- Joined
- Oct 13, 2011
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Some of you may recognize me...I have been on this website off and on for years. I had to step away from school in general, from here and get my life in order recently, but I want to jump back in , now that I am mentally clear and emotionally stable. Let me explain....
Last time I posted on here I commented that I may be getting a divorce and due to this I had to be careful about my career/education options. Stated that I was originally looking at med school, which I was. Well I am for sure getting a divorce, he is moving out of my house first week of September and I venture into the land of being a single mother. My child is in second grade this year coming up.
Education wise I have my bachelor degree, psych major/bio minor with a 3.8. Since graduating I worked as a psychiatric technician at an acute inpatient facility for a year and I am now the patient advocate for 1.5 years which falls into the department of quality assurance/risk management. So I have almost 3 years of working in behavioral health. I find myself doing a lot of admin work along with patient interaction, but honestly I am behind a desk more than I am sitting with a patient. I find that when I do take the time to sit down with a patient and talk to them, that is when I feel that inner fire, that is where I thrive and actually enjoy my job. Paperwork, spreadsheets and fancy reports are my nemesis anymore, I loathe them and procrastinate lol. Give me a screaming patient to talk with for a hour over a quiet spreadsheet report any day!
I am looking at the options of MSW (LCSW license of course) or maybe LPC route. I have looked at doctoral options, but it seems that the LCSW/LPC are often doing the jobs of psychologists because in all honesty, they are cheaper to pay. I did strongly consider BSN then psychiatric nurse practitioner, but I don't know how feasible that is now. I want to do therapy, I want direct care. Maybe one day I get burnt out and want to go a research route or back behind a desk most of the day, but that is not where my passion is right now.
I cannot quit my job, I work fulltime so I will have to do college along with working along with taking care of my child. This job is stable, I make just enough to support my child and provide things like health insurance for her. I don't make a lot, but I make enough. I cannot risk it all and quit, go fulltime college and live on loans. I can't risk my child's stability and well being like that. This means I need to do an online route. That cuts out the bsn/practitioner option. Not to mention if I go LCSW or LPC their is a good chance I can eventually get a position with my current company or transfer to one of our many facilities nation wide so it is smart for me to stay here. We are owned by UHS (united health services).
With the LCSW I feel like it has more options and is a broader degree/license option, but does that mean the LPC is more specialized in therapy? It seems that many people push the LCSW over the LPC, why? I will also add that a local college has talked to me a few times about an online degree in counseling, leading to LPC and it is a very respected private university (aka VERY high tuition), my state does not have any online MSW options so I would have to go the out of state route.
Any opinions on this or general advice would be greatly appreciated. Please do not tell me to go fulltime in person and quit my job, I have heard this before....I cannot risk my child's stability. This has to be done alongside working fulltime.
Thank you in advance for any advice
Last time I posted on here I commented that I may be getting a divorce and due to this I had to be careful about my career/education options. Stated that I was originally looking at med school, which I was. Well I am for sure getting a divorce, he is moving out of my house first week of September and I venture into the land of being a single mother. My child is in second grade this year coming up.
Education wise I have my bachelor degree, psych major/bio minor with a 3.8. Since graduating I worked as a psychiatric technician at an acute inpatient facility for a year and I am now the patient advocate for 1.5 years which falls into the department of quality assurance/risk management. So I have almost 3 years of working in behavioral health. I find myself doing a lot of admin work along with patient interaction, but honestly I am behind a desk more than I am sitting with a patient. I find that when I do take the time to sit down with a patient and talk to them, that is when I feel that inner fire, that is where I thrive and actually enjoy my job. Paperwork, spreadsheets and fancy reports are my nemesis anymore, I loathe them and procrastinate lol. Give me a screaming patient to talk with for a hour over a quiet spreadsheet report any day!
I am looking at the options of MSW (LCSW license of course) or maybe LPC route. I have looked at doctoral options, but it seems that the LCSW/LPC are often doing the jobs of psychologists because in all honesty, they are cheaper to pay. I did strongly consider BSN then psychiatric nurse practitioner, but I don't know how feasible that is now. I want to do therapy, I want direct care. Maybe one day I get burnt out and want to go a research route or back behind a desk most of the day, but that is not where my passion is right now.
I cannot quit my job, I work fulltime so I will have to do college along with working along with taking care of my child. This job is stable, I make just enough to support my child and provide things like health insurance for her. I don't make a lot, but I make enough. I cannot risk it all and quit, go fulltime college and live on loans. I can't risk my child's stability and well being like that. This means I need to do an online route. That cuts out the bsn/practitioner option. Not to mention if I go LCSW or LPC their is a good chance I can eventually get a position with my current company or transfer to one of our many facilities nation wide so it is smart for me to stay here. We are owned by UHS (united health services).
With the LCSW I feel like it has more options and is a broader degree/license option, but does that mean the LPC is more specialized in therapy? It seems that many people push the LCSW over the LPC, why? I will also add that a local college has talked to me a few times about an online degree in counseling, leading to LPC and it is a very respected private university (aka VERY high tuition), my state does not have any online MSW options so I would have to go the out of state route.
Any opinions on this or general advice would be greatly appreciated. Please do not tell me to go fulltime in person and quit my job, I have heard this before....I cannot risk my child's stability. This has to be done alongside working fulltime.
Thank you in advance for any advice