when she was stating the pros i was smiling the whole time and my eyes started to water. this made video made a big impact on if i really do wanna look into becoming a therapist.
With my depression, I struggle to find meaning in my life. No other job brings light to my eyes but thinking about being a therapist. To be honest, I'm not in a good place right now. I don't take care of myself and I feel empty a lot. But thinking about helping others is one of the only things that makes me want to better myself. I know I've worried about the money in the past, but honestly, it's my calling. There is no other job in this world for me.
idk I’m right there with you (even though your post was 8 months ago). I’m struggling mentally with anxiety and depression but man, every time I’m in a job that feels unfulfilling or like I’m wasting my time, I go back to thinking of working in mental health and it excites me. And I don’t get that kind of excitement from hardly anything. Best of luck to you 💕
I feel the exact same as you. I enjoy biology/chemistry, but nothing interests me more than the human mind. Nothing makes me feel like I am living my calling like helping others out emotionally. You will get better with time and the resources we have available to help us get there 😉 I was in your shoes(still kind of am) but I have to pay it forward because I know I’ve been helped so much with support from my family & professionals. Counseling has really made a difference in my life so that I can be the difference in someone else’s life. 💚
Don't let the money part stop you from being a masters level therapist. Yes, when you start out you will not be making much money. But once you get licensed, you can make a pretty penny doing private practice or working for managed care. You have to work hard, but you can live pretty comfortably. Good luck!
One of my teachers once said, find something that you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life. Thank you so much for this video! I am a psychology major and this was helpful!
@Shadow the Hedgehog I wish it doesn't come to that , else I'll be struggling just like how I am right now , I wished to be a teacher but teachers are not paid high enough making me lost in what I want to do in my career again
I totally agree. I recently had someone tell me 1. Find something you love to do 2. Something that you are good at. 3. Something people will spend money on 4. Something the world needs. 💜
@Shadow the Hedgehog profit corrupts intrinsic motivation IMAO. If you have to do too much of a thing- to earn enough money-, even if you love it, you will end up not loving it the same way as when you started to do that thing.
I think sometimes (particularly in the West) we put a little too much emphasis on the often unattainable "dream job." We all strive to find that perfect job that we're really good at and that we're really happy with, but the truth is there is no such thing as the perfect job. There will always be pros and cons to every single job. There will always be things you don't like whether it's the hours, a collegue, the commute everyday, the stress etc. There will always be something that you're not going to like, but as long as the positives outweigh everything else, then you're job is great. Don't strive for the perfect job, strive for the job that keeps you mostly happy, even if you do get the odd bad day in there.
I was thinking the same thing. I am 24 and between high school and through out my early twenties I had very high anxiety about “what am I doing with my life” cause our culture can make it seem like the work we do in this economy is our identity and that you are suppose to find a job that is perfect for you. It can feel like a lot of weird pressure when none of us even know what we’re doing or what the point of life even is. My aunt is a great person and she chose her career just by going to a random university and standing in the shortest line up. It was a line up for the technologist program, so she was just like “guess I’m becoming a technologist” and it’s worked out great for her. I don’t know how healthy it is to think you need to achieve grandiose goals or status in order to feel ok with yourself or even think you need the “right” job to feel ok with yourself. I’m not a know it all and would never tell anyone what to do or how to think. Just in my experience I think it’s healthy to give yourself a break from the anxiety of thinking you need to know everything and know what to do or impress people.
@@eliciagarcia3601 yeah, I’m junior in high school I know my area of interest, but I don’t know what exact career I want to do. I am kinda worried I won’t find a career that’s right for me in the future and be stuck in a job I don’t like for a long time. Maybe we shouldn’t have our careers as our only identities and maybe eventually I would find a career that I love.
Caretaker burnout is so real. If you have needs that are not being met while in the process of helping others with their own, resentment and bitterness take hold. Soon after, if unchecked, we start to envy the joy of others as if our ability for gratitude is broken.
Your experience may cloud your sessions and make it difficult to empathise. You do not want to unintentionally coerce the client with your particular experience
Follow your passion! This is the most important key to succeed in any career you choose. Making money is important, but being happy about what you do is more important. I didn't follow my passion, but now I'm trying to find way to get back to it no matter how long it will takes me.
I agree. I went back to grad school to be a social worker at age 50 - and I have been thankful for it every day since. I love my career and it has enhanced my life in many ways.
As a psychology student I have lost my faith in doing this, to learn, to write to do because sometimes I feel like I do this and nothing will happen after I finish Uni. I'm very happy that I have found your video and you gave me faith. You made my day ❤
Wow this video was so helpful. I just graduated in December with my BA in Psychology and have been trying to decide how I want to use it. I really want to go on to get my Masters degree. Hearing you say how rewarding your job is and how you feel like you've really made a difference inspires me!
Congratulations! What a huge accomplishment! I am a licensed therapist as well and seriously, wouldn't change it for the world! Let me know if you have any questions. My bachelors is in social work and my master's is in social work too. I work as a mental health therapist now :)
I'm currently entering my final year of grad school for art therapy and I will be an LPC when I graduate as well. One of the biggest cons for me is that it's recommended to get rid of all social media in order to stay very private, both for your own safety and to limit self-disclosure that clients have access to which may skew their perceptions of you. Kati I would love to hear your thoughts on the need for privacy and professionalism since you seem so incredibly present on social media and open with self-disclosure.
Your work setting may have their own policies. But as an LPC myself, I would suggest certainly have your privacy settings set pretty high. Most clients are not going to care enough to bother looking you up on social media. But there's always going to be a few that will dig for every detail they can get. So it's basic risk management.
i have anxiety/depression, but recently i've been very interested in learning more about mental illnesses more serious than mine like sociopathy and psychopathy or even a children's therapist, knowing i could help people the way my therapist helped me.
I'm a licensed mental health therapist as well, and I feel like it's just kind of in us to help others. It's an amazing feeling to go to work every day and truly do what I love, helping and listening to others.
As a student starting the second week in my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program so excited to hear this and really puts words to what I have been thinking ... I’ve always said “I want to help People.” And did not realize just how much of a difference this makes in mental health even though I have been helped greatly in the counseling session, and I guess I just really want this for others!!
Good for you! In my MSW program we did a TON of work on who we were as people and what made us this way. It was SO helpful going into my current position as a mental health therapist. Good luck girl!
Pros and Cons aside.......what a beautiful outlook on life!! Thanks for sharing your outlook on life. I wish everyone could have the same sense of understanding for their purpose in life.
I agree with these completely! I'm an MFT intern (just under 1,000 hours left to go!) and while I work late and on weekends, I love that my workdays are never boring! I work at a crisis residential program in Orange County and I absolutely enjoy my work. The clients keep me busy and it's such a great learning experience for me as a new therapist. I love your videos-- keep them coming!
Great video; 100% agree. It's the most rewarding area to work in. I am a psychotherapist in the UK also doing TH-cam videos to widen knowledge of mental health. Your definitely an inspiration
Hey Kati! It was so nice meeting you at Vidcon! You were so lovely and it's so great to have a positive voice speaking about MH! I have a question for you but I'm not sure where to put it so I'll just put it here! You said in this video that you have to have your mental illness under control before you become a therapist but do you have to have it under control when going to school to become a therapist? I find it rewarding to be a psychology major and learning why we do things the way we do but sometimes I find the content triggering. So my general question is: how can we separate our personal life and academic life when studying mental health topics? Thanks a million! 😊
I want to know this too!! I always thought everything would be under control by the time I started school but that is evidently not the case and it only got worse...so I have been questioning studying psych and going the direction I was planning to go.
