Realistically

Hey guys!
In honor of a few of my friends finishing their graduate programs, and me being out of school and in the "real world" for a year, I thought I would help the newbies to the field by giving them a real world view of what to expect, from someone who has been there. Ready?

1.) You're in LOTS of Debt. Sure, it was great living off your student loans for a few years, but now you have to pay them back - plus interest - and find a job to showcase all that snazzy stuff you've been cramming into your head. Which should be easy, right? Except..

2.) Teachers Lied to you About Jobs Therapy just isn't therapy anymore. Due to the recession, you are expected to do a lot more than just sit and discuss feelings and make sure you are asking open ended questions. A lot of therapy jobs anymore are case management and clinical roles put together, so the corporation can save money. That comes with a bigger caseload, longer hours, and a lot of figuring out how to do it yourself. And they expect it done. By you. Because...

3.) Counselors, Social Workers, and Psychologists Don't Always Play Nice The general public think we are one and the same, but we're really not, and we are quick to point that out if we've been mislabeled. When I first started my new job, everyone asked me how long I had been a Social Worker. No offense to them, but I didn't go to school for two years continuously to be called the wrong thing. With that being said, there's a line of tension between the different types of social service workers. Before you assume your new coworkers are from the same field, ask.

4.) Acadamia vs. Real World The internships that you have probably been doing aren't giving you a realistic picture of what is to be expected. Employers in this day and age like having free workers, so will appease the universities to make sure they get a few of them every year. Once that's over and you step into a paid position, facades are off. No kid gloves. No warm fuzzies. They don't care what theory you are, as long as you work with clients and help them improve. While it's great that you know a lot about cultural differences, there's not enough time to really explore that because they're only allowed so many sessions. And could you please just label all Bipolars as a 2? That way you won't waste so much time changing it back and forth, and payors will cover for the sessions without justification.

5.) You Need to Own 24 of the 26 Letters Behind Your Name to Get Respect And licensure better be one of them.

6.) Your Friends and Family Have Had A Life While You Were Away It's amazing. They've had children, or the children are growing up (and don't know who you are anymore), or they're getting married, or divorced, or they've moved. You hear a "Yeah I would have told you but I knew you were busy the last few years." "Look who decided to rejoin the family!" and "Who is this sitting at the dinner table?" the first few months you start reintegrating yourself into the thing called Life.

7.) Don't Mention Your Profession to Strangers...unless you want to give everyone feedback. I made this mistake during a spa treatment...I'm happy to say that there were some issues worked through, but I felt like I should have been paid instead. If you tell people you're a therapist, you'll always be in that mode, which is exhausting. Likewise...

8.) Get Used to People Who Do Know You To Accuse You of Analyzing Them. I never knew that asking someone what they wanted to eat could be a deep question. Or giving constructive criticism (i.e. "Hey I think we need to fix the dryer") could turn into "I know what you're doing!" Everyone asks questions. Trust me, after a long day I really don't care to analyze and interpret your thoughts. If you really want me to, family or not, it's $120.00 an hour, and I take cash, check, and all major credit cards.

9.) Produce or Perish Unfortunately, productivity is part of the therapeutic vocabulary. Last week I was in a training, and I heard the guy in front of me say "I hope this doesn't go against my productivity for the month." Another person said "I'm doing the best I can, but my numbers still aren't up there, and I'm scared I'm going to lose my job." It's scary to think that mental health has turned that way, but it has. It's discussed weekly, if not daily, about how numbers can improve, how many people should be on a caseload to get that number, and why aren't you doing your part to get your numbers. Which is why it's so important to...

10) Stay Close With Your Grad School Buddies You have went through a traumatic and life changing ordeal with 15 other people. You've laughed, cried, fought, studied, and freaked out together. These are the same people that will understand your frustration better than anyone else. I practically lived at my friend Melissa's house for two years to the point I was invited over to holiday gatherings and birthdays. These are the people who have seen you at your best and your worst, and they're going to stick with you through the ups and downs of the stressful make or break it time after you finish school.

It's a tough but rewarding road. It was a shock being in my program, it was a shock finishing it, as well as starting out on my own. But I love what I do. I have something that no one can take away from me, no matter how high the principle interest goes on my loans.

To all the newbies out there..good luck, and don't sleep with your clients!! :)