I am presently a LCSW (licensed Clinical Social Worker in other words fulling licensed to practice as a therapist) in the state of New York and am almost done getting my credentials for being a psychiatrist or in my place of employment calls it therapeutic psychiatrist (a psychiatrist that also supplies therapy services besides the customary diagnostic evaluations and medication management)

in my location it is very common for people of all walks of life to choose a career in which they their self have had problems in...example how does someone decide to become a teacher... because somewhere in their school years they had a teacher that was of great help to them with their problems of reading, writing, and other subjects. how does someone decide to become a nurse ...because at some point in their lives they were exposed to what a nurse does and got the help that they needed from that favorite nurse...

most if not all the employees where I work at a crisis center and hospital are there because at some point in their lives they had to deal with something that had to do with that profession.

I became a therapist because of the many great therapists I had in my childhood to help me through my problems, I liked what they did for me and wanted to help others with the same problems that I had.

its very common to hear a treatment provider is in that profession because they have had or presently have to deal with the mental and physical health problems that they want to work in.

mind you it takes hard work and many years (unless you have an opportunity to complete the course load required faster by combining resources, classes and degrees in which case you can complete a 2 year degree and a 4 year degree in 2 years and so on.... depending on the colleges availability of site to site classes, online classes and how many colleges you have access to at the same time)

keep up the great work.