I know I am not Kati, but I am currently a grad student working to be an MFT (what Kati is), and I suffer with a slew of my own mental illnesses. I think that of course it is best to be as healthy as possible mentally when completing your studies, but while you are studying it is also a great time to work on yourself and get towards being healthier. I am waiting until the absolute last starting time possible to start my clinical work (internship) because I want to take this time to be working on myself and to be learning all I can. My therapist reminded me the other day that all therapists, and all people, for that matter, have their own shit. whether it be physical or mental health issues, family problems, relationship struggles etc. The only thing that matters is that they are taking care of themselves the best that they can and that they can compartmentalize and remember that their shit cannot get mushed up with their clients shit and that they must be prepared to handle anything (so like having triggers is something that I know I need to work on, because there are some topics that if someone told me about, I would not be able to compartmentalize right now). I hope some of this was helpful. I encourage you to do your own reflection and see if getting a higher education is something you want to pursue along with constantly pursuing working on yourself. Also remember that undergraduate education- getting your bachelor's in America, is only the first step in becoming a therapist. While in undergrad, you can study anything you'd like, no matter what mental health issues you may be struggling with. You may have to do an internship, but they are usually pretty low-key and you will not be doing individual therapy with clients. Before working with clients, like I will be doing, starting clinical work in March (ahh!) that is when you really want to make sure you have worked through as much as possible of your own stuff. If psychology is your passion, don't let your mental illness stand in your way!
this also would help a lot, as I want to become a specific type of arts therapist majoring in drama, and within the next year I will be off to uni which is scary due to still being mentally ill myself, it's my dream to study in this field though, hope you can help kati! xoxox
I am a recent masters graduate with my PLMSW that is going to begin working in the corrections field doing behavioral health therapy. I also did my graduate internship in the same setting but at another correctional facility. It's such a rewarding field and I absolutely love it.
so i’m 14 years old and i didnt really know what i wanted to do until i went to counseling myself and then i realized that i really want to do that as a job , i’ve been looking into the career for the future so that’s for being realistic for me especially for the start of your career
I'm a Psychologist, I'm working as an Educational Psychologist (though I was trained in Neuropsychology originally) ... and I actually quite often find myself mauling over the pros & cons of our profession. When people ask me if they should go study Psychology I feel like I have a lot of underlining to do about the cons ... but a big part of that is due to what it takes to become a licensed psychologist in my country. My first degree (BA) was a 3 years degree, and of course - you can't practice with it, it's just the first in a long list of hurdles you have to pass along the way. While you do your BA, it's "recommended" (and by that I mean it's not an official requirement but if you're not gonna do it you're going to have a harder time continuing down this path) that you volunteer at a mental health organisation of sorts & as a research assistant (because academics!). So sure, my time volunteering was very meaningful to me, and it helped me outline what are some of the things I'd be more interested in, and some of the things I wouldn't want to deal with on a daily basis, but you know - if you're trying to support yourself financially, and you have to volunteer, that's just not something you can do without any support (not to sound too much like I'm complaining about my own life choices, but there are too many "unspoken" obligations in this path in my country). In order to apply for an MBA, which is a must if you want to actually practice as a therapist and be a licensed psychologist - well, first you have to complete a 5 hour test that's kind of like the SATs or GREs or your regional equivalent, but has to do with statistics and research methods (and while I agree it's good to be well versed in the latest research in my field, knowing statistics does not a better therapist make ;)). I know people who had to repeat this test several times, it's very stressful, and since the results are relative - you're basically "competing" with a lot of very talented and smart individuals for a very limited spot. Why limited? because every year in an average university here 300+ people finish their BA in psychology, but only 12-15 people get accepted into an MBA program. Now since there are different MBA programs (clinical psychology, developmental psychology, neuropsychology, educational psychology, organizational psychology ect.), lets estimate and say that out of those 300+ students, only 60 get accepted into an MBA program. However, since every year there's a more and more people who didn't get accepted that year, the number of people trying and waiting just grows more and more. So a lot of people get stuck in this limbo of applying and having their hopes and dreams shattered year after year. What does it take to get into an MBA program? well, you have the test that I mentioned, you should finish at the top of your class with honors, you better have volunteered doing both practical and research in the field, and for good measure - you have to go through a series of admission interviews and sometimes group workshops. This part is usually when people start to realize that there's a system design to thin the herd. The interviews themselves are stressful because you want to make a good impression, and they can be very personal, and emotionally taxing. Honestly, it feels like a right-of-passage type of situation handed down generations. Because the people doing the interviews are psychologists and staff-members, and they had to go through it as well, and it's all very elite and if you're not ready to have your shit thrown in your face, well then, clearly you're not willing to suffer enough for the craft. So you went through hell and back,a nd now you've made it into an MBA program! congratulations, get ready for the most intensive 2 years of your life, where you will be thrown elbow deep into practicing, while always doubting yourself, feeling vulnerable and wondering how you're supposed to do this job. So you've graduated, congratulations, you can registered as a licensed psychologist - BUT you need to specialize in your field for a minimum of 4 years (and a maximum of infinity depending on how well organized and task-oriented you are and how many children you've decided to bring into the world because you're already in your 30s because you started your BA at the earliest when you were 21-22 cause your country needed you to serve in the military for 2-3 years ... and yes that was mandatory). Well, specializing is great because you get guidance and you get to learn more and practice more and you're under supervision. But as Kati mentioned, you don't get paid top dollars. And usually you can only specialize at a part-time job, somewhere between 50-80%, goodluck living on that salary. Better have rich parents or a spouse with a high income job. Because this'll take anywhere from 4 years and I personally know people who are on their 9th year of their internship! But well before you get to start this internship training, you have to apply for a scholarship, because this training is expansive, and it's funded by the ministry of health - and organization with some serious under-funding in my country. Also, remember those top few who got accepted into the MBA program? well, now there's a 2nd bottle-neck, of waiting for a scholarship. So usually what that means is you can't practice in your field without waiting for a very long time, what's a long time? a year, or 2, or 3, or 5! and unless you have some strings to pull (hurrah for nepotism?) then you're going to be desperate and upset for a while now ... not to mention, they now changed the scholarship granting criteria and restructured the waiting list ... so things may have gotten better or worse for you, depending on where your position "in line" was before. Which is why I personally opted out of this madness of waiting in line for a scholarship that may or may never come (and involved more groveling and "proving myself" and jumping through hoops) and started an internship as an Educational Psychology, which is funded by the ministry of Education, an organisation that's also grossly under funded (because in my country, if you don't contribute directly to national security then you are grossly under funded .... ). But surprisingly they've managed to pull the funds needed, alongside local municipalities, to hire interns and psychologist to work for the city/region in supporting the education system (meaning consulting for schools, kindergartens, diagnosing patients, treating them, guiding parents and supporting the community). I'm proud of my profession, but even so, when you do public work, life is very different than in a private clinic. Sometimes you feel like an unwelcome guest, sometimes people get "ordered" into therapy when they'd really rather not be, and when you feel like your patients don't want to grow or even be there at all, things can get pretty disheartening sometimes. Luckily though you have a lot of peers working side by side with you, and you realize that this is actually pretty normal, and you eventually start to experience more success, but really - sometimes you end up wondering - why am I doing this? and is this the right thing for me? and since I've made it this far - is now really the time to rethink these choices? you're part of the elite, the "chosen" few (and every hurdle along the way was set there to make you feel exactly like that). I love my job, but really, sometimes I hate it ;) And that was my TL:DR rant about what it's like to become a therapist in my country, and this has all been about the process and training, and not even remotely about the job itself - just imagine ... So my advice to you kids, is figure out exactly what's needed to become a licensed and specialized psychologist, because a lot of these things were "surprises" along the way. Younger me didn't know these things, but could she have done anything differently? or made other choices? I am not sure she would have ...
have you worked with any psychiatric nurse practitioners? im interested in that line of work but not completely sure about their stress, work satisfaction, pros/cons, liability etc. It seems fun but I'm intimidated because of the schooling. I'm half way through my psych BA and have taken many science courses, but I still feel afraid to jump into a BSN/MSN in case I fail.
LMFTA here . I think it depends on the area you live . I’m from WA state , our salary is high here! My hours are 9-5, you can choose your own . Self-care, well I have weekends off and travel . The job is very fulfilling overall :)
I'm thinking about becoming a therapist because I love helping people get through things and feel great. People always tell me their emotions and problems even if I barely know them. The issue is that I am not really good at interacting with people myself and I don't ever know what to say. I also don't think a lot of people would feel comfortable with me as their therapist because I can't see and my eyes look a little weird. A lot of people will think I won't understand them because they don't understand me. It seems difficult but I am going to try anyway.
Dont be discouraged tbh iff i had someone who was blind/had some kind of disability i would feel more comfortable knowing they have been through something in there life which they have got through and got to where they are as a therapist. Clearly iff u became a therapist it would show ur clients how strong minded u r. Sorry iff this didnt make sense. All my love and support from England xxxx
You might be a INFJ like me. Check it out right here on youtube to see if this is you and learn your strengths and weaknesses. Here are a few things to help you see if your an infj. If you dont like small talk. You can feel and absorb others emotions. Your very back and forth person The famous infj door slam.(look it up) Always thinking constantly. Quick mood changes. That's all ill list for now from what I've been learning about myself. Hope you find this helpful!
