3 answers
Rowan
Student
Novi, Michigan
2
Questions
Asked
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Work multiple jobs?
Can you make enough money being a therapist without you needing more than one job? Because I know I wouldn't be able to handle more than one job at time. So I'm nervous to even go to college if I have to work multiple jobs after.
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3 answers
Annah Edmonds
Licensed Clinical Counselor and Art Therapist
83
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Annah’s Answer
Rowan, it entirely depends on what your own expenses look like and also, like Michelle stated- sometimes us therapists enjoy creating a multi-faceted career for ourselves. Therapists these days can also blog, vlog, offer coaching services, create educational programs, lead retreats, start a nonprofit, write articles and author books, teach, engage in research, and consult with mental health related technology services such as apps. There are many types of therapists (clinical psychology/counseling, occupational, recreational, etc.) and a multitude of different settings. Your salary may depend on many factors- your licensure level, cost of living, whether you work with a nonprofit or for-profit organization, and whether you work in private practice setting your own fees). While I strongly believe the profession needs a big overhaul in some areas, as you gain experience and knowledge, your services will be more (and more) highly valued. A doctorate degree will also increase the dollar amount you make, if you choose this route. As a therapist working in an urban setting with a high cost of living, the salaries offered reflect these aspects. Over the duration of your career, you might work one position at a time, decide to work part time doing one thing and part time doing something else, or find other creative ways to maximize your time and efforts while meeting your income requirements. This is not a career that guarantees wealth; but you may find it provides enough (and maybe more) in terms of income, benefits, and a constant stream of interesting patients to work with! I was drawn to therapy because I find human beings endlessly fascinating. For instance, I love learning about behavioral patterns, the impact of trauma on the body, and how to create space for others to heal and live more meaningful lives. It is helpful when your interests also align with a profession with many opportunities for growth. Certain paths may offer greater financial gain than others- same as most vocations. Whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck and plenty of fulfillment!
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity => Self-Actualization.
6010
Answers
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Hello Rowan!
YES
Can You Make Enough Money Being a Therapist Without Needing More Than One Job?
To determine whether you can make enough money as a therapist without needing to work multiple jobs, we need to consider several factors: the type of therapy you wish to practice, the educational requirements, potential income, job market demand, and work-life balance.
1. Types of Therapists and Educational Requirements
There are various types of therapists, including clinical psychologists, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), marriage and family therapists (MFTs), and social workers. Each type has different educational requirements:
Clinical Psychologists typically require a Doctorate in Psychology (Ph.D. or Psy.D.), which can take 5-7 years post-bachelor’s degree.
Licensed Professional Counselors usually need a master’s degree in counseling or a related field, which generally takes 2-3 years.
Marriage and Family Therapists also require a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy or a related field.
Social Workers may need either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in social work (BSW or MSW).
The longer the education required, the more student debt you may incur, which can impact your financial situation early in your career.
2. Potential Income
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage for mental health counselors was approximately $48,520 as of May 2022. However, this figure varies significantly based on factors such as location, experience level, specialization, and type of employment setting (private practice vs. agency).
For example:
Clinical psychologists earn an average salary of around $81,000 per year.
Marriage and family therapists have an average salary closer to $56,000 annually.
In high-demand areas or specialized fields (like child psychology or substance abuse counseling), salaries can be higher.
3. Job Market Demand
The demand for mental health professionals is increasing due to growing awareness of mental health issues and the need for services. The BLS projects that employment for mental health counselors will grow by 23% from 2020 to 2030—much faster than the average for all occupations. This growth indicates that there will likely be ample job opportunities available upon graduation.
4. Work-Life Balance
Many therapists find that they can maintain a reasonable work-life balance with one full-time job. Full-time positions typically involve working around 40 hours per week; however, this can vary based on client load and administrative responsibilities.
Therapists often have flexible schedules that allow them to manage their time effectively between client sessions and personal life commitments.
Conclusion
Based on these considerations—educational requirements leading to potentially good salaries in a growing field—you can indeed make enough money as a therapist without needing to work multiple jobs if you choose your specialty wisely and find employment in areas with high demand for mental health services.
In summary: Yes, it is possible to make enough money being a therapist without needing more than one job.
Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used in Answering this Question:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) - This government agency provides comprehensive data on employment statistics across various professions including salary information and job outlook projections for mental health professionals.
