Social work/psychotherapy career changeI was wondering if anyone can help me with some information about making a career change into social work/psychotherapy. I have been a successful business executive working mainly in the sales/marketing field for the last 15 years. I' ve done ok, but I do not find it rewarding, as I really enjoy the concept of helping people and cause related work. How should I go about looking into other fields such as this? How much school does it require to get a MSW or a degree in psychology? Any information would be greatly appreciated. I am looking for something that I can feel good about when I get home each day -- not just a paycheck. I am a social worker with an MSW degree. If you are looking to do direct practice (counseling, therapy, etc.), I would strongly recommend getting a Masters in Social Work instead of a Masters in Psychology. The Masters in Psych simply does not provide the options that the MSW degree provides. With the Psych masters degree you are usually limited to doing testing, research and other types of work. Most clinical psychologist who provide direct counseling services have their doctorate. The MSW will allow you to provide direct services once you have also obtained your license. It will take a couple years of fulltime schooling to obtain your MSW (assuming you already have a Bachelors that will qualify) and another two years of supervised work before taking the licensing exam. The requirement for the license will vary some in each state, but most require about 3000 hours of supervised clinical work and an exam. Check with your state' s licensing authority. Making the change from sales to social worker is a big step. Be sure you have spent time researching your decision. I suggest talking with several people currently doing the work you desire and spend a day or two with them, if possible.
Another avenue you might want to check out the is the Psych Nurse Practitioner role. If you' re interested in helping people, this actually opens up a TON of options...regular nursing, doing therapy AND prescribing. it' s very flexible, and you will never want for a job even if it' s not doing exactly what you want with the nursing shortage. There are some very short programs in this, depending on your state and where you live. One example is at Boston College - it' s a 2 year program to your RN and your MSN. At the end, you' re a licensed RN and ready to take your licensure exam for being an NP. In Massachusetts, like I said, you can both do therapy and prescribe, and no other role can do both. You could then do community health, work in a private practice, even do regular psych nursing which often has therapy like roles (leading groups, etc.) The previous suggestion given--talk & visit to people in the field- is a good one. My experience is that I am a career changer--I was in customer service for many years--started going to college part time, changed careers to law enforcement, kept going to college and finally earned a BSW. Then, I decided to "go for it" and get the MSW, which I did complete. I was disappointed in the job prospects for MSW, so I went through the process of getting registered as a "Qualified Social Worker" in England, and went for a 6month temporary job. That was an incredible experience, but I got homesick and came home about a month early. Ah hah...job prospects haven' t improved at home. Most of the time Social Workers are case managers, doing various child welfare type duties that include 24/7 on call, home visits at irregular hours; jobs which are generally geared for the BSW entry position. But, I want to do clinical work and work on the LCSW-- the jobs that require MSW frequently also require the LCSW or CAP (Certified Addiction Professional) or both---OR they want 2-5 years experience in the field. It' s frustrating to have the brain power, the determination to follow through, but can' t seem to land the job I really want. I currently have about 15 positions that I have applied for in the last month. I have thought about just returning to law enforcement and using the "degree" to advance within---and I am considering the possibility of changing careers to teaching. If I don' t land a job soon, I will begin substitute teaching in January. I just never thought it would be so difficult to find a job that I will look forward to going to, and make enough money to live on. (and I' m talking at least making $32 a year--not an unreasonable need) I have days where I am very discouraged, but I keep trying. (By the way, I did try to work at an entry level position, doing the home visits, crazy hours and all that, as a way to get started and "do my time" so I could gain the experience...but I was miserable) So, what do I suggest? Yes, visit people in the field, talk to people. Look at the classifieds, the job boards like Monster, CareerBuilder & Salary.com and as many others that you can that will help you decide if you want to pursue this change and if you will get the job you have in mind. Talk to someone in that department, at the college/university where you would be going-- I know the jobs are out there, I know the work and sacrifice will have been worth it to work in a field that inspires passion for people. You can do social services-type work without being a social worker. Try volunteering for a bit and see if this really is for you or not. It may be that doing this as a volunteer is enough to make your paying day job a happy mix, or you may see that you love it enough to want to do it full time or that you hate it and it isn' t the right fit. Places to look (depending on what type of clientele you' re looking for) are: senior centers and what we used to call "old age homes" , children' s agencies (Boys and Girls club, YMCA, local park and rec department), church groups, rehab programs (of various types), programs for those with disabilities (children or adults or both), and then more generic social services agencies like Red Cross, Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. The thing I am struggling with mainly is that I would like to help and work with people, but I think case work or working with extremely ill people would depress me. I was considering looking into being more of a life coach. Dealing more with people who are going though life transitions, having marital or career issues, etc. Does anyone know about this? Are these accredited programs for real - or are they kind of fake? Any information would be greatly appreciated! | |
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