Thank you, Love. This is very honest & real. I am a DSP/Mental Health Tech currently as I finish out my schooling for psychiatry, and you're right about how important it is to take care of ourselves as well. There are never-ending challenges, but infinite rewards to this career journey ❤️ Thanks for another great vid, sorry I was late in the game to commenting this time!
I'm in my second year at uni right now doing something I don't like and for the longest time I've wanted to become a therapist which eventually narrowed down to social work when I left high school, however my parents did not allow me to as a result of the pay as you mentioned but also the dangers that I could face as a social worker or therapist. I feel like people aren't educated enough about mental health and a lot of people still have the idea of an out of control, violent, "crazy" person when they imagine someone with a mental illness. Thank you, Katie, for educating us one video at a time :)
Really appreciated this video. I'm currently in an admin/program role and cannot WAIT to be doing something more meaningful to me and to others. I have a Master's degree already, but it didn't open up many doors and isn't "worth" much to employers, so I'm still earning minimum wage or less than. My joy has been coming from projects outside of work where I've been able to coach others, consult, and educate - basically anything remotely connected to the field of counseling. I'm going back to school in January to get my MA in CMHC - I'm super nervous about being in grad school again, about the loans (eek!), and the fact this will be my third career change after going from teacher, to programming/admin, to counseling, but I know that counseling and serving others in that capacity is what truly brings me joy. No regrets!
Kati!!! I might finally be getting a therapist!!! I went to my yearly checkup at the doctors office and my doctor saw my self harm scars and asked me about it and she helped me tell my mom that I have depression and I need a therapist. My mom said she would look into it for me and I'm so excited :):):) I can finally work towards mental health
I'm starting college in the fall for psychology and this just made me even more excited! You're definitely part of the inspiration for that, it's so helpful seeing someone young and quirky being successful and taken seriously. Thank you for everything you do.
Being a therapist has been my calling since I turned 18. Helping people and being there for them has always naturally been present in me since I was maybe 5 or 6. I always thought that I was never good enough though. So, I chose business instead. I went to college in the spring of 2011 and did fairly well but as college went on I lost the motivation to even care. So, I dropped out and started working in the family business which led to construction. I worked all over the country from northern Washington to Indiana. I made many friends and connections but somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I wanted to get back into school. I lost my best friend to suicide in the spring of 2017. This led me down a path of borderline depression and reassessing my current life and self. My father was never there because of the type of work I was doing (we are better now. LOVE YOU DAD) and my mother was recently divorced from a man that wasn't a very good leader or a husband to her(let's be real my momma was the leader). I was headed down a steep path to my own destruction honestly. I was stressed because of the dangers of my job and unhappy with my personal life. My mother mentioned therapy to me. The therapy honestly helped me realize some things about myself. It made me realize how people close to me mixed my head up but honestly it made me access my own thoughts. I just recently got back into school I have my own place and this past semester I made A's and B's (something I didn't believe I could do). My mother is still pushing for me to be a counselor or a therapist of some kind. At this point I love myself but I'm still not content with my life as a person/man. I'm 27 years old and all I've seemed to do is spin my wheels but somehow I'm here with a second chance in my lap. I am not sure where this path may take me but honestly I'm willing to trade all the money I've made to follow this dream of mine. I don't have much support from my family or very many friends but I'm starting to realize that maybe that's just a chapter closing on my life and another one opening. I'm terrified but I'm so excited. I say all that to say this. I wasn't ready back when I was 19-20 I had to go down the path I took to find myself. Everything that I have felt; the pain, the joy, the struggle have made me into a better man that can do anything. I've faced mountains that are now ant hills and because of that belief I have in myself I believe that with patience and hard work I can achieve my true calling that the universe has laid before me. So, thank you for the abuse, neglect, and the tears I cried as a young child. Thank you for the bullies, friends, and a certain history teacher that wouldn't put up with my BS and expected more from me. Thank you to my coaches, bosses, coworkers (good and bad). Thank you to the haters and the truth speakers in my life. Thank you to the family that has had my back (no, you don't have to be blood to me) and also the ones that secretly hope I fall on my face. It took losing the only person in the world that knew my abuse and my secrets to bring me to this point. So, because I wasn't there for him that night I'm giving my life to be there for everyone else. Support me or not. The decision is made. It was really made the first time I took my first breath it just took me 27 years to find it.
Your words resonated so much with me that it kinda feels like a future version of myself is talking to me. I moved out of home after finishing highschool and didn't pursue a career as my life was such chaos, I could barely focus on daily tasks. I worked various boring, repetitive jobs till now... Now almost hitting my 30's, I can say It took 12 years to find the peace I needed to finally find something I'm really passionate about and see myself working on for the rest of my life. Regardless, it was worth the wait.
Just a thought I had whilst watching this video. You said that you don't consciously expect to go into sessions to get something to help yourself, and I think that is the correct frame of mind/attitude to have as a therapist. But surely you must learn things from sessions and clients that are important for your own journey and that help you on your way and in turn help you become a better therapist too? I think that this could be seen as a pro, because whilst you don't expect to learn from your clients it invariably must happen sometimes? Love your videos, so helpful to me on my therapeutic journey. Would love a video on transference, specifically erotic transference, and how to broach the subject with your therapist 🙏🏽 Magia
I really appreciated this video because I'm a psychology major and am contemplating being a therapist. But I also, realize it's important to put my mental health first and foremost. Love ya Kati! Have a lovely weekend. :)
I'm a junior in high school and I'm looking into being an art therapist! I really want to help people and I love art so if I can help people with art that would be my dream job! Videos like yours just inspire me :) thank you for putting out the perspective of a therapist online. It's so useful :D
I’m starting college in august and wanting to major in psychology and become a therapist working with adolescents/young adults, and honestly one of my biggest worries would be income, I stress about everything and income would be among them, hopefully if the income is livable when I get my degree I can continue
I usually never comment on any videos but I just want to thank you for this wonderful video firstly for going straight to the point and secondly for being honest and clear!! (And I want to become a therapist now)
Currently ive been in Therapy for two and a half years, with so much more to dig into when it comes to my past, though my path forward was only really realised once i went to Therapy, and it is actually Computer Programming, i avoided it for yearrsssss because it seemed like a pain to learn since all my issues were pressing me down, once therapy cleared my mind to some degree i realized i should be studying programming (and yes, people did tell me not to do it saying its too late in life for it, or AI will take over, ive heard it all), so now not only am i studying, but also getting clarity of mind. Really is amazing work that mental health workers do, though the work is also on both ends, unless we, as patients, also put in our share of work, theres no way for us to heal.
I love this. Thank you. It's my dream job. For all the reasons you said. Even the cons. I don't mind the money. It's enough. It's more than I have. And I love seeing others progress and being the help they need. I wish I'd get my shit together to finally make it and become my own biggest project in pursuing that career although I have self doubts
I needed to see and hear this. Im about to start training to become a counsellor along side my many years of different personal experiences combined. This was confirmation for me that im on the right track and I can help others and do something that is meaningful and gives others their lives back. Thank you!
Thank you so much for making these videos I'm going into the same path as you and am struggling with myself because of school stress, but your videos make everything clear. Seriously you give me more information than my college advisors.
awesome Kati - thank you for sharing!! Waiting to hear back from grad school as i recently applied to clinical mental health counseling program - being in recovery for 5 years, I want to focus on substance use disorders and help curtail some of the pain and loss from the opioid epidemic. I just found some of your videos and they are awesome!! Keep doing what you're doing - one day at a time!
You’ve put a really big smile on my face with this video! I’m constantly told I would regret the choice of studying psychology and so I’m very nervous when it comes to deciding which university I will go to, but you just said exactly what I was hoping to hear. I think I will be fine! Wish me luck on this journey :) grazie
Great channel, just found it today. As an undergrad psychology student it's really exciting to hear the nitty gritty about what it's like to practice (hasn't scared me off yet!). thanks for sharing - cheers.
Part of your con, i find Self Therapy to be the first step as recognizing your issues and seeing it when it happens allows you to recognize them in others. I liked learning in school being labeled with ADHD and having whats considered Special-Ed classes i still learned what my therapists and "resource" teachers wanted me to learn was to help myself and manage my mental state over what chaos is happening. That's leading me to want to help others as well cause it takes time but slowly its doable. I find many people who seemingly ignore themselves daily and seem to get almost lost in time as i would put it. Maybe some drugs have gotten me to that point too.
