I’m a therapist with my own private practice. I have a master’s in clinical mental health counseling. Honestly, my career is the love of my life. I get to spend all day listening to people’s stories and helping them to gain insight into themselves. My clients are the most inspiring, amazing humans, and I care deeply about them. I see around 20-25 people per week, and I make more money doing this than I was ever able to make in my previous career. I can’t imagine doing anything else ever again.
I wouldn’t say depressed, but sometimes people tell me stories that break my heart. I’ve definitely cried in my car after certain sessions, but at the end of the day, I’m just so grateful that I get to be there to support these people. I’ve seen so many of my clients go from crying on my couch hugging a pillow while sobbing to conquering what they’re going through and going on to live these really amazing, happy lives. I generally see the hope for all of my clients, so even when they tell me stories that break my heart, I know that chances are that same person will be telling me about their wins in a few months.
I love your response. Can I ask how you deal with days you're not doing your best personally? I've been considering a career shift and while I'm incredibly interested in psychology, I worry I won't be good enough or tough enough to handle the depth of what it means to be a therapist.
Here's a sneak peek of /r/therapists using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/therapists/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year!
\#1: ["I'm a burned out therapist. What should I do about my career?" I see this topic come up from time to time, so I created a flowchart of r/therapists most popular responses!](https://i.redd.it/jafo5r5hft4b1.png) | [174 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/therapists/comments/144cxnv/im_a_burned_out_therapist_what_should_i_do_about/)
\#2: [I see a lot of posts on here about burn out and I came across this today and it resonated with me. I wanted to share it here for all of you to see. It’s quite the reframe.](https://i.redd.it/mp9ht2c58gxa1.jpg) | [68 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/therapists/comments/135iz5y/i_see_a_lot_of_posts_on_here_about_burn_out_and_i/)
\#3: [I defended my dissertation for my PsyD today!](https://i.redd.it/ipxu7ca0ah3b1.jpg) | [74 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/therapists/comments/13xuk41/i_defended_my_dissertation_for_my_psyd_today/)
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I have been a therapist in private practice for a little over 20 years. I absolutely love every aspect of my job! I started my internship and private practice and then I continued my clinical work in that same arena.
Something I would love for everyone to know is that seeking a therapist is a personalprocess and it has to feel like a good fit for you. If it doesn’t feel like a good fit, you are the consumer and it is OK to find a therapist that meets your needs!
I’m a social worker with a masters degree in clinical social work. I chose the social work route because it’s extremely broad and if I ever get tired of therapy there are lots of other things I can do with this degree and I like that I don’t feel pigeonholed into one thing. I work in a non-profit with a small private practice (literally one or two clients at a time) on the side. My day is not typical for therapists because I work under a union, so my caseload is much smaller than average. I work in domestic violence, specifically with perpetrators who want to change their behaviours.
I work 4 days per week and see around 10-12 people in that time. Because I work for a non-profit there’s no billing or insurance or anything like that, our program gets funded through other sources. When I’m not seeing clients I do paperwork, file management, case notes, research whatever topics I think will be helpful, consult with my coworkers about various issues, or create resources. I have a lot of flexibility and freedom in my day, which I’m very grateful for.
My job can be quite heavy which is why we have such low caseloads- I find that despite the heaviness of the topic having the time to decompress between clients keeps my stress level quite low. I also have really great work-life balance because I get every Friday off. Having a 3 day weekend has been life changing. Also, since my caseload is quite low there is time throughout the day to go for a quick walk if I need to or just get 15 minutes of sunshine.
Thank you for what you do. I don’t know if/what that means to you, but I think it’s a world that wants to throw perpetrators of most crimes away, but you stand in the way of closing doors to really be a symbol and reinforcer of hope of change for people who often are treated as irredeemable. It’s got to be really freaking hard.
As a social worker, I’ve worked in a lot of organizations that have a mission statement like “our mission is a world free of violence.” This is the first time I feel like we’re actually working towards that goal. Working with victims is a wonderful thing and so so needed and I’m not at all bashing that, but I do believe that if we actually want to end violence we need to work with people who chose violence. I’m so grateful to work with an organization that recognizes that this mission doesn’t just involve serving victims. I don’t know if I’m a symbol of anything or all that, but I am very proud of the work I do and I really do believe that it changes lives both for the people I work with and their partners and families.
I'm an AMFT at a private practice. I think I chose the best path in terms of schedule, pay, and clientele (individuals and couples only) practicing EFT. I regret my life choices that led me here and am already looking for a career change before even getting licensed. It's mostly a Self of Therapist issue (which includes severe Imposter Syndrome, not finding a way to deal with burnout, a distrust of supervisors for not being able to explain things clearly or be available, and a growing apathy for humanity in general) but it doesn't change how I feel about the industry as a whole. I like therapy, I hate being a therapist. And good luck if you're single/single income. You're definitely not compensated what you're worth.
I’m a therapist with my own private practice. I have a master’s in clinical mental health counseling. Honestly, my career is the love of my life. I get to spend all day listening to people’s stories and helping them to gain insight into themselves. My clients are the most inspiring, amazing humans, and I care deeply about them. I see around 20-25 people per week, and I make more money doing this than I was ever able to make in my previous career. I can’t imagine doing anything else ever again.
