Career questions tagged mental-health-counseling
Whether to shift from drug discovery to human-centered fields?
I am currently a junior international student majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences. When I entered college, I aspired to pursue a career in drug research. However, as I progress through my major, I find myself increasingly uncertain about whether this path aligns with who I am. This uncertainty became clearer after taking a quarter of computer science, a field now intertwined with scientific research. While I understand its importance, I realized that I struggle in highly efficiency-driven environments. I tend to be more reflective, sentimental, and drawn to meaning-making rather than optimization and competition. At the same time, I have strong interests and abilities in literature, documentary film, and emotional understanding, which make me feel more aligned with human-centered fields such as mental health counseling or social work. However, I grew up in a culture where science-oriented careers were viewed as the most “practical” or “valuable,” and I never seriously explored alternative paths. Now, as an international student close to graduation, I am concerned about the feasibility, and cost of changing direction. I am respectfully seeking advice from professionals who have experience in: drug discovery or scientific research, mental health counseling or social work, or interdisciplinary careers that apply science to human-centered fields. Specifically, I would appreciate insight on: -Whether there are realistic pathways that allow one to remain connected to science while working in human-centered or mental health–related roles? -What factors I should consider, given my international student status, when deciding whether to pivot at this stage? Thank you very much for your time and insight!
How do I know if I should pursue my MSW?
How do I know if I should pursue my MSW? I’m early in my career and work in marketing, and I dislike the corporate 9-5 culture. I want to find more meaningful work that suits my soft skills better. Mental health has always been of importance to me and I want to be more people-centered, and honestly I would enjoy the prospect of working remotely or having my control over my schedule as well. I’m trying to find something I will enjoy long-term. For more context, I had also considered ESL teaching (i didnt enjoy lesson planning or public speaking) and also copywriting (i didnt want to turn a hobby into an occupation) so I kept going back to this. My own therapist even told me to look into social work as an option, and I’ve been doing some research ever since. She knows I worry about being stuck in something once I choose to pursue it. I was initially confident about this decision to go back to school and I have the support to do so, but after some recent conversations, I fear burn-out and having a stressful/large caseload once I’m in it. I would love any insight into this, what should go into my decision making, what to be aware of, etc. Thank you! (Edit: I already have my Bachelors. This would be a career change. And when I say pursuing my MSW I specifically mean going the clinical route and receiving my LCSW.)
#Fall25 How to gain experience before B.A Psychology graduation in May 2026 Is it too late for me to begin to persue experience and network in my field??
Through the years in college I have focused more in surviving the world and getting jobs to pay bills instead of a career furthering job. I aspire to become a psychologist md/phd and know it takes lots of time and work. I just recently decided to go for my dream and gain experience. Just wanted to know if it’s too late or if I should’ve started earlier and where do I begin now. #Fall25 #Feelingdefeated #Unmotivated #Dreams #Isitpossible
What steps should I take now as a Human Services student to prepare for a future career supporting veterans as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker #Fall25?
I am a Human Services student and my goal is to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker so I can work with veterans who face mental health challenges. I want to know what skills, experience, or opportunities I should focus on now while I’m still in school. Any guidance will help me plan my path.
What type of entry level work from home job can I get if I am in the Clinical Mental Health Program in college, and I do not have any certifications in mental health?
What type of entry level work from home job can I get if I am in the Clinical Mental Health Program in college, and I do not have any certifications in mental health? I do have my bachelor degree in criminal justice with a concentration in human services as well as I have my master degree in criminal justice.
I am currently enrolled in the Clinical Mental Health Program, and I want to know what type of entry level work from home jobs can I get.
I am currently enrolled in the Clinical Mental Health Program at Texas Southern University, and I am searching for a entry level work from home job in the mental health field in Texas. What types of careers can I apply for if I do not have any certification in mental health? I have a Bachelor degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Human Services as well as I have my Master degree in Criminal Justice. I am a certified CTE Criminal Justice teacher and a dual credit teacher. I am wanting to get out of the classroom this is why I am going back to college to work with mental health clients, and I am trying to find a work from home job while I am focusing on my college classes.
What, internships or volunteering should I do, I’m a 16 year old and I’m looking for any internships for psychology or any organizations I can volunteer for online.
I’ve been doing a few things and created a few clubs like a Red Cross branch, and have been volunteering in other ways for other mental health organizations. But I was looking for any psychology things I could do, I was currently looking at crisis volunteer lines I could do. But if there is any other please let me know it would be greatly appreciated!
Continuous overthinking and frustration about everything ?