This is what I'm trying to do with my education. the majority of my degree will be in recreational therapy, to become a certified therapeutic recreation specialist. I'm just getting into this field, but I think it is going to be very fulfilling. thank you for the video kati!!
kati, thank you very much! i love all the videos you made. it helps me to understand a lot about the information i need to deal with myself and my kid. you are truly amazing that even you don't make as much as you deserve, yet you still give as much as you can to help out the patients. by the way, sometimes i feel like they are under-paid for all the work as the professional. to go through with patient could be very stressful too. i am not a therapist, yet i am a mother which needs more counseling skills to myself and my kid.
Great video Kati! I am currently starting college in the Fall and I'm going to be studying nursing. My long term goal is to become a psychiatric nurse. I will be able to do similar things as a therapist would but I'll have the job security as a nurse. I really hope my career in the future will be as rewarding as your's is.
I'm a med student, and Im aiming on being a psychiatrist after I graduate.. I don't care whether I'm gonna take a lot of money or not,I think I'm gonna be successful cuz I'm into it.
Thank you. This was very helpful as I too am struggling to find what I want to do with my career path. Having suffered from misdiagnosis and bad docs, I figured that my experience may give me an edge to help others really help themselves.
I think this depends on the country. In Canada, independent psychologists charge a standard $200/hr, and even looking at typical hospital jobs, it's like, 80k+ a year for entry level jobs. Those are with a PhD typically though.
@@4everu984 would it be possible to have a space in your home for therapy? I would think it's unsafe maybe, too private but it would be more cost efficient yk just wondering
I'm starting my internship for therapy soon... and honestly, I was a little nervous hearing your opinions on the cons for being a therapist, but I found them ( except pay grade) to be pros for me. lol. I have the option to sleep in???? lol. Thanks for your vids!!! Love them all.
Hey, Kati!! I love your channel! This video really helped me - I'm an undergrad (junior) pursuing a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Sociology. I really want to become a therapist but I have no idea where to start. I was wondering if you could make a video on some different kinds of fields of therapy? That would be super helpful. Thank you so much for making this channel!!
hi kati i really admire and appreciate your hard work and content. could you please make a video about nocturnal panic attacks? i suffer from bpd and have been experiencing really extreme panic attacks when i sleep. thanks a lot! love you from spain ❤
I originally wanted to become a physician since I have this desire to help others. However I lost interest throughout my undergraduate years as a biology major. Now I'm looking into becoming a therapist and the subjects interest me more than anything. And I'm glad this profession will allow me to help others.
Money is not too important (as long as you can survive), but feeling good at your job is priceless and regardless of the job or situation, inner ‘work’ helps a lot. It is but something constant you have to get used to do. For me faith helps tremendously. Even if you are a nonbeliever an affirmation or a mantra or a prayer can go a long way. I remember when I was worried about money I used to say: Life continuous being free and easy :) no matter what. Thank you Kati for this content!
my first choice was a social worker then I changed my mind by going to nursing school . I love people and I have mental health issues. I want to work in psych which I have done as an aide and a peer advocate.
I've recently gone through a period of massive personal change and development and it's enlightened me as to what I want (need) to do in my life. It's so far from anything I've ever done, or wanted to do, but I know truly that what I want to do with my life is to become a therapist - particularly in the family/marriage/relationship field. I'm a 22 year old student in my final year of University, studying an undergraduate degree in 'IT and Business Management' in Manchester, UK. I've got no psychology related qualifications or experience - only the extent to which I've researched myself online (I've unknowingly spent SO much time researching psychology and philosophy in my life) I've spoken to University staff and the best bet for me to get into the field is to study a conversions Masters course in Psychology, from which I hope to go on to complete a PHD. My problem is, having no related qualifications means I can only really apply to lower status Universities. I still have a drive to be successful and so would like to study at a top University to improve career prospects. Needs be, I will have to sacrifice the status of the University if it is my only choice to study Psychology and become a therapist. Would anyone be able to offer me any advice? Is there anything I can do now, without qualification, to get involved in the field? Is there anyone I should speak to, places I could work/volunteer, or things I could do to improve my chances at getting onto a psychology course? I can't put into words how big of a thing this is for me, and any advice which anyone could offer would be massively appreciated. Thanks!
Kati I’ve been an outpatient therapist for 15 plus years but I can’t adapt to being a virtual therapist during pandemic but I have no choice to keep my job. Patient family even leadership expectations of me are very unrealistic. Keep in mind I avoided burnout for this long really well but now I feel lost.
Has Kati ever made a video about being a internet personality and putting herself "out there" and her clients feelings on it? (Ex: Googling your therapist's name to see that they have an online following and make "therapy" videos.) I'm halfway through my MSW now and I always wonder about this.
Would love if you did a video on what therapists wear to work .. I know it seems random but I’m trying to get ideas for the future and I also plan on getting more tattoos and want to know the bounds of where I can get them . So far they are only in places covered by most outfits
2020. You are rocking it in that purple shirt and for some reason you have my lucky number on there lol. But anyway interesting information. 100% agree you should enjoy your work and I have NEVER felt happy about "work" unless it was from home. Also, I think the flexible scheduling was nice. Your definition of a job making you feel fulfilled is spot on too.
As a psychology student, i really got emotional when you said that the job is so fulfilling
It really is. Especially when your clients are in a great place and ready to terminate.
I am a licensed mental health therapist as well, and seriously, I wound't change my career for anything 💜
when she was stating the pros i was smiling the whole time and my eyes started to water. this made video made a big impact on if i really do wanna look into becoming a therapist.
I'm almost done with my master clinical psychology and I sooo agree ! I just can't wait to get started :)
Education is a lie.. don't get brainwashed
With my depression, I struggle to find meaning in my life. No other job brings light to my eyes but thinking about being a therapist. To be honest, I'm not in a good place right now. I don't take care of myself and I feel empty a lot. But thinking about helping others is one of the only things that makes me want to better myself. I know I've worried about the money in the past, but honestly, it's my calling. There is no other job in this world for me.
You really really need to work on your self first, you won't be an effective counselor otherwise
idk I’m right there with you (even though your post was 8 months ago). I’m struggling mentally with anxiety and depression but man, every time I’m in a job that feels unfulfilling or like I’m wasting my time, I go back to thinking of working in mental health and it excites me. And I don’t get that kind of excitement from hardly anything. Best of luck to you 💕
I feel the exact same as you. I enjoy biology/chemistry, but nothing interests me more than the human mind. Nothing makes me feel like I am living my calling like helping others out emotionally. You will get better with time and the resources we have available to help us get there 😉 I was in your shoes(still kind of am) but I have to pay it forward because I know I’ve been helped so much with support from my family & professionals. Counseling has really made a difference in my life so that I can be the difference in someone else’s life. 💚
I'm on the exact same page man 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
idk might want to sort yourself out before you help others...
Don't let the money part stop you from being a masters level therapist. Yes, when you start out you will not be making much money. But once you get licensed, you can make a pretty penny doing private practice or working for managed care. You have to work hard, but you can live pretty comfortably. Good luck!
Thanks. This brought a smile to my face.
One of my teachers once said, find something that you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life. Thank you so much for this video! I am a psychology major and this was helpful!
@Shadow the Hedgehog I wish it doesn't come to that , else I'll be struggling just like how I am right now , I wished to be a teacher but teachers are not paid high enough making me lost in what I want to do in my career again
I totally agree. I recently had someone tell me 1. Find something you love to do 2. Something that you are good at. 3. Something people will spend money on 4. Something the world needs. 💜
Lol, so did Confucius....2000 years ago.
@Shadow the Hedgehog i suppose you could get a part-time job
@Shadow the Hedgehog profit corrupts intrinsic motivation IMAO. If you have to do too much of a thing- to earn enough money-, even if you love it, you will end up not loving it the same way as when you started to do that thing.
I think sometimes (particularly in the West) we put a little too much emphasis on the often unattainable "dream job." We all strive to find that perfect job that we're really good at and that we're really happy with, but the truth is there is no such thing as the perfect job. There will always be pros and cons to every single job. There will always be things you don't like whether it's the hours, a collegue, the commute everyday, the stress etc. There will always be something that you're not going to like, but as long as the positives outweigh everything else, then you're job is great. Don't strive for the perfect job, strive for the job that keeps you mostly happy, even if you do get the odd bad day in there.
Heather Cameron, very good point.
