To retrain as a psychotherapist

[WantARealJob]

Name changed.

I have hit a bit of a wall. I am 24, I have a distinction at my Masters and a v good undergraduate degree. I was also awarded a phd scholarship that I put on hold to concentrate on a job that came out of the blue but I couldn't turn down.

The industry in which I work, to which my undergrad and phd are related, is frankly a nasty snake pit of cut throat horribleness. I thought it was what I wanted but it has landed me anxious, plagued by self doubt and I want out. I understand how flippant this makes me sound but I just cant live a life looking over my shoulder - sorry for not giving more details but I could v easily out myself.

I have always been fascinated by psychiatry, psychotherapy, the works but made the decision to pursue the other career based on an illusion of the reality. I have wanted to retrain for a while, I crave a real hands on job working with real people, helping people, a member of my family was a psychiatric nurse and that person, along with everyone I have suggested this to, think I would be v suited.

I have been offered a job in a different sector and could easily take it, earn a fair bit, work free lance in spare time in my current sector (still entranced just cannot handle it being my full time work anymore), or I could take the plunge, end up in debt studying for what I truly want to do. I feel at my age with my qualifications (no way related to psychotherapy), in this climate, I'd be following a risky and expensive pipe dream.
Sorry this is so long, any advice appreciated.

Ooops, sorry, meant to say, similar to an educational psychologist. Clearly very different.

I too am going to say YABU.

You sound like a bit of an overachiever (sorry) with a lot of passion which you are looking to direct into something 'worthwhile'. These are great qualities to have. But as a selector for psychotherapy training I would be a little cautious towards a 24yo who essentially wants to become a psychotherapist because she doesn't feel fulfilled in her work after doing a degree in human rights law (which I assume also arose out of passion/interest - again great, not criticising that at all).

I'm not saying don't do it at all. But you might want to move sideways first rather than getting out of your field completely. I don't know what you do now, but how about some kind of advocacy work for a charity, perhaps one that works with persecuted or traumatised people? That will give you a degree of exposure to the kind of issues you may have to tackle as a psychotherapist. Or you could do some voluntary work in that area.

Sadnoonie is right about your age. I don't mean to sound 'young-ist' but those extra years of life experience are invaluable.

My dh is 37 and a clinical psychologist training in CBT and it's a tough and challenging process. You need a lot of stability in yourself. I would be slightly worried at your saying a lot of your interest arises from your having had your own issues. First-hand experience with mental health issues can be an invaluable sourse of experience and empathy, but working through your own issues should be part of psychotherapy training, not the other way round, iyswim.
Then there are all the issues of cost and commitment detailed by other posters.

Sorry if some of this sounds harsh. And I am not saying 'never do it'. But I think it needs a lot of thinking about in your case and possibly some other experience first.

Good luck!

I decided to retrain as a couples therapist part time, so it's possible to work and train at the same. The course will qualify me as a couples & individual psychodynamic psychotherapist and is a 3 year post grad diploma. I had to do a 6 month introductory course first, which was great as it gave me a good idea of what the longer course would be like. I don't have any previous experience.

I have to be in personal therapy once a week through out the course. There's the possibility of adding another year in psychosexual studies and getting an MSc.

The course is run by Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships and is based in London. Course fees last year were £3.5k but may have gone up - fees don't have to be paid up front, can be paid monthly.

Personal therapy in London is currently costing me £35 per session but this is pretty low, generally the average is £40-50 from what class mates have said.

You are quite young to be retraining in this field but don't let that put you off, there are a few 25 year olds in my class.

Sounds like you know what you want to do, so go for it but be prepared not to be earning for a while.

Re-reading your post, I wonder if you would benefit from a bit if personal therapy yourself? Might help you work out what your anxieties are about and if you go down the psychodynamic route, you would have to be in therapy anyway.

Also, I would recommend taking a short introductory course to find out if it's for you. The one i took was great, as it was 1 evening a week for 6 months, so could carry on working full time. Also, I didn't have to be in therapy for the short course.

Good luck!

Why not take the other job, freelance for a while, and save up some money to finance re-training? It's going to be a long road and its very hard, would be much easier with some cash behind you.

Thats what I would do, as someone who has retrained as a mature student.

Interested in couples' therapy but I sort of figured who with a few kids and marriage in turmoil would want to see a (young looking, het ID'd everywhere :( ) 24/25 year old. Reductionist and presumptious perhaps but just a thought.

This is v helpful. I didn't realise you had to have personal therapy yourself?

Bec - yes I am looking into this, on anti anxiety meds at the moment which I don't want long term

Mrsunshine - considering taking awful corporate job I've been offered, working like a beast to save as much as possible as aback up for fees and security.

