Why being a therapist can be a great motivational career

We’ve all been there, stuck in a career that doesn’t motivate us and provides very little purpose to our lives. If that sounds familiar, why not look into how to get into therapy? Being a therapist, whether you’re a CBT practitioner who helps people with depression or an autism therapist who specializes in running the local aba feeding program, can be a highly motivational career choice.

The pandemic, careers, and purpose

The pandemic has given us all plenty of free time to think and evaluate our lives. A common theme for so many folks right now is the need and want to help others. Team this strong emotion with the pressure of current roles and the stress of the pandemic to help understand why one-quarter of over 45s are considering a career change.

Creating a career around helping others can provide much more purpose to our lives but good deeds don’t always pay the bills. While there are numerous careers that make us “feel good by doing good,” we also have commitments. There is the mortgage or rent, living costs, food bills, and insurance to pay for. It’s a well-known fact that many charitable roles aren’t the best-paid ones, unfortunately.

This is where becoming a therapist can bridge that gap. Therapists possess one of the most rewarding careers, and it also comes with a comfortable salary to provide for themselves and a family.

By now you’re likely wondering, “how much I will earn by becoming a therapist?” The income level varies, depending on experience, specialty, and location.

By being a therapist, you can spend the workday helping others. This role, in turn, will help you maintain motivation and feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose in your career. That’s something that many of us are realizing is incredibly important during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

But why is being a therapist such a motivational and rewarding career? To answer this question, let’s look at three reasons why therapists love their job.

Helping others learn about themselves

Therapy isn’t a one-sided session of a professional telling a client what to do. Instead, it is more about the client coming to their own conclusions about their personal life and their thoughts and learning the important “who, what, where, and why” answers to what is causing them to struggle in life.

We live in a fast-paced world, and many folks find it harder and harder to sit back and analyze their lives. Therapy provides a means of getting perspective and therapy sessions are individually tailored to each person.

If you have an interest in human psychology, every day will bring something new and quench a thirst for knowledge. There is also immense satisfaction that comes from knowing that a client is getting the help they need to improve their mental state and lead a better quality of life.

You are making a positive difference, helping others. That’s a great reason why it’s a motivational career choice.

Being a therapist: You are part of the change

Poor mental health still has a stigma attached to it, despite years of trying to change it. While we have come a long way in the last few decades to remove the taboo of talking about mental health and accepting it, there is still a long way to go to improve services and attitudes.

Campaigning for awareness and pushing for more affordable and accessible services is helpful. There also need to be strategies in place to reduce the need for the services.

While we will never fully eradicate the need for mental health services, every small change a therapist can make with a client provides a “butterfly effect.” Here’s why.

When clients leave their sessions with the knowledge of their own emotions and how to handle them, they are far more likely to talk openly about this with their friends and family. Doing so helps to remove the stigma of not being able to talk about emotions as it leads to more people opening up the dialogue.

In turn, entire households can change their perspective and be more open with one another. That’s essential for healthy families.

For those who are struggling with mental health, being able to see others seek professional help and be proud of doing so can be a profound moment. It can help do the same, which can prevent irreversible damage to mental health.

No day is the same

Your current career may have you sitting behind a desk doing the same thing day in and day out. Being a therapist, however, means you will never experience two similar days. Clients may have similar conditions, yes, but all experiences are unique and have different therapeutic approaches.

Every person you meet as a therapist will teach you something new. You will always be putting your knowledge to the test too.

There will be days full of tears, and other days full of laughter. Each client will bring a new perspective to not just your role but your own personal life too.

Final words on being a therapist

A sense of purpose is something we all look for in life, and it motivates us in so many different areas. Becoming a therapist is one of the best ways to achieve this purpose.

It is important to know that while it is a motivational career, it is not an easy role. There are plenty of challenges along the way, and you will experience difficult clients in every sense of the word. But going home every day knowing you are making a difference in people’s lives is what will get you up in the morning and provide that much-needed motivation many people are missing in life.