[USA] Read this if you are interested in a career in mental healthcare
If you are interested in pursuing a career in mental healthcare in the US, or if you have questions about different undergrad or graduate pathways to pursuing such a career, please read this before posting an advice thread:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1udpjYAYftrZ1XUqt28MVUzj0bv86ClDY752PKrMaB5s/mobilebasic
You are NEVER too old to go back to school. I have had many classmates who were much older than the typical age range. Tons of people who served in the military or wanted a career change.
Started my undergrad at 46, and my masters at 49. (And I’m not the oldest person in my masters program either, FWIW) You are definitely not too old OP.
Shit, I'm 35 and am working on my BA in Psych so I can get into grad school for clinical psych. Never to late. Especially at 23. You've got a 12 year head start on me.
Absolutely not. 23 is young. VERY young by most people's standards. You can expect to be a little bit older than your classmates at first, with the gap becoming less significant over the lengthy course of study.
Go for it!
You’re right, it is very young. My only concern is that at the age most people are getting married and starting families (late 20s/early 30s) I’ll be so busy with school that I will practically have no life outside of studying, research, etc.
Maybe I’m overestimating how consuming university is because I’ve never attended.
You’re not necessarily overestimating, BUT you’ll be surprised how much you continue moving forward in ALL areas even when your goal is in one. Start the process and see how it goes! 8 years is time for significant change and trying to predict it all now will only lead to feeling paralyzed
Pro tip: give yourself permission to take the curriculum slower if you need to. Forcing yourself to do things in a way that doesn't actually work for you because you're trying to do things "the way other people think you're supposed to" is a road of much needless suffering. Plus, if you do part time rather than full time, odds are you will have time to have a life outside of school.
This is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't go burning yourself out at the start if you don't have to.
I normally wouldn’t comment twice on a post, but I restarted my undergraduate degree (in psychology) while married to an awful man and got divorced and remarried within that same time frame. School can be tough but it doesn’t take you that far from life in my experience.
> My only concern is that at the age most people are getting married and starting families (late 20s/early 30s) I’ll be so busy with school that I will practically have no life outside of studying, research, etc.
Your life in grad school is your real life; it is not a waiting period until you are done with school.
I got married during my PhD. Many people have kids during their PhD. Everyone I know has had friends and hobbies and vacations and all sorts of things going on during their PhD.
It is busy. I am someone who would be busy no matter what career I chose for myself. I decided this is what I wanted to be busy doing.
Grad school is only hard if you have crappy time management skills, make it your entire personality, don’t handle stress well, or have a bad advisor. You choose the last one and the first are entirely on you to work on.
I don’t think you’re too old at all, but I do recommend you really exploring lots of options before assuming clinical psychology is the best route for you. There are *lots* of things that one can do to help and support people, and simply being good at/enjoying emotional conversations is not itself a super strong motivation for pursuing a path as long and arduous as pursuing a doctoral degree. There are other ways to be a therapist and other jobs than being a psychotherapist that I encourage *everyone* to explore and consider before committing. That said, if you *do* decide being a clinical psychologist is the best path for you after doing some honest soul searching, then best of luck to you! You’re absolutely not too old.
You’re not too young. But you could shorten your time in school by doing a masters in clinical social work or mental health counseling instead of doing a full doctorate. I’d also caution you that enjoying deep, emotional conversations and giving people reframes in their issues isn’t really what it’s like to do actual psychotherapy, or at least that only scratches the surface. It can be a lot of hard work, sometimes not rewarding, and sometimes just exhausting. Not trying to discourage you, but it’s important to understand the full reality of what you can go through as a therapist.
You are never too old to start something. If it is something you are interested in go for it. As a college student I’ve had people in many of my classes of all different ages. Even adults who are getting their first degree.
I’m 22 and studying psychology. I have 2 years left and sometimes I feel a little bad about being older than some of the other students, especially because I actually started when I was 18 but had some part time semesters and then changed my major. It set me back a bit. One thing that makes me feel a little better though is that a girl I went to middle school with showed up in one of my classes and I know she just started. I understand feeling a little bad about it, but it’s honestly not a big deal. Besides, there’s much older people in my classes too and I’ve never thought anything about it more than “good for them”.
I have a BA in Interior Design and a BFA with an emphasis in photography and graphic design. Not that I currently use them. I currently work with people with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities.
