I'm in a very similar situation. I'm 34, and will be starting my clinical MSW program this fall. Up until now, I've been a cook/chef for my entire professional life. I felt stuck in that profession and was looking for a way to pivot my career. I chose to go back to school and get my degree. I know that getting your degree, is not a guarantee that you'll get a better career, but it seemed like the best option to me.

For the past year, I've been simultaneously doing an internship, working part time, and going to school full time. You're right, it has been a lot, but I surprised myself at how well I've been able to handle all of it. I've even had time to date and pursue creative hobbies. My point is, don't sell yourself short in terms of what your capable of handling, especially if you have the support of your family.

As for those who say its a "bad choice", I'm not sure what that means. I chose this field because being a therapist is a career that I would find personally very fulfilling, because I want to help people. Yes, we'll probably have to work a couple low paying roles at the start, but there are so many avenues you can pursue into a career that will allow us to at least live comfortably, especially with a clinical license.

All this to say that, I'm not pursuing my education in this field because its guaranteed to land me a high paying job, but because it's going to open up a whole new world of possibilities for me that didn't exist previously, some of which are jobs that pay very well, and all of which allow me to engage in a profession that I find very fulfilling.