Is it possible to become a psychologist if you have a mental illness?

Is it possible to become a psychologist if you have a mental illness. I know the very obvious, of you having to work on the mental illness. But I mean, in terms of getting a doctorate, going to grad school,applying to become a licensed psychologist,etc.Is it possible? I have yet to meet or hear from anyone that they have a mental illness and are a psychologist. I also read someone say that chances are, because you're required to tell your workplace what you have before you work, they will discriminate against you if you have a mental illness. It makes me feel a little discouraged.

Sidenote; I'm talking about if you have a mental illness but you are functional, you are stable, neutral, you don't interfere with clients,etc. Not if your mental illness doesn't affect your state of being in work or with clients.

I don’t see why not. There are laws in place to protect employment for individuals with mental illness. I see no reason for you to be held back in your career so long as you manage your life well. There must be somewhere online you can check into this before pursuing your education?

I have BPD and I'm in school right now working on becoming a psychologist. My therapist says I'm going to be a fantastic one (I wish I could believe him) so yes, it's definitely possible.

It's important to know your own limitations and be actively working on your own issues, doing everything you can to guard your own mental health and stay on top of your illness(es).

They say "to BE a good psychologist, you have to HAVE a good psychologist". I firmly believe that. Most therapists see another therapist, and some therapists specialize in only working with other therapists.

Definitely. I am a certified and licensed counselor and have been for over 5 years now. I won't lie and say its not challenging. I do not disclose to my clients. And it can be hard to listen to words echoed from someone else that have been resonating in my mind. But, it feels good to be helpful and supportive to those that may be experiencing the same thing. I feel like I have a heightened level of empathy.

Self-care is super important though. Since starting this job, I have had to really buckle down on my own mental health symptoms to keep them in check.

But, yes-- you can be a psychologist, therapist, counselor, etc. It's not dissimilar to LCDC's (chemical dependency/substance use) having a history in addiction. Sometimes you need to have gone through something to get it. Really 'get it'.

I never heard that you have to disclose to your work. That seems like quite a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

And, yes. You can be a counselor and also have mental health issues. It's important to have them under control, like you said. Yes I know of counselors and social workers who have their own struggles with mental health. You can do it if you really want to and are willing to do the emotional work.

I think it probably depends on what type of mental illness you have and it's severity (how well under control). normally I doubt it would be an issue but if you are not in control then your ability to be of help to others is really diminished. there might be some programs that would require you to disclose but I would imagine that most do not (altho with as I understand it therapy being a requirement for a degree...if instability is found then disclosure might indeed be an issue).

I think the problem might arise after the fact when you (the therapist) is already working. who is overseeing the program? what if your illness enters a crisis level and you don't recognize it? it can happen. not all of us are quick to recognize the slippery slope. and what if medication compliance is not 100%? those are important issues to consider ...and it's not just for psychological health but all health concerns .

it is important to maintain strong mental health & support through out the career

I think it also depends on what kind of psychologist you want to be. Do you want to do clinical practice or research? I know PhD psychologists who work in academia as researchers in related fields to actually create new forms of patient education, therapy, etc. But they don't actually see patients in a clinical setting. I currently work with a social psychologist who doesn't see patients but conducts research on healthcare education initiatives using behavioral learning methodologies. Psychologists are not just clinicians. So I think you can definitely have a mental health condition and be a psychologist. It may take you a bit longer to finish your PhD, and you may need to adjust your practice to handle the work load and self care.

Good luck!

You aren’t required to disclose anything related to your health (mental or physical). Not sure why you say that you are required. You could choose to disclose of course but you aren’t required to

the only reason I could think where it might be is if you are being supervised and your illness is not well managed, or if perhaps if you are undergoing therapy as a requirement of your degree program and maybe there are some serious concerns. perhaps there would be reporting requirements. I am not sure but it makes sense to me....

there are other careers where your health impacts the career so this does not appear to be so strange to me. some require blood/urine screenings for drugs/alcohol, it used to be cdl drivers could not be using injectable insulin, law enforcement officers might not want to be schizophrenics, etc. yoi don't want your brain surgeon to have hand tremors...etc. so if your therapist has some form of severe mental illness that impacts their judgement, perhaps they should look elsewhere. perhaps overall it isn't required (again I don't know all requirements for programs) but common sense & judgement should play into action here.

I think its similar to drug and alcohol counselors. They often are addicts in recovery themselves.

Absolutely. They make the best ones in my opinion because their empathy comes from experience rather than a textbook. They know, they fought, they prevailed, and they can now lead the way for others. My BEST therapists have been PhD clinical psychologists with their own history of struggles. Of course they did their own work beforehand, but if people try to tell you otherwise on this topic, they are blind fools.

It shouldn't be a problem at all. There are so many who do this. In fact, a depressed therapist might be better at their job than a therapist who hasn't experienced severe depression. I understand you meant "psychologist," not therapist. I am referring to analysis, not the psycho-pharmacological approach. If you want to be a therapist who offers analyses, there is nothing stopping you, not even your mental states