Switch from academia to counseling?
June 30, 2013 10:08 AM Subscribe
I've been working as a non-tenure-track professor in the humanities for the last few years. I'm considering a career shift, and I'm thinking counseling might be a good fit for me. I imagine myself having a private practice where I primarily provide therapy to women. I am hoping this kind of change might offer me more career options and personal fulfillment than what I’m doing now. Still, I'm cautious. I need your wisdom!
My reasons for considering a career change are:
• While my colleagues are friendly, my non-tenure-track status makes me feel like a subordinate in the department. I want to feel like a full-on member of a community.
• It doesn’t feel like there’s a future for me in academia. Not only is it extremely hard to land a tenure-track job, academia is increasingly emphasizing research over teaching. I’m a solid researcher, but I don’t care about it. I enjoy teaching much more.
• I struggle to believe in what I’m doing. I like interacting students, especially when working one-on-one on their writing, but I don’t see the practical benefit in their lives.
Things that are making it harder to consider a career shift:
• I’m bringing in most of the money for me and my husband, and my job provides both of us with health insurance.
• I’m worried that I’m falling prey to the “grass is greener” mentality. What if I get into counseling and it doesn’t give me what I’m looking for? Part of my concern is that I’m somewhat introverted, and I worry that counseling would be too exhausting for me.
• I hesitate about going back to school, as I already have a Ph.D.
• I’m in my mid-30s and I fear reverting to the chaos of my 20s.
My questions for you all:
• Am I crazy? Does this career shift make sense?
• Would a master’s in counseling psychology allow me to create the kind of career I’m imagining?
• What kinds of challenges do therapists face today?
Thanks for your thoughts/suggestions!
My reasons for considering a career change are:
• While my colleagues are friendly, my non-tenure-track status makes me feel like a subordinate in the department. I want to feel like a full-on member of a community.
• It doesn’t feel like there’s a future for me in academia. Not only is it extremely hard to land a tenure-track job, academia is increasingly emphasizing research over teaching. I’m a solid researcher, but I don’t care about it. I enjoy teaching much more.
• I struggle to believe in what I’m doing. I like interacting students, especially when working one-on-one on their writing, but I don’t see the practical benefit in their lives.
Things that are making it harder to consider a career shift:
• I’m bringing in most of the money for me and my husband, and my job provides both of us with health insurance.
• I’m worried that I’m falling prey to the “grass is greener” mentality. What if I get into counseling and it doesn’t give me what I’m looking for? Part of my concern is that I’m somewhat introverted, and I worry that counseling would be too exhausting for me.
• I hesitate about going back to school, as I already have a Ph.D.
• I’m in my mid-30s and I fear reverting to the chaos of my 20s.
My questions for you all:
• Am I crazy? Does this career shift make sense?
• Would a master’s in counseling psychology allow me to create the kind of career I’m imagining?
• What kinds of challenges do therapists face today?
Thanks for your thoughts/suggestions!
I will also add, it's not at all unheard of for people to get further schooling after a PhD. (I know this may make you want to stab your eyes out with a fork, but.) One of my grad school colleagues went back to school for pharmacy after getting her PhD in biochem and last I heard was much happier than being in the lab. Noted sexuality researcher Beverly Whipple got her RN after her PhD so she was able to do technical/medical procedures as part of her research program.
What you learned and did in grad school with always be with you and will always add value to whatever you do careerwise. It's helpful to remember that grad school is just one kind of life experience among many, and is not the be-all and the end-all.
posted by Sublimity at 10:22 AM on June 30, 2013
What you learned and did in grad school with always be with you and will always add value to whatever you do careerwise. It's helpful to remember that grad school is just one kind of life experience among many, and is not the be-all and the end-all.
posted by Sublimity at 10:22 AM on June 30, 2013
If you decide to pursue a degree, it's a good idea to find out what the state-specific licensing rules are in your state. They vary quite a bit, depending on LMHC vs. MSW, Marriage and Famliy counseling vs individual counseling.
You'll want to know what the coursework and practicum look like, how it leads into a provisional license, what it takes to get your permanent license after graduating, whether to look for a CACREP-accredited program or not, what the laws are in your state for licensure vis-a-vis taking third party payments. (Does your state require licensure if you decide you won't take insurance payments?)
For example, do the hours you serve in your practicum while getting your degree count toward the hours you need for permanent licensure? In my state, marriage and family counseling requires far fewer practicum hours (I think the argument at the state-level was "welll, you're sitting in the room with mom, dad, kid, that's three clients at once), AND I think those practicum hours count both toward your provisional license and your permanent license (again, I think this is the case.) but this isn't the case for licensed mental health counseling. (You need x hours while getting your degree and then 3000 hours for permanent licensure, but in some tracks, you might need 3000 minus the X hours you got in practicum to get permanent licensure.)
Also -- find out what counts as "hours". How about time spent in case conferences at your practicum site? Do those hours "count" toward licensure, or can you count ONLY one-on-one counseling hours?
These are practical issues that, if you don't completely understand them going in, and your program isn't on top of it, create a huge set back later on -- especially for someone who's had a prior caree and needs to get back to earning money and having health insurance. In my state, job sites for permanent licensure are limited. You may have to work for lower pay (than a full-time academic, not lower than an adjunct) for two-three years after graduating, to get your permanent license and hang out a private practice shingle.
posted by vitabellosi at 10:54 AM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
You'll want to know what the coursework and practicum look like, how it leads into a provisional license, what it takes to get your permanent license after graduating, whether to look for a CACREP-accredited program or not, what the laws are in your state for licensure vis-a-vis taking third party payments. (Does your state require licensure if you decide you won't take insurance payments?)
