How I Became A Therapist on The New School Podcast
Have you ever heard of someone who had a job that you thought would be awesome to have, but you had no idea how they got there?
Looking back, I think ambitious teenage me would have been pretty excited to know that not only would she start her own business, but that she’d make her dream come true of connecting with people and making a difference in their lives… all while traveling the world! Heck, when I stop and think about it, I still get pretty lightheaded (in a good way) when I think about the freedom and enjoyment I’m fortunate enough to live with as a remote therapist and digital nomad.
I had a great time sitting down with Christine Hong of The New School Podcast to share my journey of making the dreams of my youth a reality today. Her podcast is simply awesome - in every episode she talks to someone with a unique career path that you don’t normally hear about in the classroom about how they got to where they are today.
What do I want you to know about my journey? Honestly, there’s nothing magical about it (or me for that matter.). However, I did have to overcome a LOT of fears and insecurities that thankfully didn’t stop me from creating a life that I love.
In COVID-laden 2020, online therapy is the norm, but when I first went online with my practice about 5 years ago, I was honestly worried. I didn’t know if online therapy would be a recognized and “respectable” part of mental health, or if I’d be seen as unprofessional within the mental health community at large. (As much as psychologists love research, I have found that when it comes to private practice, we often move slowly and stick with what’s been done in the past.) In this episode, we spoke about:
What made me want to be a psychologist
What education is needed to become a therapist
How the licensing exam (called the EPPP) stressed me out so much that my jaw locked for weeks until the moment I finished taking the test
Why being a therapist is awesome (and how this job is one of the highest paying jobs for women!)
My fears about being a therapist with public social media accounts
How I learned to get more comfortable being an “outlier” and defying the norms within the field of psychology
Not letting my desire to be liked limit me from doing things differently
How “going remote” as a therapist has been a total game changer for me
Why having an online telehealth practice is great
My hope is that our conversation inspires those with a dream to explore every opportunity and to create the opportunities for themselves that don’t yet exist!
Click here to listen.