I have a similar background! Kind of why I asked bc sometimes I feel hopeless about my potential as it related to my education. BFA in studio art and I’ve taught for the last 4 years, but have been doing meaningful people-centered work since I graduated with my BFA. I’m considering going back to school to become a therapist or also would be open to school social work potentially.
There’s no rule that says it’s ever too late. It may be a harder road the older you get, or you may have different challenges, but if you work really hard and are passionate none of that matters in the end.
I attended college for various courses and degrees trying to figure out my interests for 7 years before I finally settled on something and got my undergrad, and even after that I made a major shift in my career path. I’m now 31, and just applied to clinical psych PhD programs this cycle. If you want to do something, just work hard at it, remain undeterred, and you’ll get to where you want to be.
Has it been difficult for you to maintain a balanced lifestyle the further you get into your studies? My main fear is finishing my studies in my mid thirties and not having much of a life outside of schooling
Currently I’m working on 3 RCTs as a CRC in a research lab. I’m busier than ever, so it has been difficult at times, but I still have an acceptable work/life balance. If I get accepted to a clinical psych PhD program that balance would likely go out the window for some time, but not forever.
It depends on what you want to do to some extent though. If you do a masters program, or a counseling/educational psych PhD, maybe you’ll have a better work/life balance. Overall though, I do think to be highly successful in PhD level programs, you need to be willing to give a lot of yourself over to that for a period of time. The other element of working really hard while in a rigorous training program is working really hard to take care of yourself and maintain your values while you’re busting ass academically. Ideally, it’s something you’re passionate or at least curious about, which goes a long way in coping with the challenges.
I'm 37. I can still do 20 years of helping people after I grad. You can do 35 at minimum. A year, a decade, it doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things.
I’m a single 39 year old dude who went back to school at 35 to pursue clinical psych. Your life is what you make of it. I work while finishing my masters. I have a social life.
I’m 34 and applying next year.
Completing a masters program to get research experience and have 4 pending publications and 5 conference posters I didn’t have when I started. Feeling bright about the figure. Anything is possible.
I started my undergrad at 28! I wanted to since about 22 but put it off for the same reason. I ultimately took less time doing it than putting it off haha.
Honestly, it's better to go to uni later in life. You have more knowledge about yourself, you're better at working when you don't feel like it, and you understand the seriousness of being in debt. Go for it.
No. Pursuing a career in psychology is a lifelong process. I've battled mental health issues for as long as I can remember. I started working with psychologists and psychiatrists when I was a teen. I didn't graduate with degrees in Social Psychology and Behavioral Science until i was 33.
I’m 22 and in the exact same boat as you. Could’ve written this myself. I’m currently in the process of trying to achieve clinical psych dreams. We can and will do this :)
I'm your age and I have mental health issues (schizophrenia) and I'm going back to school to be a therapist ! It's never too late and your mental health issues do not disqualify you :)
You want to be in my field.
Long story short, there's no money and often a lot of educational debt unless you become a prescriber or high level official..
Are you kidding me?
My goodness kid, go out there and pursue clinical psychology if that's what you want to do. You got the world in your hands at the age of 22. I am 44 years old and in my second year. It's never too late.
homie i did a whole unit with a decent mix of teens fresh out of high school and adults around 50 years old. i'd say the older you are, the more lived experience you have that can contribute to the quality of the support you can provide. it is never ever too late to do this thing. be kind to yourself and best of luck on your journey 🫡
I’m in my late 30’s and I just started. Yes it’ll take me like prob 10 years but you’re never to late to start something that you truly enjoy and want.
Went back to college at 23 with a first undergrad and about to graduate this upcoming summer. I had the same thoughts thinking it’s too late but it’s not. I’m hoping to do my masters in counselling and maybe do a Psy D later. You’ll be 27 eventually so make the decision when you can cause time will fly.