For example, do the hours you serve in your practicum while getting your degree count toward the hours you need for permanent licensure? In my state, marriage and family counseling requires far fewer practicum hours (I think the argument at the state-level was "welll, you're sitting in the room with mom, dad, kid, that's three clients at once), AND I think those practicum hours count both toward your provisional license and your permanent license (again, I think this is the case.) but this isn't the case for licensed mental health counseling. (You need x hours while getting your degree and then 3000 hours for permanent licensure, but in some tracks, you might need 3000 minus the X hours you got in practicum to get permanent licensure.)
Also -- find out what counts as "hours". How about time spent in case conferences at your practicum site? Do those hours "count" toward licensure, or can you count ONLY one-on-one counseling hours?
These are practical issues that, if you don't completely understand them going in, and your program isn't on top of it, create a huge set back later on -- especially for someone who's had a prior caree and needs to get back to earning money and having health insurance. In my state, job sites for permanent licensure are limited. You may have to work for lower pay (than a full-time academic, not lower than an adjunct) for two-three years after graduating, to get your permanent license and hang out a private practice shingle.
posted by vitabellosi at 10:54 AM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Academia is undergoing huge changes, but, if you have a stable, well-paid job in it, it's actually a pretty nice environment. One advantage is that you can take classes, usually for free. Find out what licenses are typically held in your state, and what insurance companies require for reimbursement. I recently read an article about growing professions, and therapist was listed (sorry, can't remember the source). If you started taking 2 classes at a time, perhaps you could get the 1st year of a 2nd degree at no cost, by which time your husband might be making more? Do a lot of prep work before you start. The library should have the research on outlooks for various jobs, as well as lots of career info.
http://guides.wsj.com/careers/managing-your-career/how-to-change-careers/
http://www.helpguide.org/life/finding_career.htm
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/careeradvice/Career_Change_How_to_Change_Careers.htm
http://lifehacker.com/what-should-i-know-before-i-change-careers-512289050
http://careers.guardian.co.uk/careers-change
posted by theora55 at 11:05 AM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
http://guides.wsj.com/careers/managing-your-career/how-to-change-careers/
http://www.helpguide.org/life/finding_career.htm
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/careeradvice/Career_Change_How_to_Change_Careers.htm
http://lifehacker.com/what-should-i-know-before-i-change-careers-512289050
http://careers.guardian.co.uk/careers-change
posted by theora55 at 11:05 AM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Definitely start by volunteering. Being a therapist can be a wonderful, rewarding career but it is definitely not for everyone, and getting some experience will give you a taste as to whether you feel it would be a good fit for you. Additionally, most graduate programs are going to want to see that you have some sort of experience in the field.
A master's in counseling psychology/mental health counseling is certainly one way to eventually become a therapist in private practice, but there are several other masters programs that will put you on the same path-- social work, marriage and family therapy, creative arts therapy, etc. See what programs are offered at universities near you, look over the required coursework and opportunities for field work, and attend informational sessions. If you want to go part time so you can continue to bring in income, look at how the program is structured-- since all of these degrees require a certain amount of internship hours, it may not always be possible to work full time. It's also important to note that it's not as simple as getting a masters-->private practice. You will likely have to work in an agency setting for at least 2-3 years post-masters before you can become licensed to practice independently. The specifics are going to vary widely based on the state you live in and the degree you get.
Challenges that therapists face today: burnout, relatively low pay, fragmented mental health care system that creates barriers to providing clients with necessary services, insurance companies. For private practice: no show clients, the extent to which your degree affects insurance reimbursement, the business aspects of running a practice (dealing with billing/finances, marketing yourself in order to bring in new clients).
posted by fox problems at 11:12 AM on June 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
A master's in counseling psychology/mental health counseling is certainly one way to eventually become a therapist in private practice, but there are several other masters programs that will put you on the same path-- social work, marriage and family therapy, creative arts therapy, etc. See what programs are offered at universities near you, look over the required coursework and opportunities for field work, and attend informational sessions. If you want to go part time so you can continue to bring in income, look at how the program is structured-- since all of these degrees require a certain amount of internship hours, it may not always be possible to work full time. It's also important to note that it's not as simple as getting a masters-->private practice. You will likely have to work in an agency setting for at least 2-3 years post-masters before you can become licensed to practice independently. The specifics are going to vary widely based on the state you live in and the degree you get.
Challenges that therapists face today: burnout, relatively low pay, fragmented mental health care system that creates barriers to providing clients with necessary services, insurance companies. For private practice: no show clients, the extent to which your degree affects insurance reimbursement, the business aspects of running a practice (dealing with billing/finances, marketing yourself in order to bring in new clients).
posted by fox problems at 11:12 AM on June 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
I've actually done exactly the career transition you're considering and am happy to answer any questions by MeMail. As others note above, though, the requirements for licensure vary by state, so a good first step would be to look into those. It can be a long road--in my state, for instance, 3,000 clinical hours are required in order to take the licensure exam. Accumulating those hours might take only a couple of years post-degree if you're working full time in the field; if not, it could take considerably longer.
posted by chicainthecity at 12:58 PM on June 30, 2013
posted by chicainthecity at 12:58 PM on June 30, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
You aren't and won't ever be regarded as a full member of the community. What's more, if the institution you are working at isn't already nudging you out the door, they will in a few years. If you are bringing in the lion's share of your family's finances, it's very good that you are thinking now about what you can do to make a more stable career for yourself. So, no, you're not crazy.
(And, this isn't what you were asking, but if your husband isn't on track to be making more money in a more stable gig than you are in right now, this might be a really good wake up call for *both* of you to get your act together careerwise.)
posted by Sublimity at 10:19 AM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]