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How Beneficial is a Graduate Degree to Start my own Private Practice?

By Rich Stamos

Californians seeking to open up their own private practice must have the minimum qualification of a master’s degree in psychology.

Many students want to know if they may work in the mental health field without a doctorate. The short answer is, yes. There are many opportunities available to grad school graduates as the demand for mental health professionals is steadily rising (CalMatters). 

If you have a master’s in psychology and want to work, you may be able to do so in the private sector as long as you also have a license or certification. If you are outside of California, do some research to know what is needed to start your own practice. After earning your master’s degree, most jobs in the counseling or clinical fields require a doctoral degree. 

NDNU’s Clinical Psychology Department (CPD) and the curriculum provide guidance for future leaders and private practitioners. Graduate training in clinical psychology applies to many backgrounds, such as: 

  • social work
  • sociology
  • biology
  • business 
  • education 
  • law
  • medicine 
  • and allied health

Additionally, the CPD prepares students for competitive doctoral studies in psychology or related fields, including becoming a licensed psychologist.

Numerous states only require a graduate degree and some practical experience for psychotherapists to get employed. You often require a license or certificate if you wish to work with patients in a private setting and provide treatment options for your patients. 

Before beginning any program, consider your long-term and professional objectives. Not every psychology program is the same.

There aren’t many graduate programs in general psychology, but you can choose among ones that allow you to concentrate on a particular field of interest.

Graduate degrees in organizational, industrial, experimental, and other branches of psychology are also available. 

Graduate-level work is far more involved than undergraduate work, which you will learn hands-on and in-person as opposed to the undergrad disciple of simply reading textbooks. The majority of programs now include some kind of clinical work and/or you must also complete a residency or internship requirement during your schooling. Instead of completing regular courses in a classroom, students spend this year working in the field and documenting their experiences. 

After earning your master’s degree, you can leave proud knowing that you are one step closer to achieving your goal of having your own private practice. For information on applying to Notre Dame de Namur University, please visit the Admissions Page. 

How beneficial is a graduate degree to start my own course/class/etc?

Pursuing a degree in higher education is not necessary to start your own venture, but it will give you more in-depth knowledge.

Learning as much as possible about the field you plan on creating a business in is an absolute positive.

Experience and knowledge of how to get started in becoming your own boss is crucial and will guide you in the right direction.  

You can obtain greater knowledge through hands-on experience, either through certification or a master’s degree.

Getting a master’s degree does not mean you need to go to business school to kick off your future business goals. If your situation is like most people in today’s world, you’re likely going to continue working as you invest towards being an entrepreneur.

Many future business owners work full-time while pursuing their side ventures, so enrolling in a school that benefits your work/life balance is very important.  

Dependent on the program you choose you will most likely learn from specialists in the field, many who are currently working and continue to teach.

Gaining professional feedback and guidance is invaluable and will only add to your business ventures. For example, if you pursue a master’s in business, you can discover that what you learn in class is instantly applicable to your current job and through day-to-day interactions. Gaining experience inside the classroom that can instantly be applied to the real world is a valuable tool to have. Simply showing up to class gives you the added opportunity to grow your network via your classmates.  

The return on investment of a master’s degree is a long game, though the benefits and change will not be immediate, it will show as you look back on your growth. Knowledge and experience are invaluable when it comes to any decision you make in life.

So having a master’s under your belt will be a tool you won’t regret. As you continue building your business, you will have strong resources, knowledge and a network to support you further in your endeavors and beyond.  

For information on applying to Notre Dame de Namur University, please visit the Admissions Page. 

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Mark Dee

Magellan Solutions USA launched under the visionary leadership of Mark A. K. Dee, Chief Executive Officer – a consultant and service provider for healthcare administrative support, IT development, energy, call center, and business process outsourcing. Mark has served in various multi-level management positions in his 21 years of service in the United States Air Force (USAF). He performed as Immunology and Microbiology department manager, Medical Laboratory Assistant Director, Facility and Security Manager, and finally retiring in the military in 2008 as Superintendent/Assistant Chief of Operations of 330 personnel Medical Group. Mark has experiences in the services industries since he retired, including running a restaurant chain as the CEO. He has also developed other businesses in the Martials Arts studio and 3d-printing industries. He has a BS in Health Sciences and Hospital Administration, Board Certified in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Graduated in the Senior Executive Leadership School from the USAF, Master’s in Business Administration, and a Master’s of Science in Systems Management at Notre Dame De Namur University.