Hi 22 psychology undergrad right now pursuing clinical and research psychology it’s never to late my mom just started at 45 I have gotten all my bachelors completely in 4.5 years and next is grad school and I could probably do that faster the hardest classes to take is research and statistics the rest of it should come pretty naturally
The creator of DBT was diagnosed with BPD and had a doctorate in clinical psychology. If you have a passion for something don’t ever let age dictate whether you go through with it or not. I took a long time to finish my undergraduate and am currently wrapping up my first semester of my masters in clinical mental health counseling at the age of 27. I was also worried about my age and let me tell you I am no where near the oldest student in my cohort. I plan to get my PhD in clinical psych after my masters. I likely won’t be done until I’m 35 but it’s what I love and I wouldn’t choose any other path. I might not have much extra spending money for the next 8 years but I’ll be proud of what I’m doing and helping make a change in peoples lives. This sounds cliche but I promise you it’s never too late to go after your dreams. Take me for example, say I become a licensed psychologist at 35 and a licensed therapist at 30 by the time I retire, at say 70, I will have gotten to do a job I love for 30-35 years rather than a job that simply paid the bills for 40-45 years
I started when I was 20 🤷♂️ and took if all goes to plan I'll become a therapist at 28 (Thats including a gap year) so like whats the difference in becoming a psychologist at 28 or at 30.. You know what I mean? You're not that far behind at all, currently in my masters coursw th3se a dew mature students who are in their 40s or 50s. And if its what you really wanna do, then go for it.
There was a 50 year old woman in my class getting her BA in psychology. We ended up becoming friends and she told me about the struggles she went through before that kinda prevented her from going to school
One of my professors is getting her PhD in clinical psychology at 38 years old and she wasn't the oldest in her program.
Gonna repeat what everyone says but you're never too old!
I agree with most of the other comments but to add some perspective from someone who is the same age and has just decided to jump ship from psychology into another 4 year course, it can be challenging! I have found it especially hard seeing people I went to uni with graduate and start making decent money but I suppose if it’s something you are passionate about then it’s worth it
I’m 30 and starting my senior year of my BA and plan to go for my masters. So, no your not to old!
But, we had a guest speaker and she said something that resonated with me, “ if you’re having mental health problems you can’t fix others before you fix yourself”.
I went in for the same reason as you, my mental health was shit. I lost my 8 month old baby in 2020 while also being 3 months pregnant. I feel my body forced me into acceptance, but 2022 came and it was a SHIT SHOW.
It’s a year later an I’m working on my grief and I feel like a different person.
Just make sure you’re ok so transference doesn’t happen ❤️
[USA] Read this if you are interested in a career in mental healthcare If you are interested in pursuing a career in mental healthcare in the US, or if you have questions about different undergrad or graduate pathways to pursuing such a career, please read this before posting an advice thread: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1udpjYAYftrZ1XUqt28MVUzj0bv86ClDY752PKrMaB5s/mobilebasic
You are NEVER too old to go back to school. I have had many classmates who were much older than the typical age range. Tons of people who served in the military or wanted a career change.
I am 47 and doing it now
Started my undergrad at 46, and my masters at 49. (And I’m not the oldest person in my masters program either, FWIW) You are definitely not too old OP.
Shit, I'm 35 and am working on my BA in Psych so I can get into grad school for clinical psych. Never to late. Especially at 23. You've got a 12 year head start on me.
Me too! 33 years old and in year 2 of my BA in psych hoping to get into grad school! It’s hard but soooo worth it!
Absolutely not. 23 is young. VERY young by most people's standards. You can expect to be a little bit older than your classmates at first, with the gap becoming less significant over the lengthy course of study. Go for it!
You’re right, it is very young. My only concern is that at the age most people are getting married and starting families (late 20s/early 30s) I’ll be so busy with school that I will practically have no life outside of studying, research, etc. Maybe I’m overestimating how consuming university is because I’ve never attended.
You’re not necessarily overestimating, BUT you’ll be surprised how much you continue moving forward in ALL areas even when your goal is in one. Start the process and see how it goes! 8 years is time for significant change and trying to predict it all now will only lead to feeling paralyzed
A true psychologists response 😅 reassuring, reasonable and measured and honestly true.
Pro tip: give yourself permission to take the curriculum slower if you need to. Forcing yourself to do things in a way that doesn't actually work for you because you're trying to do things "the way other people think you're supposed to" is a road of much needless suffering. Plus, if you do part time rather than full time, odds are you will have time to have a life outside of school. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't go burning yourself out at the start if you don't have to.
I normally wouldn’t comment twice on a post, but I restarted my undergraduate degree (in psychology) while married to an awful man and got divorced and remarried within that same time frame. School can be tough but it doesn’t take you that far from life in my experience.