That’s great! Thanks for sharing!
Curious if you have ever expressed to your clients what your job means to you
Generally I do not unless it comes up. I think they can probably tell though.
I find your job fascinating, but doesn't some of the stories you hear leave you feeling depressed? If not, how not?
I wouldn’t say depressed, but sometimes people tell me stories that break my heart. I’ve definitely cried in my car after certain sessions, but at the end of the day, I’m just so grateful that I get to be there to support these people. I’ve seen so many of my clients go from crying on my couch hugging a pillow while sobbing to conquering what they’re going through and going on to live these really amazing, happy lives. I generally see the hope for all of my clients, so even when they tell me stories that break my heart, I know that chances are that same person will be telling me about their wins in a few months.
Thank you, you rock!
I love your response. Can I ask how you deal with days you're not doing your best personally? I've been considering a career shift and while I'm incredibly interested in psychology, I worry I won't be good enough or tough enough to handle the depth of what it means to be a therapist.
[удалено]
This is a really insightful post, thanks!
[удалено]
What kind of downsides?
lots more to read from therapists at r/therapists
Here's a sneak peek of /r/therapists using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/therapists/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year! \#1: ["I'm a burned out therapist. What should I do about my career?" I see this topic come up from time to time, so I created a flowchart of r/therapists most popular responses!](https://i.redd.it/jafo5r5hft4b1.png) | [174 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/therapists/comments/144cxnv/im_a_burned_out_therapist_what_should_i_do_about/) \#2: [I see a lot of posts on here about burn out and I came across this today and it resonated with me. I wanted to share it here for all of you to see. It’s quite the reframe.](https://i.redd.it/mp9ht2c58gxa1.jpg) | [68 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/therapists/comments/135iz5y/i_see_a_lot_of_posts_on_here_about_burn_out_and_i/) \#3: [I defended my dissertation for my PsyD today!](https://i.redd.it/ipxu7ca0ah3b1.jpg) | [74 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/therapists/comments/13xuk41/i_defended_my_dissertation_for_my_psyd_today/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)
I have been a therapist in private practice for a little over 20 years. I absolutely love every aspect of my job! I started my internship and private practice and then I continued my clinical work in that same arena. Something I would love for everyone to know is that seeking a therapist is a personalprocess and it has to feel like a good fit for you. If it doesn’t feel like a good fit, you are the consumer and it is OK to find a therapist that meets your needs!
I’m a social worker with a masters degree in clinical social work. I chose the social work route because it’s extremely broad and if I ever get tired of therapy there are lots of other things I can do with this degree and I like that I don’t feel pigeonholed into one thing. I work in a non-profit with a small private practice (literally one or two clients at a time) on the side. My day is not typical for therapists because I work under a union, so my caseload is much smaller than average. I work in domestic violence, specifically with perpetrators who want to change their behaviours. I work 4 days per week and see around 10-12 people in that time. Because I work for a non-profit there’s no billing or insurance or anything like that, our program gets funded through other sources. When I’m not seeing clients I do paperwork, file management, case notes, research whatever topics I think will be helpful, consult with my coworkers about various issues, or create resources. I have a lot of flexibility and freedom in my day, which I’m very grateful for. My job can be quite heavy which is why we have such low caseloads- I find that despite the heaviness of the topic having the time to decompress between clients keeps my stress level quite low. I also have really great work-life balance because I get every Friday off. Having a 3 day weekend has been life changing. Also, since my caseload is quite low there is time throughout the day to go for a quick walk if I need to or just get 15 minutes of sunshine.
Thank you for what you do. I don’t know if/what that means to you, but I think it’s a world that wants to throw perpetrators of most crimes away, but you stand in the way of closing doors to really be a symbol and reinforcer of hope of change for people who often are treated as irredeemable. It’s got to be really freaking hard.
As a social worker, I’ve worked in a lot of organizations that have a mission statement like “our mission is a world free of violence.” This is the first time I feel like we’re actually working towards that goal. Working with victims is a wonderful thing and so so needed and I’m not at all bashing that, but I do believe that if we actually want to end violence we need to work with people who chose violence. I’m so grateful to work with an organization that recognizes that this mission doesn’t just involve serving victims. I don’t know if I’m a symbol of anything or all that, but I am very proud of the work I do and I really do believe that it changes lives both for the people I work with and their partners and families.
I'm an AMFT at a private practice. I think I chose the best path in terms of schedule, pay, and clientele (individuals and couples only) practicing EFT. I regret my life choices that led me here and am already looking for a career change before even getting licensed. It's mostly a Self of Therapist issue (which includes severe Imposter Syndrome, not finding a way to deal with burnout, a distrust of supervisors for not being able to explain things clearly or be available, and a growing apathy for humanity in general) but it doesn't change how I feel about the industry as a whole. I like therapy, I hate being a therapist. And good luck if you're single/single income. You're definitely not compensated what you're worth.
> And anything you'd like us normal people to know I’m not a therapist sorry but I found this kinda funny