Chosen Cheng

Chosen Cheng is owner of CMC Group, a privately held engineering and marketing consultancy for small business startup ventures. He currently works with project teams developing patented award-winning solar roofing systems and patent pending drone-based augmented reality geological and thermal mapping solutions. He was formerly a Silicon Valley marketing and innovative corporate training manager. As an avocation and a way to “pay it forward” he enjoys teaching and career coaching college and graduate MBA students many of whom are pioneering first generation college students from underserved communities. He and his wife, a Notre Dame alum, celebrated their wedding reception at the Ralston Mansion in the 70’s and have two stupendously successful, married adult children who between them have four stupendously adorable grandchildren.

Arthur Chait

Entrepreneur, Executive, Engineer, Investor, Professor, Mentor. Founder & CEO EoPlex Inc. ($31 million VC funded startup acquired by ASTI Singapore). President Stanford Research Institute (SRI) Consulting Division (800 staff worldwide). SVP Flextronics (responsible for $8 Billion in global accounts). President Zitel Software. Principal Booz Allen. R&D Director Halliburton. Adjunct Professor Menlo College, Visiting Professor Universidad Francisco Marroquin (Guatemala), Mentor Draper University, Judge Startup Chile. BS Engineering Rutgers, MBA Strategy University Pittsburgh.

Kelly Cansler

Kelly completed both her BS (Finance/Economics) and MBA from NDNU. She utilized her business education to launch an insurance agency in 2008 with Farmers Insurance. It’s grown into multi-million-dollar agency, organically and through acquisition. She has been recognized by Farmers Insurance being ranked within the top 10% of agents nationwide, but also as a speaker, trainer, and mentor within the Farmers Insurance Community. Kelly is extremely connected with local businessowners through several networking channels.

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Cliff is the senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Rambus, a global chip and IP provider that advances data center connectivity and solves the bottleneck between memory and processing. Cliff has over 20 years of experience leading global human resources operations for publicly traded companies with expertise in employee relations, organizational development, and compensation strategy. Prior to Rambus, Cliff worked for several other high-tech companies in the semiconductor and medical device space and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Marketing from Texas State University and a master’s degree in Human Resources Management and Organization Development from the University of Texas at Austin.

Memo Morantes

Memo Morantes has been a San Mateo County resident for more than 45 years. He has been a three-term San Mateo County Board of Education incumbent, a Redwood City/San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce board member, a Sequoia Hospital Foundation member, a co-chair of the Latino Leadership Council of San Mateo, and a civic/community activist. 

Sheryl Young

Sheryl serves as a director for Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, which provides $10M each year for innovative teachers and social entrepreneurs throughout the Bay Area. Prior Sheryl served as CEO of Community Gatepath and AbilityPath.org. She has over 30 years of managerial experience in operations, finance, and marketing. Young is a graduate of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Executive Program for Non-Profit Leaders, earned an M.A. of Public Health from UC Berkeley, an M.A. in Special Education from Ball State University and a B.A. in Political Science from Purdue University.

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Mario Rendon serves as District Director for State Assemblymember Kevin Mullin. He develops the communications, public relations and constituent service strategy for the office and supervises a small team that represents Mr. Mullin in the 22nd Assembly District within San Mateo County. He has over twenty year’s experience working with elected officials at the local, state and federal level developing public policy.

Jerry Hill

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Jeremy Dennis

Jeremy currently serves as Portola Valley Town Manager. Previously, he’s worked for elected officials at all governance levels, including twice as District Director for local assemblymembers. He worked as the Palo Alto Long Range Planning Director, and for San Mateo County in management roles. Jeremy has a Masters in Urban Planning from the London School of Economics, and graduated from UC Davis studying US History/Political Science.

Kate Comfort-Harr

Kate is Executive Director of HIP Housing, a nonprofit specializing in creative affordable housing solutions throughout San Mateo County. Kate is a frequent speaker on a wide array of affordable housing topics and is passionate about the cultivation of collaborations between the private, public and social sectors. She serves on the Board of Directors for the San Mateo Credit Union and was awarded the Chamber San Mateo County’s 2020 Business Woman of the Year Award.

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Jerome Nadel

Jerome Nadel is Internationally experienced design-led marketing executive (CMO and GM) with a track record of improved market position, revenue growth, and M&A. He is an advance degreed psychologist and user experience product/service design expert, board member and advisor. Jerome recently retired from Rambus as where he was CMO and GM of the security software division that he led the sale to Visa. He has had a variety of chief marketing officer and chief user experience officer roles at companies including Human Factors International, SLP InfoWare, Gemplus, and Sagem. He started his career in the IBM Human Factors Labs. He is also an avid cyclist with National and multiple California State Champion titles.

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