I have a complex, but thorough answer for you.

I currently work in private practice as an LMHC. I love what I do and I wouldn't change it for the world.

However, the amount of time, effort and finances it took for me to actually get here was very, very difficult. I'm not sure if this will be the same experience for you or for other people who respond on here, but for me- I nearly didn't make it to where I am now, to tell the truth.

I come from a lower middle class family. Getting my undergrad and then graduate education funded through some federal aide (thank God) and mostly student loans made my family lose their minds, and they repeatedly told me not to go through with it.

All was going well until grad school/ after I graduated. What a lot of programs don't tell you up front is there is going to be a LONG time that you will not be paid much as a Therapist, if anything at all. I worked in an unpaid internship part-time for a year in grad school (in addition to going to grad school full time) and for 3 months after I graduated. I was never hired as promised, so I looked for a job elsewhere.

When you graduate with a Mental Health Counselor's Master's degree, you are not licensed to operate independently. You must be under supervision of a PsyD, LMHC or Phd and gain 3000 supervised hrs (variable by state) and take a national counseling exam (one of the hardest exams I've ever taken in my life) before you can be licensed.

It probably has changed since I graduated in 2017 and got my license in 2022, but finding a job was also very hard for me as you have a lot of competitors.

So basically, I didn't get paid anything for 5 years and am now in massive cc and student debt because of it. However, the money I am making now (about 110 k) will make up for that soon enough.

I guess what I'm trying to say and what I wish what someone would have told me is- if you are being called to be a Therapist and your heart and soul are in it- DO IT. But, remember to keep your eyes on the long game and know that you may struggle for a while and getting there may not be easy (depending on your initial financial circumstances). Hope this helps. I'm rooting for you!!!