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I absolutely love being a Therapist. I look at it as more of a calling than a job. If you’re passionate about helping others I would encourage you to pursue Psychology. I’ve be in the field for 10 years and I make 100k +. I work for a clinic and have a private practice. The private practice income is unlimited, I don’t take on more patients than I can handle while living a well balanced life. You must get a clinical license this way you can practice privately and jobs pay better with a license. You will learn how to turn off being a therapist the simplest way of doing this is self-care. Don’t take the patients home with you. I do
Agree with Therapist 2 having a relationship with
GOD makes a difference, at least in my experience. Thank you for considering the field, there a lot of people who are hurting and need help, so be helpful.
I have a masters in community psychology and a LMHC license. Fortunately we as licensed professionals no longer need HSPP’s Psychologist to sign off our notes in order to be paid by insurance companies. I’ve been in private practice for a year.
Don’t do it. Use some of your income to fund a nonprofit or volunteer at a place that puts you in direct contact with clients.
Please dont do it. Your salary will reduce drastically. It will take you 10+ yrs to make in Social Work what you are making in tech. There are other careers you can pursue that can fulfill your career and personal goals. I am trying to leave SW field. It is draining mentally and physically. And it is not because it is not for me. It is because social workers are not valued. People think this is a “noble” job and that we are required to help others and shouldn’t get paid fairly. I def would have done this differently if I had some guidance early on, would have looked at different avenues and paths. I encourage you to talk to other people to get an idea of what it looks like. Good luck!
Thanks a lot for your offer. I will dm you. Appreciate it a lot.
also whether to pursue LMHC, LMFT, LMSW . It would be amazing to get. A PhD as I love the research aspect but it seems infeasible
I definitely can’t do a PhD given my life circumstances unfortunately I’m now realizing :( don’t think I could get in but I’ve also heard terror stories and idk if I can do 4 years on 30K/year working 70+hours a week on very specific research while I build a family
Being a therapist isn't for everyone. It took me a while to learn not to take things personally. One thing that I might suggest is to look for an investment opportunity that can give you some passive income to makeup the difference in salary as a therapist. I think if you like it, you should try it!
Consider taking some night classes toward your LMSW. (That degree gives more flexibility and earning potential than clinical mental health). Don’t quit your job til you know if it will be a good fit. Be prepared to lose 2/3 of your income for the first few years and decide if you’re okay with getting paid less having earned a higher degree. (I made similar to you in health care and make $20/hr right now as I work toward getting my LPC). Do you know God? Cuz you will need him if you go into this work. ❤️ the world needs more counselors - best regards as you decide…
No I don’t think so - same internships would be available to LMSW
Go for your license to become a therapist. I was a mental health clinician at a local children's hospital (not licensed) and I loved and hated the job. I loved the job itself but I hated it because I was overworked, underpaid, and under appreciated. I did not have the management to help support me and it just sucked overall. I LOVED the work though. I then left when my oldest started up sports bc my husband traveled and i couldn't get out on time to get to his practices or games due to my high caseloads (i was always working overtime) so we just dealt with the pay loss and managed. I do miss it but now I just do freelance work at home.
A couple suggestions- volunteer at a place that you feel a connection to, it will help balance what you feel at work. Pivot to a corp role in HR/Wellness, you will help people but not drop your salary to poverty level.
Things to consider...the drop in income is significant, the process is long, and it's not just the education it's the 3ish yrs it takes to obtain a license while you will be working for $25/hr if you are lucky, if you work with SUD it pays less $15/hr. If you choose private practice you will make more $ but not as much as you are making now unless you specialize (PCIT is always in demand) and/or bring on other clinicians, hire billers and administrative staff to handle the business side while you see clients.
I love my job, I knew the path, the length of time and salary. I paid off everything I could so I could deal with the cut in pay while working toward licensure. I did this after my children left home though. I had a corporate job in sales for 15 yrs prior to making this life change.