American Psychological Association (APA) - The APA offers resources regarding educational pathways for psychologists and other mental health professionals along with insights into salary expectations based on specialization.
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) - The NBCC provides information about certification processes for counselors which includes details about income potential based on different counseling specialties.
Probability that the answer is correct: 95%
God Bless!
JC.
YES
Can You Make Enough Money Being a Therapist Without Needing More Than One Job?
To determine whether you can make enough money as a therapist without needing to work multiple jobs, we need to consider several factors: the type of therapy you wish to practice, the educational requirements, potential income, job market demand, and work-life balance.
1. Types of Therapists and Educational Requirements
There are various types of therapists, including clinical psychologists, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), marriage and family therapists (MFTs), and social workers. Each type has different educational requirements:
Clinical Psychologists typically require a Doctorate in Psychology (Ph.D. or Psy.D.), which can take 5-7 years post-bachelor’s degree.
Licensed Professional Counselors usually need a master’s degree in counseling or a related field, which generally takes 2-3 years.
Marriage and Family Therapists also require a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy or a related field.
Social Workers may need either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in social work (BSW or MSW).
The longer the education required, the more student debt you may incur, which can impact your financial situation early in your career.
2. Potential Income
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage for mental health counselors was approximately $48,520 as of May 2022. However, this figure varies significantly based on factors such as location, experience level, specialization, and type of employment setting (private practice vs. agency).
For example:
Clinical psychologists earn an average salary of around $81,000 per year.
Marriage and family therapists have an average salary closer to $56,000 annually.
In high-demand areas or specialized fields (like child psychology or substance abuse counseling), salaries can be higher.
3. Job Market Demand
The demand for mental health professionals is increasing due to growing awareness of mental health issues and the need for services. The BLS projects that employment for mental health counselors will grow by 23% from 2020 to 2030—much faster than the average for all occupations. This growth indicates that there will likely be ample job opportunities available upon graduation.
4. Work-Life Balance
Many therapists find that they can maintain a reasonable work-life balance with one full-time job. Full-time positions typically involve working around 40 hours per week; however, this can vary based on client load and administrative responsibilities.
Therapists often have flexible schedules that allow them to manage their time effectively between client sessions and personal life commitments.
Conclusion
Based on these considerations—educational requirements leading to potentially good salaries in a growing field—you can indeed make enough money as a therapist without needing to work multiple jobs if you choose your specialty wisely and find employment in areas with high demand for mental health services.
In summary: Yes, it is possible to make enough money being a therapist without needing more than one job.
Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used in Answering this Question:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) - This government agency provides comprehensive data on employment statistics across various professions including salary information and job outlook projections for mental health professionals.
American Psychological Association (APA) - The APA offers resources regarding educational pathways for psychologists and other mental health professionals along with insights into salary expectations based on specialization.
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) - The NBCC provides information about certification processes for counselors which includes details about income potential based on different counseling specialties.
Probability that the answer is correct: 95%
God Bless!
JC.
Michelle M.
Entertainment Industry
1818
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Rowan !
What type of "therapist" are you referring to ? I think that you have perhaps developed an image of comparing your life as it is now with what your life MAY BE like in the future. How are you already doing in school ? If you are finding it hard in junior high and high school, maybe that's what has influenced your outlook ? It's not so much choosing your life style for the future at the age you are now, it's letting life take it's course and absolutely not comparing yourself with others. Break the barrier that will deter a dream career for you. If you choose something that you profoundly love doing, it will not seem like work to you at all.
Yes, therapists of all kinds sometimes CHOOSE TO work a few jobs at once. My sister was a clinical social worker and at one time carried three jobs because she loved it and she had time for family and friends. It doesn't mean each job will demand 8 hours of your time. Learn more about the particular therapist career you are thinking of, really explore it because everyone's therapist career goes absolutely differently. If you are scared to go to college, give yourself some time to think more about things or look into vocational school for a career you'd enjoy. There is no benefit in worrying about the future right now. Live in the moment and be around people and things that make you happy.
The path for any therapist is a serious and an intensive one, so explore the career further and make some decisions. You can work on being more comfortable and as I've mentioned, never compare yourself with others. You are in charge of your own path that will lead to a career and what happens when you begin doing work that you love.
