Can I stay in my current city if I become a therapist?

January 14, 2018 2:27 PM

I wanna become a mental health therapist. I live in Spokane, Washington, which Google says has a population of over 200,000 people. There are only a few local mental health agencies that I know of, but one of them has 600-700 employees (though that may include other people besides therapists). I felt discouraged after reading another question on here where someone said that their partner's agency had around 200 people apply for just one opening. I'd like to stay in my city mainly cuz it's important to me to be able to see my parents. When I finally make friends, it's important to me to maintain those ties, too (though I accept that they might move away, themselves). I haven't gone back to school yet. What are the odds that I'd be able to get a job at a local agency after I graduate, if I go back to school? If they aren't good, is it possible to start my own practice right out of grad school? Do you know how competitive the mental health field is in Spokane?<
posted by Eevee to Work & Money (8 answers total)

Response by poster: Also, if it's relevant, the agency I mentioned said in their newsletter that they're having trouble keeping up with demand, which I'm hoping means that jobs will continue to be added.
posted by Eevee at 2:33 PM on January 14, 2018

I would suggest contacting the agency and ask how frequently they have openings.

I am a psychologist in private practice who started directly out of grad school, so it can be done. However, I work in a rural community where there are few providers. If you can find a professional organization for your area there are usually ads for sharing space. Plan for a long time to build your practice. And network where you can.
posted by Giailh at 3:45 PM on January 14, 2018 [1 favorite]

Look at the FQHC/Community Health Centers in your area. Most of those provide some behavioral health services and are constantly looking for staff. They might also be able to provide you with the opportunity for supervised internship that will be required for your degree completion.
posted by mccxxiii at 3:55 PM on January 14, 2018 [1 favorite]

Spokane isn't Seattle in terms of population but it's still a decent-sized city. I live in a place that's much, much smaller and there's a huge demand for good therapists, especially ones who are progressive and do specific treatments like EMDR. I know it can be hard to break in but you can do plenty of internships and the like to make connections. And if there are no openings in the city, perhaps you could get a job in a nearby town with a reverse commute. If having a guaranteed job is your goal and therapy is more of an interest than a passion, you could consider something else. However, if you are passionate about becoming a therapist -- and it sounds like you are, you can and should make it happen. Like others have said, start reaching out now and interviewing people in the field. In addition to sharing their experiences, they may recommend specific certifications or degree programs that will give you the most flexibility and hireability. Good luck!
posted by smorgasbord at 4:07 PM on January 14, 2018 [2 favorites]

I have a friend who's a therapist in Spokane. MeMail me and I can try to put you in contact with him.
posted by kevinbelt at 8:15 PM on January 14, 2018

I'm not sure what the requirements are for psychologists, but mental health counselors/substance abuse counselors require a specific number of supervised hours in a facility setting before they can get full licensure to practice privately (insurance won't let you bill them otherwise). This means after 2-3 years of graduate school, you would likely need to work 2 years in some sort of facility (Washington's requirements are here). Counseling is a rapidly growing field, and while I can't speak to Spokane specifically, in terms of that "200 people applying" someone mentioned, context is important. If they live in a city of 8 million, 200 people may be each applying to 30-40 open jobs on the market. Whereas 200 applying to 2-3 open jobs in your area is a different story.

Why not look up mental health counseling in Spokane on a job seeking site to see what's currently available? Set up an alert to see how often new jobs are posted.

Hope this helps!
posted by ProtectoroftheSmall at 4:37 AM on January 15, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for the good advice, everyone.
posted by Eevee at 10:53 AM on January 15, 2018

It sort of sounds like you are limiting your search to one particular agency or one particular sector. You might do some exploration to see what other types of sectors employ people with a mental health background. You might be eligible for jobs in the public schools, or in higher education, or in corrections or at a hospital.

Obviously where you investigate opportunities will depend on the populations you want to work in (if you're not interested in working with children, then maybe don't check out the public schools).

LinkedIN can be a good place to start researching organizations that hire mental health counselors, so is Idealist.

Spokane is the largest city between Seattle and Minneapolis along the northern states, so I think you can find something you like and stay in Spokane. But you might also look at Coeur D'Alene, or if you're willing to be a bit further, but not impossible far away from your parents then Moses Lake or Pullman. Smaller towns like Cheney may also have opportunities that you are unaware of.
posted by brookeb at 11:16 AM on January 15, 2018