I was thinking the same thing. I am 24 and between high school and through out my early twenties I had very high anxiety about “what am I doing with my life” cause our culture can make it seem like the work we do in this economy is our identity and that you are suppose to find a job that is perfect for you. It can feel like a lot of weird pressure when none of us even know what we’re doing or what the point of life even is. My aunt is a great person and she chose her career just by going to a random university and standing in the shortest line up. It was a line up for the technologist program, so she was just like “guess I’m becoming a technologist” and it’s worked out great for her. I don’t know how healthy it is to think you need to achieve grandiose goals or status in order to feel ok with yourself or even think you need the “right” job to feel ok with yourself. I’m not a know it all and would never tell anyone what to do or how to think. Just in my experience I think it’s healthy to give yourself a break from the anxiety of thinking you need to know everything and know what to do or impress people.
@@eliciagarcia3601 yeah, I’m junior in high school I know my area of interest, but I don’t know what exact career I want to do. I am kinda worried I won’t find a career that’s right for me in the future and be stuck in a job I don’t like for a long time. Maybe we shouldn’t have our careers as our only identities and maybe eventually I would find a career that I love.
Caretaker burnout is so real. If you have needs that are not being met while in the process of helping others with their own, resentment and bitterness take hold. Soon after, if unchecked, we start to envy the joy of others as if our ability for gratitude is broken.
I couldn't agree more!! I actually talked about that issue a bit in this video too!! xoxo th-cam.com/video/W8DBZgAROpM/w-d-xo.html
Omg this is such an amazing comment 😱
great point
I suffered from depression, ptsd, and anxiety so I would love to be a therapist bc I understand were some people are coming from
Sometimes "wounded healers" (those who have gone through their own healing journey) make the best therapists :)
Your experience may cloud your sessions and make it difficult to empathise. You do not want to unintentionally coerce the client with your particular experience
Follow your passion! This is the most important key to succeed in any career you choose. Making money is important, but being happy about what you do is more important. I didn't follow my passion, but now I'm trying to find way to get back to it no matter how long it will takes me.
I like the way you think :) Don't give up your dream!
I agree. I went back to grad school to be a social worker at age 50 - and I have been thankful for it every day since. I love my career and it has enhanced my life in many ways.
Go you! I'm so happy to hear that, age is no reason not to pursue your aspirations :)
Amen to that! I've just finished my first year of med school, already being a graduate of economics (not my cup of tea).
Anwar A. I agree. No matter how high the honor or the cash if it's not making you happy you just feel empty.
As a psychology student I have lost my faith in doing this, to learn, to write to do because sometimes I feel like I do this and nothing will happen after I finish Uni. I'm very happy that I have found your video and you gave me faith. You made my day ❤
Keep going sweet lady! You've got this! There are SO many jobs out there for a variety of people!
Wow this video was so helpful. I just graduated in December with my BA in Psychology and have been trying to decide how I want to use it. I really want to go on to get my Masters degree. Hearing you say how rewarding your job is and how you feel like you've really made a difference inspires me!
Congratulations! What a huge accomplishment! I am a licensed therapist as well and seriously, wouldn't change it for the world! Let me know if you have any questions. My bachelors is in social work and my master's is in social work too. I work as a mental health therapist now :)
Do you need a master
To be a LMFT how do you get the 2 years intern experience necessary to be lisensed?
Brittany Schank Hi Brittany! Do you know if you need a Doctorates to do private practice?
Did you end up getting your Masters?
I'm currently entering my final year of grad school for art therapy and I will be an LPC when I graduate as well. One of the biggest cons for me is that it's recommended to get rid of all social media in order to stay very private, both for your own safety and to limit self-disclosure that clients have access to which may skew their perceptions of you.
Kati I would love to hear your thoughts on the need for privacy and professionalism since you seem so incredibly present on social media and open with self-disclosure.
Maya Rain hi 👋 I was wonder if you could tell me about art therapy I’m not sure what I want to do after school and I’ve looked into art therapy
Your work setting may have their own policies. But as an LPC myself, I would suggest certainly have your privacy settings set pretty high. Most clients are not going to care enough to bother looking you up on social media. But there's always going to be a few that will dig for every detail they can get. So it's basic risk management.
Can I ask what school and program you went to im intrested in art therapy as well?
Thats true. My therapist got mad when I looked him up on Instagram. He even has a tik tok.
i have anxiety/depression, but recently i've been very interested in learning more about mental illnesses more serious than mine like sociopathy and psychopathy or even a children's therapist, knowing i could help people the way my therapist helped me.
This is why I want to get into the psychology field. I believe I'll feel more fulfilled by helping others.
I'm a licensed mental health therapist as well, and I feel like it's just kind of in us to help others. It's an amazing feeling to go to work every day and truly do what I love, helping and listening to others.
As a student starting the second week in my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program so excited to hear this and really puts words to what I have been thinking ... I’ve always said “I want to help
People.” And did not realize just how much of a difference this makes in mental health even though I have been helped greatly in the counseling session, and I guess I just really want this for others!!
I am in grad school now pursuing my MSW. This helped me tremendously and helped me remember why I'm doing what I'm doing.
Good for you! In my MSW program we did a TON of work on who we were as people and what made us this way. It was SO helpful going into my current position as a mental health therapist. Good luck girl!
The cons didn't even sound like cons at all.
Melissa Elvira Cardenas then that's good 👌
Melissa Elvira Cardenas it's because she loves her Job.
Exactly
Honestly the we don't get paid much one made me think. The main part of this is money so yeah
well you get a medium salary range.@@superfunone926
4 years later & you're still touching hearts with this video! So beautiful, thanks so much for sharing!
When I’m older my dream job is to be a therapist, to help people and talk to them :)
Pros and Cons aside.......what a beautiful outlook on life!! Thanks for sharing your outlook on life. I wish everyone could have the same sense of understanding for their purpose in life.
I agree with these completely! I'm an MFT intern (just under 1,000 hours left to go!) and while I work late and on weekends, I love that my workdays are never boring! I work at a crisis residential program in Orange County and I absolutely enjoy my work. The clients keep me busy and it's such a great learning experience for me as a new therapist.
I love your videos-- keep them coming!
So glad you enjoyed it!! xoxo Go get it!! Under 1000 to go!! Home stretch! xox
Great video; 100% agree. It's the most rewarding area to work in. I am a psychotherapist in the UK also doing TH-cam videos to widen knowledge of mental health. Your definitely an inspiration
Hey Kati! It was so nice meeting you at Vidcon! You were so lovely and it's so great to have a positive voice speaking about MH! I have a question for you but I'm not sure where to put it so I'll just put it here!
You said in this video that you have to have your mental illness under control before you become a therapist but do you have to have it under control when going to school to become a therapist? I find it rewarding to be a psychology major and learning why we do things the way we do but sometimes I find the content triggering. So my general question is: how can we separate our personal life and academic life when studying mental health topics? Thanks a million! 😊
I want to know this too!! I always thought everything would be under control by the time I started school but that is evidently not the case and it only got worse...so I have been questioning studying psych and going the direction I was planning to go.
I know I am not Kati, but I am currently a grad student working to be an MFT (what Kati is), and I suffer with a slew of my own mental illnesses. I think that of course it is best to be as healthy as possible mentally when completing your studies, but while you are studying it is also a great time to work on yourself and get towards being healthier. I am waiting until the absolute last starting time possible to start my clinical work (internship) because I want to take this time to be working on myself and to be learning all I can. My therapist reminded me the other day that all therapists, and all people, for that matter, have their own shit. whether it be physical or mental health issues, family problems, relationship struggles etc. The only thing that matters is that they are taking care of themselves the best that they can and that they can compartmentalize and remember that their shit cannot get mushed up with their clients shit and that they must be prepared to handle anything (so like having triggers is something that I know I need to work on, because there are some topics that if someone told me about, I would not be able to compartmentalize right now). I hope some of this was helpful. I encourage you to do your own reflection and see if getting a higher education is something you want to pursue along with constantly pursuing working on yourself.
Also remember that undergraduate education- getting your bachelor's in America, is only the first step in becoming a therapist. While in undergrad, you can study anything you'd like, no matter what mental health issues you may be struggling with. You may have to do an internship, but they are usually pretty low-key and you will not be doing individual therapy with clients. Before working with clients, like I will be doing, starting clinical work in March (ahh!) that is when you really want to make sure you have worked through as much as possible of your own stuff. If psychology is your passion, don't let your mental illness stand in your way!
this also would help a lot, as I want to become a specific type of arts therapist majoring in drama, and within the next year I will be off to uni which is scary due to still being mentally ill myself, it's my dream to study in this field though, hope you can help kati! xoxox
+Ariana M (Ari) Thank you so much!! You've definitely helped a lot :)
LikeKristen i like your vids
I am a recent masters graduate with my PLMSW that is going to begin working in the corrections field doing behavioral health therapy. I also did my graduate internship in the same setting but at another correctional facility. It's such a rewarding field and I absolutely love it.
so i’m 14 years old and i didnt really know what i wanted to do until i went to counseling myself and then i realized that i really want to do that as a job , i’ve been looking into the career for the future so that’s for being realistic for me especially for the start of your career
I'm going to school to become a marriage and family therapist.I'm excited about the journey.