I own my own property that I rent out so I would have a bit of income.

Spent another day in current job hell. I want to do this, so much, I feel like I'm drowning

I see a therapist but not a psycho (?!) one. She mentioned the terrible problems she finds people have had to deal with, sounds quite distressing to me. I am thinking of offering voluntary work to Samaritans but this has made me hesitate.

She didn't give details btw, just that I had described my difficult childhood and she gave the impression this was small fry compared to others problems her clients are trying to come to terms wiht.

Mayisout run like the wind from a therapist who even obliquely compares your issues to other clients'. Seriously, what would motivate a therapist to do this - to make you feel your stuff is petty? To tell you to be grateful you haven't had a worse life? There are plenty of crappy therapists, I'd find a better one.

OP sorry for hijack - I'm a counsellor, and consider myself extremely incredibly lucky to have a full time permanent NHS post - they're like hens teeth. Posts outside the NHS are not well paid when considered against the cost and level of training required, and most counsellors end up having to work voluntarily to gain experience required by employers for paid work, and for hours for accreditation. In this neck of the woods at least, trained counsellors vastly outnumber jobs available and employers ask for the moon on a stick and get it as there is so much competition.

Okay I have an update. My incredibly wonderful Father has offered to fund whatever retraining is necessary.

How do I go about this? Where good to train in SE England/London?

From research (limited so far) I want to go down clin psych route.

I think you need to be realistic that this will take years, perhaps not 10 years as for a psychiatrist, but certainly many many years. You need a psychology degree, so either obtain this by doing one, or doing a conversion course. You need to make sure any conversion course would give you the required qualification (British Psychological Society accreditation).

It explains it all here:

www.bps.org.uk/careers-education-training/how-become-psychologist/types-psychologists/becoming-clinical-psychologis

Having converted your degree, you would then need at least 1-2 years voluntary work or work as a research assistant/psychologist in the field to stand a chance of getting on the doctoral course (it says on their website that less than 30% get on, and that includes all the repeat applicants, so many don't get on in their first year, but second or third attempt).

Then you do your doctoral course, which is funded, if you get on.

I am not utterly convinced, by what you say, that you do know what you want to do in psychology, because there is an enormous difference between being a counsellor and being a clinical psychologist say treating children or adults with mental health difficulties. I think you need to get access/shadow some of these professions to see which will suit you, as they have different paths and demands.

Also, realistically, you won't be a practicing clinical psychologist for at least 6 years, possibly more, so it's important to consider if this is the right goal for you.

I retrained and it's been good for me, I started out towards clinical psychology but diverted to something related and it's now my profession, so I'm glad I jumped ship.

I have years.

I need to find out where to get voluntary work. I used to work in a hospice at weekends because I thought was a nice thing to do (again, voluntary) but that won't involve MH experience.

Thanks for that link, incredibly helpful.

I'm currently training as a therapeutic counsellor, have my psychology degree from years ago. The difference between the two is vast. I spent 4 years volunteering with Family Lives on their helpline and in my local domestic violence team as a facilitator of the freedom programme and 3 years of personal psychotherapy before taking the plunge.
If I'm being honest myself and my peers are all getting to the point where we are all very worried about job prospects once we finish our course.
It is hard, very hard and very expensive. You need 150 hrs of counselling before you qualify but 450 to become accedited, during which time personal therapy and your supervision still need to be paid for.
I woul suggest beginning your own personal therapy and offering your time to a voluntary agency (cruse, mind, marriage care all work face to face) before making a decision.
Hth

Yes, I think you need to think about whether you are drawn towards counselling people (who won't in the main have severe mental health problems) through life crises, problems of living, past trauma and so on, or do something in clinical psychology which may involved people with mental health difficulties which are likely to be more severe (although not necessarily, could be phobias, depression, a range).

Clinical psychology is good as you work with different groups, so you could work with people with Alzheimer's, learning disabilities, adult mental health, child mental health.

It is emotionally draining though at times and I think anyone working in these areas needs to have good support and be sure this is what they want to do, I have at least one friend in this area who is burnt out by all the misery she has confronted (in children) and often psychologists are relatively powerless to intervene (e.g. in child protection they have to refer on, she says SS only take the worst cases) and you can get frustrated by not being able to fix people's very deep rooted and severe problems in 6 weeks.

May, I read your post and had to reply. I second Banana's recommendation to get away from your current therapist. Comparing your situation to that of others is out of order. Your time with your therapist should be about you. Not about the counsellor's workload or other clients.