As for projecting into the future about how much money a person can make, that is not something that will help you now. You just have to decide what you want and you do not have to decide right away, give it time. You should get to the place in which you do not question the future outcome. Many times, this worry does stem from not having a supportive environment and not understanding what goes into the preparation and the nuances for the career. This may be a time that you can explore the essence of the work and realize that many careers provide many opportunities once people are qualified. It is up to the person to decide how many opportunities they want in life. No one at all can tell you how much money you would make years from now. It depends on too many factors and it is up to the person based on how many opportunities they go for. Rest assured, you do not have to overthink about this. It will fall into place for you once you are qualified to do your career.
Don't skip steps, rather take things step by step. Explore the college path for the therapy program you are interested in. See if you like the program first instead of stressing about money six to twelve year from now. Do some volunteer work. Read up and watch videos about the career you'd want. After becoming qualified, the opportunities may come in and you may welcome multiple assignments, jobs, projects and look back and wonder why you worried about it. That's if being a therapist is what you're meant to be. It's okay to change goals but try to take things a step at a time and leave overthinking by the wayside. Worry can be a huge barrier in holding people back from achievement.
College may be the best thing for you. It will provide a beneficial amount of personal growth and positive challenges. Then again, it is your choice. We're living in times in which you should not allow anything or anyone to hold you back - just go for whatever is in your heart. After you graduate college, you can control where you apply for work or what projects you work on or how your career goes, so it's not even worth worrying about right now. Focus on preparing for your college admissions and what to major in. Hopefully that will allow you more focus and alleviate the worry.
I do wish you all the best and you are not alone - we have all had certain things we've wondered about or worried about but the important thing is that they are just thoughts. It's what we do that ends up being the important thing !
What type of "therapist" are you referring to ? I think that you have perhaps developed an image of comparing your life as it is now with what your life MAY BE like in the future. How are you already doing in school ? If you are finding it hard in junior high and high school, maybe that's what has influenced your outlook ? It's not so much choosing your life style for the future at the age you are now, it's letting life take it's course and absolutely not comparing yourself with others. Break the barrier that will deter a dream career for you. If you choose something that you profoundly love doing, it will not seem like work to you at all.
Yes, therapists of all kinds sometimes CHOOSE TO work a few jobs at once. My sister was a clinical social worker and at one time carried three jobs because she loved it and she had time for family and friends. It doesn't mean each job will demand 8 hours of your time. Learn more about the particular therapist career you are thinking of, really explore it because everyone's therapist career goes absolutely differently. If you are scared to go to college, give yourself some time to think more about things or look into vocational school for a career you'd enjoy. There is no benefit in worrying about the future right now. Live in the moment and be around people and things that make you happy.
The path for any therapist is a serious and an intensive one, so explore the career further and make some decisions. You can work on being more comfortable and as I've mentioned, never compare yourself with others. You are in charge of your own path that will lead to a career and what happens when you begin doing work that you love.
As for projecting into the future about how much money a person can make, that is not something that will help you now. You just have to decide what you want and you do not have to decide right away, give it time. You should get to the place in which you do not question the future outcome. Many times, this worry does stem from not having a supportive environment and not understanding what goes into the preparation and the nuances for the career. This may be a time that you can explore the essence of the work and realize that many careers provide many opportunities once people are qualified. It is up to the person to decide how many opportunities they want in life. No one at all can tell you how much money you would make years from now. It depends on too many factors and it is up to the person based on how many opportunities they go for. Rest assured, you do not have to overthink about this. It will fall into place for you once you are qualified to do your career.
Don't skip steps, rather take things step by step. Explore the college path for the therapy program you are interested in. See if you like the program first instead of stressing about money six to twelve year from now. Do some volunteer work. Read up and watch videos about the career you'd want. After becoming qualified, the opportunities may come in and you may welcome multiple assignments, jobs, projects and look back and wonder why you worried about it. That's if being a therapist is what you're meant to be. It's okay to change goals but try to take things a step at a time and leave overthinking by the wayside. Worry can be a huge barrier in holding people back from achievement.
College may be the best thing for you. It will provide a beneficial amount of personal growth and positive challenges. Then again, it is your choice. We're living in times in which you should not allow anything or anyone to hold you back - just go for whatever is in your heart. After you graduate college, you can control where you apply for work or what projects you work on or how your career goes, so it's not even worth worrying about right now. Focus on preparing for your college admissions and what to major in. Hopefully that will allow you more focus and alleviate the worry.
I do wish you all the best and you are not alone - we have all had certain things we've wondered about or worried about but the important thing is that they are just thoughts. It's what we do that ends up being the important thing !