Rose2017

And to clarify, 'seeking LPC licensure' requires that you have a Masters degree in counseling, accrue around somewhere around 3000 hours of post masters counseling experience and practice during that time under the supervision of another LPC. Plus whatever licensing exams your state requires.

I have a master's degree in counseling and have been an LPC for 11 years. I'm entering an accelerated PMHNP program this fall. Your NP program will not teach you how to do therapy well but your scope of practice will include counseling. Seek out additional therapy training, and I mean in depth, workshops if you really want to do counseling. Go get trained in experiential therapy if you want to do group work, in EMDR if you want to do trauma work, in CBT , MI & SFBT if you want to triage symptoms during a medication management session and play therapy if you plan to work with children. Realistically, though, people will be coming to see you in your role as an NP for medications.

I currently work full time as the clinical director of an agency and have a private practice where I see about 5-7 clients per week doing EMDR, brainspotting, sandplay and clinical licensure supervision. My plan post MSN is to work in either an outpatient psychiatry clinic or at a treatment center while also doing private practice. I don't think I'll ever want to work full time in private practice- I enjoy working as part of a team and the fees associated with private pay psychiatric services are outside of what most people can afford.

I'm in TN and will be going to Vanderbilt.

I've also been a licensed counselor for the past decade and have just recently been accepted into a 2 year accelerated MSN program. I decided to go this route, as opposed to getting a BSN, due to the the shortened timeframe. I have two friends who got their MSWs and then went the MSN route. Their main advice was for me to get very clear about what the difference in roles is, and to not be deluded into thinking that if I was hired as an NP that I would actually get to do therapy; the role of a PMHNP is to prescribe medications. I plan on keeping my therapy license, as I hold a credential in clinical supervision which is tied to that license; I have a dream of being in private practice and doing both medications and therapy.

Per the open house information, there are two additional scholarships available and they are entirely based on academic performance/GPA. There are two full tuition scholarships offered each year- one to a pre-speciality student, one to a direct entry student- based on GPA. The rest of the program is usually paid for by loans. There are two types of loans- subsidized and unsubsidized. You are able to take out the max amount of loans each year to help cover cost of living if needed. At the open house they emphasized the need for students to attempt to secure outside, additional scholarships on their own as the only internal scholarship is the one that is mentioned on the acceptance letters.

The scholarship is the standard amount that is offered to all people who are accepted. The program is designed to be completed in two years if you go full time. There should be cost information on the website.

It's 4:59pm in Nashville and I'm in! Prespecialty/ PMHNP.

I was told in my interview (prespecialty, PMHNP) that notifications will be provided during the second week of February. I promised myself I would not panic until February 17.

I've been a licensed, master's level counselor for the past ten years and have recently applied to a direct entry PMHNP program. Over the past four years my clinical practice has moved almost primarily into doing trauma work, and I've become aware of how little I know about the actual brain and body and how this is getting in the way of my ability to work most effectively with clients. There is also a large shortage of psychiatric medication providers in my area and so I could make a large impact in my community in this way.

I believe that applications are reviewed in the order in which they were received. PMHNP program interviews all applicants that are being considered for admission, with admission decisions being made first/second week of february.

The interview was conversational in nature and only about 20-25 minutes, centered on things like why do you want to be a PMHNP/why now, short and mid term plans, populations of interest, etc.

Regarding the financial aid process- when I went to the program open house earlier this year they stated that everyone who is accepted is awarded a very small scholarship (3-4K$), and that there are two full tuition scholarships available each year- 1 for prespecialty students, 1 for specialty students- based solely on GPA/academic performance. Loans can be accessed by filling out the FAFSA. They stated that students can borrow the max amount each year (90k$!) to help defray living costs, as the program is "only" $60Kish. Makes me want to go stalk that loan repayment program thread on here....

My interview for psyc started with the interviewers stating "we start interviews by clarifying any questions we had about your application". The interviewers did not require clarification from me on any items so moved straight into the four standard questions. It was a very laid back conversation; I've worked in middle TN in the field for over ten years so they asked me a number of very specific questions based on my history. There was time for me to ask 2 very brief questions at the end. The interview was about 25 minutes long and at the end they made several comments indicating that I would likely be considered for admission.

Prespeciality/PMHNP applicant interview update (had my application materials in by October 15)- my phone interview was Wednesday afternoon and went well, was about 25 minutes. It consisted of them asking questions clarifying application material and then 4 standard interview questions they apparently ask everyone. It was conversational in nature and seemed to go well. I didn't know who I was interviewing with ahead of time. They stated that admissions notices go out first or second week of February.