Hey me too! I start this Fall, what about you?
I am also in school to be an MFT, anyone studying or planning to study through Northcentral University?
+Arianna Iliff yeah I start this fall also here in California
Haha, glad to know I'm not the only future MFT watching :)
+Ariana M (Ari) I'm going to transfer to sac state
I'm a Psychologist, I'm working as an Educational Psychologist (though I was trained in Neuropsychology originally) ... and I actually quite often find myself mauling over the pros & cons of our profession. When people ask me if they should go study Psychology I feel like I have a lot of underlining to do about the cons ... but a big part of that is due to what it takes to become a licensed psychologist in my country.
My first degree (BA) was a 3 years degree, and of course - you can't practice with it, it's just the first in a long list of hurdles you have to pass along the way.
While you do your BA, it's "recommended" (and by that I mean it's not an official requirement but if you're not gonna do it you're going to have a harder time continuing down this path) that you volunteer at a mental health organisation of sorts & as a research assistant (because academics!). So sure, my time volunteering was very meaningful to me, and it helped me outline what are some of the things I'd be more interested in, and some of the things I wouldn't want to deal with on a daily basis, but you know - if you're trying to support yourself financially, and you have to volunteer, that's just not something you can do without any support (not to sound too much like I'm complaining about my own life choices, but there are too many "unspoken" obligations in this path in my country).
In order to apply for an MBA, which is a must if you want to actually practice as a therapist and be a licensed psychologist - well, first you have to complete a 5 hour test that's kind of like the SATs or GREs or your regional equivalent, but has to do with statistics and research methods (and while I agree it's good to be well versed in the latest research in my field, knowing statistics does not a better therapist make ;)). I know people who had to repeat this test several times, it's very stressful, and since the results are relative - you're basically "competing" with a lot of very talented and smart individuals for a very limited spot.
Why limited? because every year in an average university here 300+ people finish their BA in psychology, but only 12-15 people get accepted into an MBA program. Now since there are different MBA programs (clinical psychology, developmental psychology, neuropsychology, educational psychology, organizational psychology ect.), lets estimate and say that out of those 300+ students, only 60 get accepted into an MBA program. However, since every year there's a more and more people who didn't get accepted that year, the number of people trying and waiting just grows more and more. So a lot of people get stuck in this limbo of applying and having their hopes and dreams shattered year after year.
What does it take to get into an MBA program? well, you have the test that I mentioned, you should finish at the top of your class with honors, you better have volunteered doing both practical and research in the field, and for good measure - you have to go through a series of admission interviews and sometimes group workshops. This part is usually when people start to realize that there's a system design to thin the herd. The interviews themselves are stressful because you want to make a good impression, and they can be very personal, and emotionally taxing. Honestly, it feels like a right-of-passage type of situation handed down generations. Because the people doing the interviews are psychologists and staff-members, and they had to go through it as well, and it's all very elite and if you're not ready to have your shit thrown in your face, well then, clearly you're not willing to suffer enough for the craft.
So you went through hell and back,a nd now you've made it into an MBA program! congratulations, get ready for the most intensive 2 years of your life, where you will be thrown elbow deep into practicing, while always doubting yourself, feeling vulnerable and wondering how you're supposed to do this job.
So you've graduated, congratulations, you can registered as a licensed psychologist - BUT you need to specialize in your field for a minimum of 4 years (and a maximum of infinity depending on how well organized and task-oriented you are and how many children you've decided to bring into the world because you're already in your 30s because you started your BA at the earliest when you were 21-22 cause your country needed you to serve in the military for 2-3 years ... and yes that was mandatory). Well, specializing is great because you get guidance and you get to learn more and practice more and you're under supervision. But as Kati mentioned, you don't get paid top dollars. And usually you can only specialize at a part-time job, somewhere between 50-80%, goodluck living on that salary. Better have rich parents or a spouse with a high income job. Because this'll take anywhere from 4 years and I personally know people who are on their 9th year of their internship!
But well before you get to start this internship training, you have to apply for a scholarship, because this training is expansive, and it's funded by the ministry of health - and organization with some serious under-funding in my country. Also, remember those top few who got accepted into the MBA program? well, now there's a 2nd bottle-neck, of waiting for a scholarship. So usually what that means is you can't practice in your field without waiting for a very long time, what's a long time? a year, or 2, or 3, or 5! and unless you have some strings to pull (hurrah for nepotism?) then you're going to be desperate and upset for a while now ... not to mention, they now changed the scholarship granting criteria and restructured the waiting list ... so things may have gotten better or worse for you, depending on where your position "in line" was before.
Which is why I personally opted out of this madness of waiting in line for a scholarship that may or may never come (and involved more groveling and "proving myself" and jumping through hoops) and started an internship as an Educational Psychology, which is funded by the ministry of Education, an organisation that's also grossly under funded (because in my country, if you don't contribute directly to national security then you are grossly under funded .... ). But surprisingly they've managed to pull the funds needed, alongside local municipalities, to hire interns and psychologist to work for the city/region in supporting the education system (meaning consulting for schools, kindergartens, diagnosing patients, treating them, guiding parents and supporting the community).
I'm proud of my profession, but even so, when you do public work, life is very different than in a private clinic. Sometimes you feel like an unwelcome guest, sometimes people get "ordered" into therapy when they'd really rather not be, and when you feel like your patients don't want to grow or even be there at all, things can get pretty disheartening sometimes. Luckily though you have a lot of peers working side by side with you, and you realize that this is actually pretty normal, and you eventually start to experience more success, but really - sometimes you end up wondering - why am I doing this? and is this the right thing for me? and since I've made it this far - is now really the time to rethink these choices? you're part of the elite, the "chosen" few (and every hurdle along the way was set there to make you feel exactly like that).
I love my job, but really, sometimes I hate it ;)
And that was my TL:DR rant about what it's like to become a therapist in my country, and this has all been about the process and training, and not even remotely about the job itself - just imagine ...
So my advice to you kids, is figure out exactly what's needed to become a licensed and specialized psychologist, because a lot of these things were "surprises" along the way. Younger me didn't know these things, but could she have done anything differently? or made other choices? I am not sure she would have ...
have you worked with any psychiatric nurse practitioners? im interested in that line of work but not completely sure about their stress, work satisfaction, pros/cons, liability etc. It seems fun but I'm intimidated because of the schooling. I'm half way through my psych BA and have taken many science courses, but I still feel afraid to jump into a BSN/MSN in case I fail.
What country do you live in?
I know you posted this awhile ago but thank you so much for all the info. It was exactly what I needed to read.
I want to be a therapist when I’m older, but damn this kinda scares me
Do you have any more cons you wanna tell about? And which country do you live in?
LMFTA here . I think it depends on the area you live . I’m from WA state , our salary is high here! My hours are 9-5, you can choose your own . Self-care, well I have weekends off and travel . The job is very fulfilling overall :)
I was a therapist for almost 40 years. I loved my job up to the point that I went into clinic management.
I start grad school next year, just finished my bachelors of psychology and I hope one day to be a LMHC 😳 great video and advice, thanks!
Thank you Kati. I recently started therapy. And your videos have been a nice breath of fresh air, in understanding the inner workings of therapy.
Short, Sweet, Straight to the point, and Well-explained. Thanks for this video!
Kati, your dedication and commitment are inspiring.
Awe thanks for the kind words Tom :) xoxo
I'm thinking about becoming a therapist because I love helping people get through things and feel great. People always tell me their emotions and problems even if I barely know them. The issue is that I am not really good at interacting with people myself and I don't ever know what to say. I also don't think a lot of people would feel comfortable with me as their therapist because I can't see and my eyes look a little weird. A lot of people will think I won't understand them because they don't understand me. It seems difficult but I am going to try anyway.
Kitty Mellow we are in the same boat
Dont be discouraged tbh iff i had someone who was blind/had some kind of disability i would feel more comfortable knowing they have been through something in there life which they have got through and got to where they are as a therapist. Clearly iff u became a therapist it would show ur clients how strong minded u r. Sorry iff this didnt make sense. All my love and support from England xxxx
Bobbi DIYs it made sense but I don’t think they were talking about blind people. I think they were talking about people in general.
deanna todd sims i meant that it would show how strong minded she was as a blind therapist sorry i didnt make that clear xxx
You might be a INFJ like me. Check it out right here on youtube to see if this is you and learn your strengths and weaknesses.
