Disabled With Ptsd, But Want To Be A Counseling Psychologist

[joeylittle]

I think you can absolutely do it, @Lionheart777. And everyone has said great things - I want to echo @Solara's post, that you should take special note of combined programs.

I'd also take a look more at why a psychologist instead of a LCSW or LPC. I think an MSW (masters in social work) can get you to either one, and I don't know that you would need to specifically pursue a full four-year psychology undergraduate degree. If you don't have an undergraduate degree at all, then yes, you will need to complete one - but you can be aggressive about the timeline.

A good example is the Washington University in St. Louis 3-2 program. Link Removed As I understand it, you basically complete your undergrad in 3 years and then segue right into the MSW program. You are start to finish in 5 years. Wash U is a great school, especially in social work/public health. There are others,. this is just the one I'm familiar with.

 

[Lionheart]

Thank you everyone. Your encouragement and support is heartwarming and so greatly appreciated!!!

I am thrilled by your responses and excited to get started. I finished my application for college, yesterday afternoon, and hope to hear back soon. If all goes well, I will be set to start on the Bachelor's degree during the first week of May.

Thanks again for your wonderful replies and for sharing.

 

[mamachick]

Lionheart777, just some more encouragement that you can do this. I was about 40 with 2 kids in grade school when I made a decision as you did. I had this realization that I was volunteering so much time that I could invest in my education instead, so that I could do what I really loved. I had some college credits. I sat down and made a plan that I could do 20 hrs a semester for 3 semesters at a community college and receive an Associate degree in human service, then transfer to a local private college and complete a 15 month program for my bachelors. Then apply to masters program. I followed my plan to a T. With each new step, I had some fear. OK the community college was many classes and I did well, but the next step, a private Jesuit College would be much harder and could I do it. It was actually easier, because it was more advanced and adult education, less being treated like a kid. Again, I graduated with honors with a 3.9 gpa. Then the masters-now I was scared, would I be smart enough. Well this was the counseling part, the real crux of the work. Much of what I studied through self help for fun in the past. It was the easiest for me. Im not sure if it got easier because I got in the school habit, because I had core stuff out of the way like science, speech and stats and philosophy, or if the pieces of success developed my confidence in myself that made it easier and smoother. I am average intellegence, nothing special except a passion to help others. I was the little engine that could. I did it, I know that you can do whatever you want, just keep believing in yourself.

 

[Sammyiam]

Wow I think it would be awesome for you to do ! I would love to do study maybe I can one day as well !!

 

[ms spock]

I am not for the wounded-healer thing. The wounded-healers destroyed my life because of their own stuff which didn't get sorted out through their degrees and/or training. Everyone thinks it won't be them that does this stuff, well that is not my experience. I went from one wounded-healer to another and it wasted 15-20 years of my life. I am alarmed at the number of people with the symptoms that they have on this forum that are professionally qualified - there is no way with those types of symptoms that some people have on this forum that they can be adequate therapists, people are quite seriously deluding themselves with their own denial and God knows what damage they are doing to innocent people that are just like myself. I find that no one questioning this across the board on this forum pretty disturbing.

Having said that I wish you well @Lionheart777 and I am sure that you will find your own niche but make sure you are always in really good supervision with someone that doesn't enable you but challenges you.

 

[Lionheart]

The wounded-healers destroyed my life because of their own stuff which didn't get sorted out through their degrees and/or training.

I am sorry that you had that experience @Ms Spock, I truly am!!! I wish that had not happened and that you could have gotten the quality of care you deserve.

Hopefully, anxiety and depression will not keep me from being good at helping others to heal and I will definitely work hard to keep my own stuff in check! I will make sure that I am under good supervision with someone who challenges me to be the best.

 

[ms spock]

Hopefully, anxiety and depression will not keep me from being good at helping others to heal and I will definitely work hard to keep my own stuff in check! I will make sure that I am under good supervision with someone who challenges me to be the best.

Hopefully is not good enough Lionheart777. If at the end of your degree you still are working hard to keep your own stuff in check you will need find another path in which to use your skills. I have dealt with people who were "hopeful" that they could keep their stuff in check and well, quite frankly they didn't and it was so destructive to the people around them. I think there needs to be much greater accountability around this type of stuff.

I am glad that you are getting the type of support that you wanting around your study but it scares me to death that people think that a possible profession at the end of processing their PTSD is to be a therapist. It is crazy talk, and that it is rarely challenged on this forum is a real worry. I think we are enabling lots of really damaged (and potentially abusive people) and in denial people to act out their PTSD stuff on their clients without ever having the insight to know that is what they are doing. I have been watching it for a while now, it is sickening. For example someone who is an active borderline should not become a therapist, in my opinion someone who is a recovered borderline is should not become a therapist, but in those communities is is also seen as a potential employment path, where it really should not be.

Having a breakdown and recovering a bit does not qualify people to become mental health professionals, and many people seem to think it does in their case. Not true in my book. I can't think of another profession where not being able to do something in a significant form means you later think it is a good idea to become part of that profession.

 

[Lionheart]

I will carefully consider the impact that I will have on others and if there is a chance that I might cause damage, I will indeed find another path to use my skills.

I would not want to put another person through the same experience that you've suffered through and I commend you for being honest and forthright with me about this issue.

Perhaps I would be better suited to drug and alcohol treatment, there are many areas for me to explore, if my experiences compromise my ability to help others heal then, I will consider another career.

 

[ms spock]

I didn't say anything first up because I didn't want to crush you @Lionheart777.

But I have kept quiet about a lot of people who have said that they wanted to become a therapist and my initial response was "Oh MY GOD NO! NOT YOU! and I meet people on the forum who think they are professional mental health workers and I think "YOU should QUIT your job before you destroy a whole lot of people!" But these people are often in so much denial there is no point anyway.

But it was worth talking to you @Lionheart777.

 

[Seasounds]

@Lionheart777 Me to, I'm moving towards the same pursuit.

 

[Lionheart]

@Saetva I think it is a noble pursuit, but I really think we need to take serious consideration of what Ms Spock has said here. We need to make sure that we are healed and wholly capable of helping others to heal without causing them further damage.

This is a subject that I will take up with a doctor I know, who is the head of the Department for Traumatic Stress Research at the University where I was first diagnosed as I am serious about changing careers if I might cause damage to others.

 

[ms spock]

We need to make sure that we are healed and wholly capable of helping others to heal without causing them further damage.

For most people, it is definitely not the case. It is a worry that people with so many problems and symptoms then get to work their stuff out through their clients, and it is widely known in the field to be a concerning problem.

Why don't people go out and get a life of their own - let go of this being stuck in the healing type thing and really make some decisions and move right on?