I’m an international student in the U.S., and I’ve never lived far from my family before. I just completed my first semester, and for the past four months, it feels like all I’ve been doing is surviving. I cry a lot, and I’ve been experiencing a strange kind of FOMO — like I’m missing out while my friends back home are enjoying their lives. I don’t have any friends here, and with so many other stressors, I’m finding it really hard to live happily. All I want is to be happy with my choices, to do something meaningful with my life, complete my major, and build a career here — because coming abroad has always been my dream. But now that I’m here, I find myself caught between moments of enjoyment and moments of deep sadness or frustration. I can’t seem to control my thoughts. I keep overthinking everything — that I won’t be able to finish my degree, that I won’t be able to build a career, and that I’ll end up being a financial burden on my family. I feel emotionally exhausted. It’s like everyone I trusted has let me down, and I’m left completely alone. I recently went through a breakup, and he was the only person who gave me some comfort. Now that he’s gone, I feel like I’m stuck in an endless spiral of thoughts — thinking and thinking with no way out. At the same time, I’m extremely anxious about choosing the right major. I keep wondering if I’ll ever fit in here, or if I’m just missing out on my college life while my friends back home are moving forward and figuring everything out. I feel stuck — like I’m falling behind, while everyone else has direction. This strange sadness isn’t something new. It’s been with me for years. But now, I truly want to change. I don’t want to be the person who’s always sad or gloomy about everything. I want to learn how to find joy, even in stressful situations. But right now, I cry over every little inconvenience, and I get frustrated very easily when things don’t go my way. I feel like I should be able to handle things more calmly and peacefully. I often feel like I’m a burden — emotionally and financially — on my family. And I genuinely don’t know what to do or what not to do. I’m in desperate need of clear, detailed guidance — not just general advice, but real direction that can help me figure things out and bring me to a better place mentally, emotionally, and academically. I also compare myself and my situation to others — and I do it in such intense and detailed ways that it becomes paralyzing. My mind keeps telling me, “If things had been different, you’d be happier,” even though I know that even if things were different, I’d probably still find something else to compare. It’s exhausting. I seek emotional validation from others and struggle to do things on my own. I want so badly to be emotionally independent. But in my last relationship, I became so dependent — and I still replay memories of the good times. He was so sweet to me, and then suddenly it was all gone. I keep questioning myself — where are all the promises he made? Why am I the one who has to suffer? The saddest part is, I’ve always had trouble trusting people. Even in the beginning of that relationship, I was cautious. But with time, I trusted him more than I trusted myself. He made many promises, and I made it clear to him not to promise things unless he truly meant them. He insisted that he did. And eventually, I believed he wasn’t like everyone else. But now he’s gone. He’s moved on — and worse, he’s already in a new relationship. The way he told me about his new girlfriend made me feel sick. It was like he had become a completely different person. I genuinely believed our connection was deep and real — the first true one I’d ever experienced. I thought no one could replace it. I thought we would be happy together. Now I feel like everyone I’ve ever truly valued has left or hurt me. And I start to wonder — am I the problem? Am I doing something wrong? I just want to have one true, lasting connection. But every time I think I’ve found it, it disappears. People tell me I’m just overwhelmed, and that’s why I feel this way. But why is it that others seem to cope and move on, while I’m stuck in this storm of emotions? I hear people say “It was just a breakup,” or “It was just a friendship,” but to me, it was more than that. I feel so deeply alone. Every time I find something meaningful, it slips through my fingers. I’m trying to see a therapist through university services, but they’re overwhelmed with students, and I barely get to meet with her. It’s hard to build a meaningful connection, and I don’t feel like I’m making any progress. Every time I try to move forward, I feel like I just sink deeper. I’ve always dreamed of having a really good friend group — people who support each other and do sweet little things together. But I’ve never had that. And now, I sometimes look at others and think, Wow, look at how beautiful their friendship is, how they do things together. And I’m just here — alone. I really don’t want to keep thinking about the past, or about the future, or about other people — whether I have friends, or a boyfriend, or anything. I just want to focus on improving myself. I say that I don’t want anything to do with others, that I want to be strong and independent — but at the same time, I keep feeling like I’m missing out. I’m missing out on everything — on relationships, friendships, experiences, memories. It’s like I’m constantly being left behind. That feeling haunts me all the time.
What do you need to have a successful career inn psychology
I am a sophomore in college and it is my first year majoring in psychology and I hear the in psychology you don't get job opportunities after graduating. I am interested in psychology because it help me help people and its a career I have been thinking about because of my child development classes in high school in which I had to take psychology. I am thinking about clinical psychology to be a therapist or a psychologist or psychiatrist I also am thinking about social work or public health or communication and I just would want to know the next steps or what advice is there to help ensure a post graduate job and intern opportunities.
