Current undergrad student here, planning on getting a master's in clinical social work starting fall of 2025 and eventually work as a private practice therapist.

I have a few niche areas that I'm particularly interested in and would love to eventually work with people who fall into my categories of interest. I know that psychologists who get doctorates may be doing research in a niche area of interest, which could give them credibility as a specialist in a certain area, but I'm not sure how one would accomplish becoming a "specialist" with a master's level education. I know to an extent, I can orient myself toward certain areas by choosing classes that focus on my particular areas of interest, but that's definitely not enough to qualify as a specialist in anything. My areas of interest are pretty specific (one thing I'm very interested in is parental regret) so I'm not sure how I'd even begin to specialize in them.

Any input is welcome, I'm just curious as to how it works and how I will eventually be able to make it part of my practice.