Here are a few things to help you see if your an infj.
If you dont like small talk.
You can feel and absorb others emotions.
Your very back and forth person
The famous infj door slam.(look it up)
Always thinking constantly.
Quick mood changes.
That's all ill list for now from what I've been learning about myself. Hope you find this helpful!
Thank you, Love. This is very honest & real. I am a DSP/Mental Health Tech currently as I finish out my schooling for psychiatry, and you're right about how important it is to take care of ourselves as well. There are never-ending challenges, but infinite rewards to this career journey ❤️ Thanks for another great vid, sorry I was late in the game to commenting this time!
I'm in my second year at uni right now doing something I don't like and for the longest time I've wanted to become a therapist which eventually narrowed down to social work when I left high school, however my parents did not allow me to as a result of the pay as you mentioned but also the dangers that I could face as a social worker or therapist. I feel like people aren't educated enough about mental health and a lot of people still have the idea of an out of control, violent, "crazy" person when they imagine someone with a mental illness.
Thank you, Katie, for educating us one video at a time :)
Really appreciated this video. I'm currently in an admin/program role and cannot WAIT to be doing something more meaningful to me and to others. I have a Master's degree already, but it didn't open up many doors and isn't "worth" much to employers, so I'm still earning minimum wage or less than. My joy has been coming from projects outside of work where I've been able to coach others, consult, and educate - basically anything remotely connected to the field of counseling. I'm going back to school in January to get my MA in CMHC - I'm super nervous about being in grad school again, about the loans (eek!), and the fact this will be my third career change after going from teacher, to programming/admin, to counseling, but I know that counseling and serving others in that capacity is what truly brings me joy. No regrets!
Kati!!! I might finally be getting a therapist!!! I went to my yearly checkup at the doctors office and my doctor saw my self harm scars and asked me about it and she helped me tell my mom that I have depression and I need a therapist. My mom said she would look into it for me and I'm so excited :):):) I can finally work towards mental health
Yay! I am so proud of you for speaking up! I will be sending positive vibes your way! xoxo
I'm starting college in the fall for psychology and this just made me even more excited! You're definitely part of the inspiration for that, it's so helpful seeing someone young and quirky being successful and taken seriously. Thank you for everything you do.
How did your courses go? :)
Love you Kati, thanks for always being kind and super passionate about your community.x
Such a good point. Need to be OK with self before we can assist others.
Being a therapist has been my calling since I turned 18. Helping people and being there for them has always naturally been present in me since I was maybe 5 or 6. I always thought that I was never good enough though. So, I chose business instead. I went to college in the spring of 2011 and did fairly well but as college went on I lost the motivation to even care. So, I dropped out and started working in the family business which led to construction. I worked all over the country from northern Washington to Indiana. I made many friends and connections but somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I wanted to get back into school. I lost my best friend to suicide in the spring of 2017. This led me down a path of borderline depression and reassessing my current life and self. My father was never there because of the type of work I was doing (we are better now. LOVE YOU DAD) and my mother was recently divorced from a man that wasn't a very good leader or a husband to her(let's be real my momma was the leader). I was headed down a steep path to my own destruction honestly. I was stressed because of the dangers of my job and unhappy with my personal life. My mother mentioned therapy to me. The therapy honestly helped me realize some things about myself. It made me realize how people close to me mixed my head up but honestly it made me access my own thoughts. I just recently got back into school I have my own place and this past semester I made A's and B's (something I didn't believe I could do). My mother is still pushing for me to be a counselor or a therapist of some kind. At this point I love myself but I'm still not content with my life as a person/man. I'm 27 years old and all I've seemed to do is spin my wheels but somehow I'm here with a second chance in my lap. I am not sure where this path may take me but honestly I'm willing to trade all the money I've made to follow this dream of mine. I don't have much support from my family or very many friends but I'm starting to realize that maybe that's just a chapter closing on my life and another one opening. I'm terrified but I'm so excited. I say all that to say this. I wasn't ready back when I was 19-20 I had to go down the path I took to find myself. Everything that I have felt; the pain, the joy, the struggle have made me into a better man that can do anything. I've faced mountains that are now ant hills and because of that belief I have in myself I believe that with patience and hard work I can achieve my true calling that the universe has laid before me. So, thank you for the abuse, neglect, and the tears I cried as a young child. Thank you for the bullies, friends, and a certain history teacher that wouldn't put up with my BS and expected more from me. Thank you to my coaches, bosses, coworkers (good and bad). Thank you to the haters and the truth speakers in my life. Thank you to the family that has had my back (no, you don't have to be blood to me) and also the ones that secretly hope I fall on my face. It took losing the only person in the world that knew my abuse and my secrets to bring me to this point. So, because I wasn't there for him that night I'm giving my life to be there for everyone else. Support me or not. The decision is made. It was really made the first time I took my first breath it just took me 27 years to find it.
Your words resonated so much with me that it kinda feels like a future version of myself is talking to me. I moved out of home after finishing highschool and didn't pursue a career as my life was such chaos, I could barely focus on daily tasks. I worked various boring, repetitive jobs till now... Now almost hitting my 30's, I can say It took 12 years to find the peace I needed to finally find something I'm really passionate about and see myself working on for the rest of my life. Regardless, it was worth the wait.
Just a thought I had whilst watching this video.
You said that you don't consciously expect to go into sessions to get something to help yourself, and I think that is the correct frame of mind/attitude to have as a therapist. But surely you must learn things from sessions and clients that are important for your own journey and that help you on your way and in turn help you become a better therapist too?
I think that this could be seen as a pro, because whilst you don't expect to learn from your clients it invariably must happen sometimes?
Love your videos, so helpful to me on my therapeutic journey. Would love a video on transference, specifically erotic transference, and how to broach the subject with your therapist 🙏🏽
Magia
I really appreciated this video because I'm a psychology major and am contemplating being a therapist. But I also, realize it's important to put my mental health first and foremost. Love ya Kati! Have a lovely weekend. :)
Before I came to this video I was struggling and had no idea what I wanted to do with what remains of my life.
Thanks to you, now I know 🙏 😊
I'm a junior in high school and I'm looking into being an art therapist! I really want to help people and I love art so if I can help people with art that would be my dream job! Videos like yours just inspire me :) thank you for putting out the perspective of a therapist online. It's so useful :D
I love to help people so much. Thank u for this video , it's so important to me. I either wanna be a social worker or a therapist.
I’m starting college in august and wanting to major in psychology and become a therapist working with adolescents/young adults, and honestly one of my biggest worries would be income, I stress about everything and income would be among them, hopefully if the income is livable when I get my degree I can continue
I usually never comment on any videos but I just want to thank you for this wonderful video firstly for going straight to the point and secondly for being honest and clear!!
(And I want to become a therapist now)
Thank you so much for talking about this! I just started grad school and I'm terrified about what is next. This helped a lot!
Thank you. What you say helps a lot.
Thank you for your honesty. I'm going to start a MSSW program in a couple weeks and I'm very excited.
Currently ive been in Therapy for two and a half years, with so much more to dig into when it comes to my past, though my path forward was only really realised once i went to Therapy, and it is actually Computer Programming, i avoided it for yearrsssss because it seemed like a pain to learn since all my issues were pressing me down, once therapy cleared my mind to some degree i realized i should be studying programming (and yes, people did tell me not to do it saying its too late in life for it, or AI will take over, ive heard it all), so now not only am i studying, but also getting clarity of mind. Really is amazing work that mental health workers do, though the work is also on both ends, unless we, as patients, also put in our share of work, theres no way for us to heal.
Thank you so much you inspired me to be a therapist my friends say I should try it out because they always come to me for guidance. Great video👍👌
I love this. Thank you. It's my dream job. For all the reasons you said. Even the cons. I don't mind the money. It's enough. It's more than I have. And I love seeing others progress and being the help they need. I wish I'd get my shit together to finally make it and become my own biggest project in pursuing that career although I have self doubts
I needed to see and hear this. Im about to start training to become a counsellor along side my many years of different personal experiences combined. This was confirmation for me that im on the right track and I can help others and do something that is meaningful and gives others their lives back. Thank you!
