Related Career Categories

• Clergy
• Clinical Psychologist
• Clinical Social Worker
• Community Developer
• Family Social Worker
• Geriatric Social Worker
• Health Social Worker
• Human Service Manager
• Interpreter
• Mental Health Counselor
• School Social Worker
• Social Worker

School and Career Surprises: Tips From People on the Job

Career: "I was surprised that my college education in psychology taught me absolutely nothing about working with the mentally ill."

Career: "I was surprised by the long hours that my job requires. When I got into psychology I thought I would get to set my own hours. I did not anticipate that I would have a job that would require me to be on call from time to time. Most of the time my job does have set hours but if an emergency situation arises with one my patients I am often called in to assist."

Career: "I was surprised that patient care is often compromised by ability to pay. Even though I work at a non profit for a program that provides free services, our services are short term. We are often unable to connect people with long term mental health treatment due to their inability to pay and lack of insurance coverage."

Career: "I was surprised how rewarding being a counselor actually is. The ability to assist people in finding happiness and becoming satisfied with themselves and their lives takes a lot of hard work and it is surprising how much dedictaion and devotion to one particular field can pay off on other people's lives."

Career: "Work daily with many types of people; sometimes weird hours; can be mentally taxing."

Career: "I was surprised at the degree to which the functional aspects of being a mental health therapist are not really covered in school. There is a great deal of practical information to the vocation that is not really given appropriate attention in graduate training."

Career: "I was surprised to find out how many different credentials and certifications that must be completed post masters graduate. This is not typically a part of the graduate program, though each certification at the graduate level will have different standards. It might be helpful to talk to your advisor about what license your program may or may not make you eligible for."

Best & Worst Things About This Career

"The most rewarding part of my job is the satisfaction of knowing that I am making a positive difference in someone's life. I get to work with people from all walks of life and make a pretty decent wage from doing so. The worst parts about my job is getting close to families after working with them for a long time, and then having to move on. Another part of my job which I find frustrating is when I work for months and months with a family who is unwilling to change behaviors in order to improve their lives."

"The worst part of the job is when a patient gets verbally and physically abusive. Or when the patients get stubborn and refuse to do what's required of them: taking a shower, for example, or completing a workout. The best part is when the men are happy, laughing, joking with one another and comfortable and content with their surroundings. Also when you come back for your next shift and they greet you with a smile and a "Hello, how was your day?""

"The best parts of the job are being able to discharge people for achieving their goals and learning how to manage symptoms. I also love working with so many different people. Each client brings something new to the table when we meet, so there is little repetition in the work. The worst part of the job is the cuts in services that happen quite frequently. This can mean getting less time to spend with a client or seeing services denied to people who really need them. I also don't like all of the paperwork that is involved in getting services authorized."

"My job is the best because no two days are ever the same and I have the luxury of working with so many different people every day. I get to ride in the police cruiser and help people in need. The worst part of my job is that everyone I meet is in crisis and there is rarely ever any good news to tell people. I have had to make some difficult decisions in order to keep people safe in the long run."

"The best part of my job is when clients are getting well and they have reached their clinical goals. For example, if I am working with a depressed client, I am very pleased when their depression is not present. The worst part of my job is dealing with high risk suicidal clients as this can be very nerve wracking and requires that I make sure my clients are safe. I see a range of clients to ensure I do not only see high risk clients."

"The worst part of the job is seeing individuals and families struggling with medical conditions and not getting active treatment to better their social, emotional, economic, and physical well being. The best part of the job is hearing expressions of gratitude from individuals and families turning a difficult situation into a healthy and dynamic lifestyle."

Tips for Succeeding in This Career

"Tip 1- Make sure to be aware of any personal issues you may have that would effect how you treat clients. Tip 2- It would be very helpful to take some basic psychology courses during college. Tip 3- Make sure to leave any issues and frustrations experienced at work at the office. Many people will dwell too much on the stresses of the job and get burnt out quickly if they cant learn to separate work from home life."

"1. Stand your ground. Don't let your patients manipulate you. 2. Be patient, calm and understanding. 3. Treat the men and the house with respect, as you would your own."

"1. If you plan to be a therapist, do an internship where you can watch other therapists in session. This way you can see how other therapists work. 2. Understand that not all of your clients will take a liking to you right away and don't take it personally if they do not make progress as you would like them to. 3. Remember to meet the client where they are and don't place your judgments and values upon them. Therapists have to be open-minded and non-judgmental."

"1. Get your master's degree because its the only way that you will be able to practice or use your skills in the counseling field. 2. Keep up on your continuing education classes even after you graduate because the field is constantly changing. 3. Subscribe to magazines or journals in order to keep updated with the newest ways of thinking and techniques/medicines being used. 4. Surround yourself with great people and enhance your coping skills so that you don't become stressed with your work!"

"I would advise students not to pay a lot of money for a master's degree in counseling. It is more important that the graduate program has required courses necessary for getting licensed. The licensing process can take two years or more after graduating from graduate college due to the number of professional hours needed. Pay is low in a nonprofit clinical setting so understand that you will not be making a lot of money. Private practice is more profitable, but it takes about 3 years after getting your license for insurance companies to allow you to bill them."

"1. Keep it real. Be as honest as you can. Be realistic about your abilities and skills. You need to like interaction, sharing, conversation, and being with people. This is less about you than about helping others and promoting their growth and development. 2. Read, study, and develop your knowledge and skills in a variety of areas and specialize in one you really like, while continuing to maintain the global focus. 3. Listen to feedback from family and teachers, develop and keep friends, and most importantly learn from your mentors. Develop one or a few of these to guide you."