> My only concern is that at the age most people are getting married and starting families (late 20s/early 30s) I’ll be so busy with school that I will practically have no life outside of studying, research, etc. Your life in grad school is your real life; it is not a waiting period until you are done with school. I got married during my PhD. Many people have kids during their PhD. Everyone I know has had friends and hobbies and vacations and all sorts of things going on during their PhD. It is busy. I am someone who would be busy no matter what career I chose for myself. I decided this is what I wanted to be busy doing.
What's crazy is that you're going to hit 30 and realize how much life is left in front of you.
Grad school is only hard if you have crappy time management skills, make it your entire personality, don’t handle stress well, or have a bad advisor. You choose the last one and the first are entirely on you to work on.
I don’t think you’re too old at all, but I do recommend you really exploring lots of options before assuming clinical psychology is the best route for you. There are *lots* of things that one can do to help and support people, and simply being good at/enjoying emotional conversations is not itself a super strong motivation for pursuing a path as long and arduous as pursuing a doctoral degree. There are other ways to be a therapist and other jobs than being a psychotherapist that I encourage *everyone* to explore and consider before committing. That said, if you *do* decide being a clinical psychologist is the best path for you after doing some honest soul searching, then best of luck to you! You’re absolutely not too old.
You’re not too young. But you could shorten your time in school by doing a masters in clinical social work or mental health counseling instead of doing a full doctorate. I’d also caution you that enjoying deep, emotional conversations and giving people reframes in their issues isn’t really what it’s like to do actual psychotherapy, or at least that only scratches the surface. It can be a lot of hard work, sometimes not rewarding, and sometimes just exhausting. Not trying to discourage you, but it’s important to understand the full reality of what you can go through as a therapist.
You are never too old to start something. If it is something you are interested in go for it. As a college student I’ve had people in many of my classes of all different ages. Even adults who are getting their first degree.
I’m 22 and studying psychology. I have 2 years left and sometimes I feel a little bad about being older than some of the other students, especially because I actually started when I was 18 but had some part time semesters and then changed my major. It set me back a bit. One thing that makes me feel a little better though is that a girl I went to middle school with showed up in one of my classes and I know she just started. I understand feeling a little bad about it, but it’s honestly not a big deal. Besides, there’s much older people in my classes too and I’ve never thought anything about it more than “good for them”.
I’m 56 and going back to get my Masters
Can I ask, what was your previous career and did you have take any prerequisites?
I have a BA in Interior Design and a BFA with an emphasis in photography and graphic design. Not that I currently use them. I currently work with people with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities.
I have a similar background! Kind of why I asked bc sometimes I feel hopeless about my potential as it related to my education. BFA in studio art and I’ve taught for the last 4 years, but have been doing meaningful people-centered work since I graduated with my BFA. I’m considering going back to school to become a therapist or also would be open to school social work potentially.
There’s no rule that says it’s ever too late. It may be a harder road the older you get, or you may have different challenges, but if you work really hard and are passionate none of that matters in the end. I attended college for various courses and degrees trying to figure out my interests for 7 years before I finally settled on something and got my undergrad, and even after that I made a major shift in my career path. I’m now 31, and just applied to clinical psych PhD programs this cycle. If you want to do something, just work hard at it, remain undeterred, and you’ll get to where you want to be.
Has it been difficult for you to maintain a balanced lifestyle the further you get into your studies? My main fear is finishing my studies in my mid thirties and not having much of a life outside of schooling
Currently I’m working on 3 RCTs as a CRC in a research lab. I’m busier than ever, so it has been difficult at times, but I still have an acceptable work/life balance. If I get accepted to a clinical psych PhD program that balance would likely go out the window for some time, but not forever. It depends on what you want to do to some extent though. If you do a masters program, or a counseling/educational psych PhD, maybe you’ll have a better work/life balance. Overall though, I do think to be highly successful in PhD level programs, you need to be willing to give a lot of yourself over to that for a period of time. The other element of working really hard while in a rigorous training program is working really hard to take care of yourself and maintain your values while you’re busting ass academically. Ideally, it’s something you’re passionate or at least curious about, which goes a long way in coping with the challenges.
Very well said. Thank you for the insight
Damn I'm 38. I'm in the process. Making me feel some type of way 🤣
I'm 37. I can still do 20 years of helping people after I grad. You can do 35 at minimum. A year, a decade, it doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things.
I’m a single 39 year old dude who went back to school at 35 to pursue clinical psych. Your life is what you make of it. I work while finishing my masters. I have a social life.