Thank you so much for making these videos I'm going into the same path as you and am struggling with myself because of school stress, but your videos make everything clear. Seriously you give me more information than my college advisors.
awesome Kati - thank you for sharing!! Waiting to hear back from grad school as i recently applied to clinical mental health counseling program - being in recovery for 5 years, I want to focus on substance use disorders and help curtail some of the pain and loss from the opioid epidemic. I just found some of your videos and they are awesome!! Keep doing what you're doing - one day at a time!
You’ve put a really big smile on my face with this video! I’m constantly told I would regret the choice of studying psychology and so I’m very nervous when it comes to deciding which university I will go to, but you just said exactly what I was hoping to hear. I think I will be fine! Wish me luck on this journey :) grazie
I remember making $6.25 an hour with a bachelor's degree here in Texas...$24-$225 an hour is the dream as an LPC!!
Great channel, just found it today. As an undergrad psychology student it's really exciting to hear the nitty gritty about what it's like to practice (hasn't scared me off yet!). thanks for sharing - cheers.
Part of your con, i find Self Therapy to be the first step as recognizing your issues and seeing it when it happens allows you to recognize them in others. I liked learning in school being labeled with ADHD and having whats considered Special-Ed classes i still learned what my therapists and "resource" teachers wanted me to learn was to help myself and manage my mental state over what chaos is happening. That's leading me to want to help others as well cause it takes time but slowly its doable. I find many people who seemingly ignore themselves daily and seem to get almost lost in time as i would put it. Maybe some drugs have gotten me to that point too.
This is what I'm trying to do with my education. the majority of my degree will be in recreational therapy, to become a certified therapeutic recreation specialist. I'm just getting into this field, but I think it is going to be very fulfilling. thank you for the video kati!!
I'm so glad you mentioned the fact that therapists need therapy too. So true!
Definitely!! xoxo
You just gave me hope that one day I will reach my goals and become a therapist :) thank you
I appreciate you sharing this video. You sound and look genuine and that compliments the message being shared.
kati, thank you very much! i love all the videos you made. it helps me to understand a lot about the information i need to deal with myself and my kid.
you are truly amazing that even you don't make as much as you deserve, yet you still give as much as you can to help out the patients. by the way, sometimes i feel like they are under-paid for all the work as the professional. to go through with patient could be very stressful too.
i am not a therapist, yet i am a mother which needs more counseling skills to myself and my kid.
Been watching your videos for 3 years now, big thanks from sweden! :)
very clear communication and helpful. Thanks!
To be of service is important.🙏
Great video Kati! I am currently starting college in the Fall and I'm going to be studying nursing. My long term goal is to become a psychiatric nurse. I will be able to do similar things as a therapist would but I'll have the job security as a nurse. I really hope my career in the future will be as rewarding as your's is.
I’ve recently decided to pursue a career in therapy. I’m so excited!! 😊💗
I'm a med student, and Im aiming on being a psychiatrist after I graduate..
I don't care whether I'm gonna take a lot of money or not,I think I'm gonna be successful cuz I'm into it.
The feeling of helping people is what I was hoping for - thank you for this
Great video Kati. I love my job as well. I work for the Fire Prevention & Investigation Bureau for Fire Dept.
Thank you. This was very helpful as I too am struggling to find what I want to do with my career path. Having suffered from misdiagnosis and bad docs, I figured that my experience may give me an edge to help others really help themselves.
i am 13 years old and i would love to be a therapist, i love helping people, this video helps aloud
God damn, you're so positive and so empathetic and genuine, I just can't stop watching your videos!
>$85/hr
>"We don't make much money!"
I'd be more than happy with $85/hr.
She also mentioned starting @$14 an hour; then $24 an hour. Sounds like she had to work her way up.
I think this depends on the country. In Canada, independent psychologists charge a standard $200/hr, and even looking at typical hospital jobs, it's like, 80k+ a year for entry level jobs. Those are with a PhD typically though.
Private practice we pay our own health insurance, practice insurance, rent and bills on space. Please consider!
@@ThisIsKassia hi do you know how much a masters degree makes?
@@4everu984 would it be possible to have a space in your home for therapy? I would think it's unsafe maybe, too private but it would be more cost efficient yk just wondering
I hope to have your passion, you make me so enthusiastic on working within mental health!
I'm starting my internship for therapy soon... and honestly, I was a little nervous hearing your opinions on the cons for being a therapist, but I found them ( except pay grade) to be pros for me. lol. I have the option to sleep in???? lol. Thanks for your vids!!! Love them all.
I suffer from mental health and I’m still on the path of recovery but I want to Help other people that were in my position
Hi Kati,
Thank for these videos. They have helped in my studies and life in general.
Blessings
Hey, Kati!! I love your channel! This video really helped me - I'm an undergrad (junior) pursuing a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Sociology. I really want to become a therapist but I have no idea where to start. I was wondering if you could make a video on some different kinds of fields of therapy? That would be super helpful. Thank you so much for making this channel!!
hi kati i really admire and appreciate your hard work and content. could you please make a video about nocturnal panic attacks? i suffer from bpd and have been experiencing really extreme panic attacks when i sleep. thanks a lot! love you from spain ❤
I originally wanted to become a physician since I have this desire to help others. However I lost interest throughout my undergraduate years as a biology major. Now I'm looking into becoming a therapist and the subjects interest me more than anything. And I'm glad this profession will allow me to help others.
Money is not too important (as long as you can survive), but feeling good at your job is priceless and regardless of the job or situation, inner ‘work’ helps a lot. It is but something constant you have to get used to do. For me faith helps tremendously. Even if you are a nonbeliever an affirmation or a mantra or a prayer can go a long way. I remember when I was worried about money I used to say: Life continuous being free and easy :) no matter what. Thank you Kati for this content!
Thank you so much for this video... This is really going to help me to decide about my career .
my first choice was a social worker then I changed my mind by going to nursing school . I love people and I have mental health issues. I want to work in psych which I have done as an aide and a peer advocate.
Thank you. With my life all I wanted to do is to help others.
So far, the pros outweigh the cons, so I am all in. :D Thank you for this video!
I've recently gone through a period of massive personal change and development and it's enlightened me as to what I want (need) to do in my life. It's so far from anything I've ever done, or wanted to do, but I know truly that what I want to do with my life is to become a therapist - particularly in the family/marriage/relationship field.
I'm a 22 year old student in my final year of University, studying an undergraduate degree in 'IT and Business Management' in Manchester, UK. I've got no psychology related qualifications or experience - only the extent to which I've researched myself online (I've unknowingly spent SO much time researching psychology and philosophy in my life)
I've spoken to University staff and the best bet for me to get into the field is to study a conversions Masters course in Psychology, from which I hope to go on to complete a PHD. My problem is, having no related qualifications means I can only really apply to lower status Universities. I still have a drive to be successful and so would like to study at a top University to improve career prospects. Needs be, I will have to sacrifice the status of the University if it is my only choice to study Psychology and become a therapist.
Would anyone be able to offer me any advice? Is there anything I can do now, without qualification, to get involved in the field? Is there anyone I should speak to, places I could work/volunteer, or things I could do to improve my chances at getting onto a psychology course?
I can't put into words how big of a thing this is for me, and any advice which anyone could offer would be massively appreciated. Thanks!
Kati I’ve been an outpatient therapist for 15 plus years but I can’t adapt to being a virtual therapist during pandemic but I have no choice to keep my job. Patient family even leadership expectations of me are very unrealistic. Keep in mind I avoided burnout for this long really well but now I feel lost.
Has Kati ever made a video about being a internet personality and putting herself "out there" and her clients feelings on it? (Ex: Googling your therapist's name to see that they have an online following and make "therapy" videos.) I'm halfway through my MSW now and I always wonder about this.
I definitely wonder this also! Since, clients can and probably will look us up (I'm an MFT intern).
good look on your program!
+Gina GL I use a name that Is completely different from my real in on YT and all social media for this purpose.
Would love if you did a video on what therapists wear to work .. I know it seems random but I’m trying to get ideas for the future and I also plan on getting more tattoos and want to know the bounds of where I can get them . So far they are only in places covered by most outfits
Thank you so much for this Kati, this has definitely helped me decide if this career path is right for me! Xx
Awesome video keep up the great work 👍
This is a great video and very informational! Thank you :)
2020. You are rocking it in that purple shirt and for some reason you have my lucky number on there lol. But anyway interesting information. 100% agree you should enjoy your work and I have NEVER felt happy about "work" unless it was from home. Also, I think the flexible scheduling was nice. Your definition of a job making you feel fulfilled is spot on too.
It's my last year in school. I'll get my BA in addiction counseling human services. I need this lol