What advice would you give to an aspiring alternative medicine mental health practitioner that is planning on opening their own practice upon graduation in the next couple of years?
What advice would you give to an aspiring alternative medicine mental health practitioner that is planning on opening their own practice upon graduation in the next couple of years?
How do you help clients open up with you when starting counseling sessions with you ?
Counseling is extremely dependent on the client seeking help. How do you help make sure the client feels safe to share their issues and not hide them?
What are some things you wish you knew or would have done in graduate school?
What are some things you wish you knew or would have done when in graduate school (specifically mental health counseling degrees)? I am about to enter a graduate program for mental health counseling and I am stressed about everything that is to come (financial aid, loan repayment, managing time between school or personal life, etc). I eventually want to become an animal-assisted therapist focusing on work with veterans. Any recommendations or tips would be helpful! #Spring25
Why do many insurance companies lack coverage for Music Therapy although the practice has been proven effective for multiple cases in various situations?
I am Laila , a Boston resident and graduating senior at Lexington High School through the METCO integration program. I have recently been accepted to Howard University for the Music Therapy program.
What was the hardest part about getting into grad school for counseling? Did you have to have the best grades?
I'm about to graduate high school and I'm majoring in psychology next year with plans of getting my masters in counseling.
What is the most challenging part of opening a private practice as a psychotherapist?
How long did it take you to open a private practice after receiving your counseling license? What were the easiest and most difficult parts of the process? I am beginning a counseling graduate program in the fall and have a goal to open a private practice in New York. Can you move states easily with a private practice?
How often does a clinical psychologist do psychotherapy compared to assessements of mental health disorders? Does it depend on the job? #Spring25
I am an incoming freshman to James Madison University and would like to know early on what to expect after graduate school. Any help is appreciated!
What can a senior psychology major expect when transitioning to a graduate program in Counseling psychology? #Spring25
Moving states, favorite classes have been cognitive psych and developmental psych, interested in art. #Spring25
My main question is how I maintain myself mentally and financially as a future/current HBCU student?
Hi there! My name is Yasmine, and I will be a future spartan at Norfolk State University majoring in psychology! I'm highly passionate on advocating for mental health, marching band and cooking! My main question is how I maintain myself mentally and financially as a future/current HBCU student?
How to find work in Mental Health without degree? #Spring25
I am going to the school for MFT but I would like to gain experience ahead of time. What kind of job can I get and how?
What inner wounds must a person confront and heal within themselves in order to truly hold space for the healing of others in a career devoted to social work and counseling??
I've learned in my social work class and from friends who work in the field, that self-care is extremely important in preventing burnout, as well as maintaining a healthy and unbiased relationship with the patients and clients they work with. Would love to get more insight on others' experience with treatment for their own personal issues while working in the field.
What is the preparation for becoming a Mental Health Therapist?
What classes should you take in high school to prepare you for a Mental Health Therapist?
How can I help narrow down what field of psychology I want to get in to ?
I'm a freshman in college right now, and I'm still deciding if I want to specialize in clinical psychology.
What should I do if I don't know what I want to be yet but still have the chance to study more in high school?
I'm not sure what I want to be yet, but I still have 3 years ahead of me in high school. I don't want to take the wrong courses, and all that...? I love healthcare, counselling, animals, not so much math and chem.
What could I expect in the average day as a mental health therapist?
I'm interested in a career, and I will be attending college for a degree in psychology. Currently, I am interested in becoming a therapist but I'm not sure what to expect.
What type of career should I pursue if I am good at everything except for math?
I would love to become a counsellor of some sort, but i'm not sure if its the right job for me. I would also LOVE to do something in the medical field, but i'm not sure if i would be able to pass any of the Mathy stuff
What advice do you have for a current Mental Health Counselor in training What do you wish someone had told you before entering this field of work?
I'm currently in a graduate program to become a mental health counselor (LMHC).
What classes must I take to become a therapist?
I would like to work in the social work field, primarily with special needs adults and teens. I also have an interest in working with mental health patients and domestic violence patients.
Therapists and Counselors: What Niche do you feel is most in demand as of 2025?
What population, modalities, or treatments are you seeing in your profession as gaining need or popularity? I’m enrolled into an art therapy graduate program and would like to know if there is anything w should educate myself on. Thank you!
How do I become a mental health social worker?
I am a college freshman Note: this question was asked anonymously by a real learner
How do you get into being a peer specialist for people with mental health issues?
I am a college freshman Note: this question was asked anonymously by a real learner