically oriented). Those who have obtained not just a Masters Degree in Psychology but also a license to practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) can be quite successful in offering not just marriage and family therapy but also general psychotherapy–though this is usually considered to be formally outside their domain of expertise. Those with an MFT are usually unsuccessful in finding work in a medical facility. However, those with a specialization in behavioral medicine are now often sought, though support and funding for behavioral medicine services are still wavering in many hospital systems.
Giving Psychological Advice
It is also not appropriate (or even legal) to provide psychological services in a clinical setting with a doctorate outside the fields of medicine, psychology, and education. Even giving psychological advice via a public medium (such as radio or television) is frowned upon by those with degrees and licenses in the field of mental health. We can look back, for instance, on the speaking and writing done by Joyce Brothers, who had been a successful contestant on a major TV quiz show. Joyce Brothers was trained as a research psychologist at Columbia University and was awarded a Ph.D. She was to become a widely read and influential interpreter of psychological research findings for practical use. Her column in Good Housekeeping probably had a greater impact on the lives of American families than any esteemed article published in a peer-reviewed APA journal.
Dr. Brothers was exceptionally skillful at presenting complex ideas in a way that “ordinary” people could understand—yet she didn’t “water down” the findings. Despite contributing in a major way to the consumption of psychological findings, Dr. Brothers was viewed unfavorably. The negative reactions were founded not just on the fact that her doctorate was not in clinical psychology, but also on the less rational foundation of envy for her popularity and an elitist assumption that psychological findings are only for those who are qualified to read and interpret them in an obscure journal.
An even more unsettling tale can be told about another disseminator of psychological insights. This person was Laura Schlessinger. Known as Dr. Laura, this syndicated “helper” often offers outlandish advice and has been rightfully criticized for being of no real help to those needy folks who phone in for her assistance. However, this was not always the case. When she first was “on the air,” Laura Schlessinger tended, like Joyce Brothers, to offer sensible advice based on credible psychological research.
However, Dr. Schlessinger’s degree was not in psychology. Like Joyce Brothers, Laura Schlessinger received her doctorate from Columbia University. Her Ph. D. was in physiology. However, unlike Dr. Brothers, Laura Schlessinger also studied for and obtained a Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) license in California. Apparently, the MFT was not enough. Laura Schlessinger’s critics declared that she should “not be allowed” to convey psychological advice. This requires a Doctorate in Psychology. So, “Dr. Laura” emerged, who was now in the business (like “Dr. Phil”) of providing entertainment (and generating ratings) rather than being of “real” assistance to those who seek her advice. We can obtain advice from many sources when we are struggling with a difficult personal issue. Our spouse, friends, pastor, family doctor, and a whole host of other well-meaning people are welcome to tell us what to do. In fact, we now know that we often receive a shot of feel-good neurochemicals when given advice. However, we are not supposed to take advice from those on the radio, TV, Sirius XM, and many social media sites who are not fully credentialed!
