[Asiablue]

I start therapist school in September, the very beginning of a long journey. I'm excited and terrified!

Is anyone else here in training? Also i wonder how far along your own healing and therapy you need to be. Obviously i'm already in therapy and have been for a while but wonder how training might affect your personal issues?

Feel free to pm me if you'd rather not chat here about it

[CantExplain]

Excellent! Good luck!

[Asiablue]

Originally Posted by CantExplain

Excellent! Good luck!

Thanks CE

Hi Asia, I am so happy you are going to do the training! I have two months left in my first year introductory course(this is mandatory here before you even start your diploma)! Next year I will start my three year diploma and I can't wait.
It is very hard emotionally and in the interview they ask about supports in your life and will you be able for all the emotional stuff it brings up. There is an awful lot of personal development and self analysis and reflection before you learn anything about therapy. They actually look on you being in therapy favourably because it shows you are investing in your own health and willing to do the work! I don't know about America but here you have to do 50 hours of personal therapy and supervision during your training, so far it's the best thing I have ever done!

[Asiablue]

Originally Posted by button30

Hi Asia, I am so happy you are going to do the training! I have two months left in my first year introductory course(this is mandatory here before you even start your diploma)! Next year I will start my three year diploma and I can't wait.
It is very hard emotionally and in the interview they ask about supports in your life and will you be able for all the emotional stuff it brings up. There is an awful lot of personal development and self analysis and reflection before you learn anything about therapy. They actually look on you being in therapy favourably because it shows you are investing in your own health and willing to do the work! I don't know about America but here you have to do 50 hours of personal therapy and supervision during your training, so far it's the best thing I have ever done!

I'm going to pm you

I'm doing a degree in psychology here, plus a (hopefully) masters to become a Clinical Neuropsychologist.

[content30]

I'm applying to grad school right now. I will be starting in the fall, getting my Master of Arts in Counseling dual LPC, LMFT. I'm also excited and scared. I waited to apply until I was very emotionally healthy. I'm not having any problems with anxiety or depression and haven't had any problems for 7 months. Of course, I'm still working through things and still seeing my therapist every two or three weeks. She said that no therapist is perfect...not her or anyone...and that I was ahead of the game by having done my own work. My T also said that she became a counselor because she was helped by a wonderful counselor. She is such a wonderful counselor, really walked alongside me and helped set me free, and has inspired me to do the same with others! i cant wait to help other people and pay it foward. I don't think there is a specific place to be...so long as you know you're in a good enough place for you! Good luck in school!

[Asiablue]

Originally Posted by content30

I'm applying to grad school right now. I will be starting in the fall, getting my Master of Arts in Counseling dual LPC, LMFT. I'm also excited and scared. I waited to apply until I was very emotionally healthy. I'm not having any problems with anxiety or depression and haven't had any problems for 7 months. Of course, I'm still working through things and still seeing my therapist every two or three weeks. She said that no therapist is perfect...not her or anyone...and that I was ahead of the game by having done my own work. My T also said that she became a counselor because she was helped by a wonderful counselor. She is such a wonderful counselor, really walked alongside me and helped set me free, and has inspired me to do the same with others! i cant wait to help other people and pay it foward. I don't think there is a specific place to be...so long as you know you're in a good enough place for you! Good luck in school!

I've had a bit of a tough start to this year, which is why i'm deferring until September where hopefully i'll be in a much better place emotionally. Eventually i want to be an art therapist, but i'm going to do the counselling first, see where it takes me.

[WePow]

My T is a trauma survivor. He goes to his own T. I think it is good for someone who understands what it is like to be a client to be able to use that to help others heal.

[content30]

Originally Posted by Asiablue

I've had a bit of a tough start to this year, which is why i'm deferring until September where hopefully i'll be in a much better place emotionally. Eventually i want to be an art therapist, but i'm going to do the counselling first, see where it takes me.

I'm sorry you've had a tough start. Hopefully, the deferral has helped/will help. I think it's lovely that you're going to school and hoping to eventually do art therapy!

Originally Posted by WePow

My T is a trauma survivor. He goes to his own T. I think it is good for someone who understands what it is like to be a client to be able to use that to help others heal.

I completely agree. I think my T now is so good because she has genuine empathy...the kind you can only get with experience. I will never forget how it felt to have extreme depression and anxiety...and never forget how good it felt when the fog lifted....

[Asiablue]

Wepow- i agree, to have someone who has experienced time as a client before becoming a therapist in priceless. In fact if probably wouldn't go to someone myself who hadn't been thru their own therapy.

[Nightlight]

I'm another who is studying psychology, but I'm unsure of where it will take me at this stage. Good luck to you Asiablue. I think having a solid experience of the therapeutic relationship and the challenges it can help you to overcome is a positive thing to bring along to your future work as a therapist.

[stopdog]

Did you want to become a therapist before you started therapy or after? I am always curious when the desire starts. If you don't mind me asking.

