Can individuals with a masters degree in clinical psychology practice independently? Can they open a private practice?
Because of state licensing laws, master’s-level psychologists are at somewhat of a disadvantage in this regard. The state of Maryland reserves the title of “psychologist” for those individuals licensed by the state as a “psychologist.” Only those with an earned doctorate (either Ph.D., Ed.D., or Psy.D.) are eligible to sit for the licensure exams. Therefore, only doctoral level licensed psychologists may practice independently as a “psychologist.” The expectation of universities’ offering the master’s degree is that the graduates of these programs will practice psychology in a community setting under the direct and continuing supervision of a licensed psychologist or other licensed mental health professional. However, there are two paths open to master’s-level psychologists who might wish to practice independently. The first involves working in a private practice setting under the supervision of a licensed psychologist as a “psychology associate.” More details about this option can be
