➡️ If you are thinking about pursuing a career in psychology and mental health, I offer consulting services to help you make an informed decision.

✅ The training to become a PhD/PsyD psychologist takes 5-7 years in school (in addition to 4 years of a psychology undergrad bachelors degree or associated major) + 1 year of clinical internship (MATCH process like medical students) + 1-2 years postdoctoral fellowship + EPPP test + state tests/proof of supervised hours to earn a state license to practice independently.

✅ The 5-7 years in school, depending on the program, involves (1) coursework in everything from statistics to ethics, (2) supervised clinical practicums in the community, (3) undergraduate teaching and (4) independent Masters and Dissertation research.

✅ Juggling all of these balls in my 20s was a significant crash course in my current role as a working mom of 2 school-aged kids!

✅ Most people pursuing their PhD/PsyD are in their 20s/early 30s, which is a rich developmental time of identity formation and family/partner building. Given the intensity of training at a critical time in development, it makes sense that psychologists become “fused” with their identities as mental health professionals. Their loved ones may also experience them having a hard time taking off their “psychologist hat” as they deepen their understanding of human behavior, attachment, family systems, relationships, development, and mental health conditions via their personal lived experiences.

❤️‍🩹 It has only been in the last few years, after 13 years of being a licensed psychologist in private practice, that I’ve been able to better support myself as a “person/daughter/sister/mother/coparent/friend who is a psychologist” rather than a “psychologist who is a person/daughter/sister/mother/coparent/friend.”

❤️ It is reassuring to see younger generations of psychologists-in-training, recognize the importance of self-care, boundaries, and self-awareness. Their understanding and commitment to these aspects will not only benefit them personally but also professionally, allowing them to make self-respecting career choices even earlier in their careers.

🙏 My hope is that more young people will pursue the fields of psychology and social work. Starting my personal life a little later in life was ABSOLUTELY worth the grind of those graduate school years.

📢 Concerns about student loan debt and the delay in building a stable financial future will continue to be barriers to entry into healthcare occupations. We desperately need policies that will remove or mitigate these barriers. The shortage of quality-trained mental health providers is a crisis that needs to be addressed NOW!

💪🏻 If you have the passion, work ethic, ethical compass, and personal characteristics to become a psychologist or mental health provider, don’t let the years of training or economic barriers deter you!

🙌 ❤️‍🩹🙌 A career focused on helping others transcend mental health symptoms, relational crises, and life stressors is a gift that keeps on giving! The sense of fulfillment and purpose in this profession is unparalleled.

➡️ If you are thinking about pursuing a career in psychology and mental health, I offer consulting services to help you make an informed decision.