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De Leonist

(225 posts)
Sun Aug 10, 2014, 05:04 PM Aug 2014

I've decided to become a Therapist.

Hey all, been a while.

I've been seriously considering what to do for a career this pasts six months or so. I've decided that I'm going to back to school and get a masters in psychology so I can become a Therapist. I'm thinking about specializing in treating Autistic children.

Some of you might ask why would I become a Therapist ? Because I spent most of my younger years hanging out with some pretty dysfunctional and maladjusted people. Many of whom like many of us here lived with various Neurological and Neurodevelopmental disorders. I don't know how exactly but I ended up becoming the group confidant. I found that despite my ADHD and Autism I was very good at listening when people needed someone they can talk too that wouldn't judge them.

Dealing with people who have a range of mental health without getting easily frustrated is something I can do. Don't know if that's a good thing. But I know it's something I can do. Also I can probably relate a lot better than your average NT Therapist.

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I've decided to become a Therapist. (Original Post) De Leonist Aug 2014 OP
I was considering it when I was a freshman in college many moons ago. Tobin S. Aug 2014 #1
As I understand it..... De Leonist Aug 2014 #2
I want to wish you lots of luck. As a side item, Ilsa Aug 2014 #3

Tobin S.

(10,418 posts)
1. I was considering it when I was a freshman in college many moons ago.
Sun Aug 10, 2014, 07:11 PM
Aug 2014

I was in a general education psychology class, the one everyone had to take at the time, and I found it very interesting. Right before class one time, one of the assistants to the class who was a graduate student in psychology asked how many of us were considering majoring in psychology. Maybe about ten students raised their hands including me. He flat told us not to do it. I'm not sure why, but he made it sound like a mistake.

I do know that to make a decent living as a psychologist, especially a therapist, a PhD is often required. So you may want to look into the job prospects and education requirements before you make the leap.

As for me, I became severely mentally ill my sophomore year and dropped out. I returned to school a few years ago and I'm going to graduate in December, but it won't be with a degree in psychology. Even though I've been very stable for the last 11 years, I recognize that I'm still a bit on the odd side and probably would not make the best therapist.

Mentally ill people can make good therapists. Kay Jamison is a popular, successful psychologist who also has bipolar disorder. However, I don't think that's very common.

De Leonist

(225 posts)
2. As I understand it.....
Sun Aug 10, 2014, 07:33 PM
Aug 2014

Work in Autism is booming right now. As far as I'm aware you only need a Masters in Psychology to be a Therapist in Iowa. I think being a licensed therapist specializing in Autistic Children and having Autism myself might give me a leg up. But what you say could be right.

Ilsa

(61,690 posts)
3. I want to wish you lots of luck. As a side item,
Mon Aug 11, 2014, 08:14 PM
Aug 2014

if you are interested, learning about and teaching others, like parents, about things like guardianship, special needs trusts, state and local programs, etc, is also very much needed. The stuff that is there, and the programs that are missing, can be overwhelming.

Good luck!!

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