[Asiablue]

Originally Posted by stopdog

Did you want to become a therapist before you started therapy or after? I am always curious when the desire starts. If you don't mind me asking.

Before. I've wanted to do it for years actually. Then when i started an art course it really cemented in my mind that that's what i wanted to do.

[blur]

Originally Posted by Asiablue

I've had a bit of a tough start to this year, which is why i'm deferring until September where hopefully i'll be in a much better place emotionally. Eventually i want to be an art therapist, but i'm going to do the counselling first, see where it takes me.

me too about becoming an art therapist. i have to finish up my bachelor's which i didn't finish years ago. i think i'll probably start in sept too. i'm going to be quite old when i'm done with school. i wish i'd heard of art therapy when i was in my 20s and deciding to pursue art or psychology as a career. i ended up picking art (design) but sort of wondered if psych would have been easier for me.

i've always loved your avatar. did you draw it?

[archipelago]

I'm also intending to become a therapist. I had another career as a professor but it was too intellectual and sorta mean-spirited. It was my own experience in therapy and then volunteering as a suicide prevention and crisis counselor, which I partly took on due to my involvement with Zen Buddhism and wanting to alleviate suffering and take social action, that experience convinced me that I was able to do the work and handle the stress. I actually also found great reward and satisfaction in helping others and seemed to have some natural abilities to handle even surprising things (like a homicidal call!). Even though I have a trauma history that is severe, I never got triggered or felt pushed too hard and there were really serious calls that required sometimes hours of non-stop attention. Lots of people go into the field because they themselves have either had some experience or known others. Just be careful to stay steady. Schools who know your history might become nervous about it. That happened to me just recently. I've decided to keep more quiet about my experiences in the future. And also be careful with clients who do not necessarily need to know the truth about you. Your ability to connect will prove itself without having to say anything.

[clash]

that's an awesome idea!

[smmath]

i am a 15 year old and ever since i noticed something was wrong in my head. i have read some psych books and i REALLY want to be a school psychologist because i love psychology and teaching younger people, so that sounds like the perfect career for me. but i have some issues from a past attempt, i have and currently si, etc. so i was wondering if y'all think it's okay if i pursue a career in school psychology.

sorry for going on a tangent about me.

thanks!

[Asiablue]

Originally Posted by blur

me too about becoming an art therapist. i have to finish up my bachelor's which i didn't finish years ago. i think i'll probably start in sept too. i'm going to be quite old when i'm done with school. i wish i'd heard of art therapy when i was in my 20s and deciding to pursue art or psychology as a career. i ended up picking art (design) but sort of wondered if psych would have been easier for me.

i've always loved your avatar. did you draw it?

I'll be oldish (late 30's, early 40's) when i finish but to be honest i look really young and i think most people would prefer a therapist who looks like they have a bit of life experience. It's one profession where being old actually goes in your favour!

Re the avatar- no, i didn't draw it, i found it on good old google

[Asiablue]

Originally Posted by smmath

i am a 15 year old and ever since i noticed something was wrong in my head. i have read some psych books and i REALLY want to be a school psychologist because i love psychology and teaching younger people, so that sounds like the perfect career for me. but i have some issues from a past attempt, i have and currently si, etc. so i was wondering if y'all think it's okay if i pursue a career in school psychology.

sorry for going on a tangent about me.

thanks!

Smmath, i think it sounds like a great career for you to pursue. Having an interest in psychology and having had to deal with your own emotional problems will stand you in good stead. My suggestion is you work hard on your own self-development, in therapy if needed and keep reading those psychology books! They can really explain a lot of what is going on for you and others in your life. Good Luck!

Good luck! Always remember school is all about theory, you'll get your real experience once your in the field working with people. There's so much school couldn't teach us

[Brightheart]

I'm currently studying for my bachelor's degree in psychology.

Good luck to you!

[adel34]

Hi Asia and Everyone,
I didn't realize how many people on here had degrees in psychology or were ts Cool!
I graduated may of last year with my BS in counseling psych. I honestly don't know what I'm gonna do with it, but absolutely apreciate the experience of being in school and learning from professors who were also working as therapists. At Lesley University the focus was a lot on self-reflection and doing our own work, and thinking about how theory relates to our own lives. They encouraged us to be in our own therapy and were great at hooking us up with resources.
And I'm glad you want to do art therapy, we need more creative arts people!

[onlytime]

Congrats, Asiablue!
I'm in my second semester of my first year in a masters of social work program. I love it so far, but sometimes what we do in class and during internships hit too close to home.
I thought I was much further along in my recovery when I first started school, but the transition and the stress of the school was really hard. My old T thought that I had to be perfectly stable/healthy before I could even go to school to be a therapist, but I doubt that's going to happen anytime soon, so I just went for it. I'm in the clinical SW concentration and want to eventually work in mental health, but I think I'm going to start working in more medical settings until I'm strong enough to a) not be triggered by clients, and b) have enough insight and space so I can be more objective and helpful to my clients.

Good luck and congrats again!