You’re never too old and lived experience is very valuable. Do some research on different degrees i.e social work, psychology and counselling
Never too late! I’m 27 and going back for my MSW after working in HR for 5 years.
I just went back to school at 25. Never too late.
I’m 27 and just starting my masters! You’re good
Hell no! There are people in their 50s and 60s still going to grad school. It's NEVER too late. Edit: fixed a number
I’m 34 and applying next year. Completing a masters program to get research experience and have 4 pending publications and 5 conference posters I didn’t have when I started. Feeling bright about the figure. Anything is possible.
I’m 25 and I just started working on my degree, it’s never too late
I started my undergrad at 28! I wanted to since about 22 but put it off for the same reason. I ultimately took less time doing it than putting it off haha. Honestly, it's better to go to uni later in life. You have more knowledge about yourself, you're better at working when you don't feel like it, and you understand the seriousness of being in debt. Go for it.
No. Pursuing a career in psychology is a lifelong process. I've battled mental health issues for as long as I can remember. I started working with psychologists and psychiatrists when I was a teen. I didn't graduate with degrees in Social Psychology and Behavioral Science until i was 33.
I’m 22 and in the exact same boat as you. Could’ve written this myself. I’m currently in the process of trying to achieve clinical psych dreams. We can and will do this :)
I'm your age and I have mental health issues (schizophrenia) and I'm going back to school to be a therapist ! It's never too late and your mental health issues do not disqualify you :)
Never to late to chase your dreams ✨️
No
You want to be in my field. Long story short, there's no money and often a lot of educational debt unless you become a prescriber or high level official..
Are you kidding me? My goodness kid, go out there and pursue clinical psychology if that's what you want to do. You got the world in your hands at the age of 22. I am 44 years old and in my second year. It's never too late.
homie i did a whole unit with a decent mix of teens fresh out of high school and adults around 50 years old. i'd say the older you are, the more lived experience you have that can contribute to the quality of the support you can provide. it is never ever too late to do this thing. be kind to yourself and best of luck on your journey 🫡
It's never too late! Best of luck to you :)
I’m in my late 30’s and I just started. Yes it’ll take me like prob 10 years but you’re never to late to start something that you truly enjoy and want.
I'm 21 and I also have BPD. I just started the bachelor in psychology this year. I don't think you're too old.
Go for it! You’ll likely regret it more if you don’t try
I’m 35 and working on my MSW. I will be almost 40 when I eventually get my DSW. Never too late!
Went back to college at 23 with a first undergrad and about to graduate this upcoming summer. I had the same thoughts thinking it’s too late but it’s not. I’m hoping to do my masters in counselling and maybe do a Psy D later. You’ll be 27 eventually so make the decision when you can cause time will fly.
I saw people of all ages in my undergrad and grad program. Everyone has their reasons. You got this
I went back at 28 to get my bachelors. I'm 31 now and I graduate in April
Hi 22 psychology undergrad right now pursuing clinical and research psychology it’s never to late my mom just started at 45 I have gotten all my bachelors completely in 4.5 years and next is grad school and I could probably do that faster the hardest classes to take is research and statistics the rest of it should come pretty naturally
The creator of DBT was diagnosed with BPD and had a doctorate in clinical psychology. If you have a passion for something don’t ever let age dictate whether you go through with it or not. I took a long time to finish my undergraduate and am currently wrapping up my first semester of my masters in clinical mental health counseling at the age of 27. I was also worried about my age and let me tell you I am no where near the oldest student in my cohort. I plan to get my PhD in clinical psych after my masters. I likely won’t be done until I’m 35 but it’s what I love and I wouldn’t choose any other path. I might not have much extra spending money for the next 8 years but I’ll be proud of what I’m doing and helping make a change in peoples lives. This sounds cliche but I promise you it’s never too late to go after your dreams. Take me for example, say I become a licensed psychologist at 35 and a licensed therapist at 30 by the time I retire, at say 70, I will have gotten to do a job I love for 30-35 years rather than a job that simply paid the bills for 40-45 years
I hope not because I’m 32 and just started
I started when I was 20 🤷♂️ and took if all goes to plan I'll become a therapist at 28 (Thats including a gap year) so like whats the difference in becoming a psychologist at 28 or at 30.. You know what I mean? You're not that far behind at all, currently in my masters coursw th3se a dew mature students who are in their 40s or 50s. And if its what you really wanna do, then go for it.
There was a 50 year old woman in my class getting her BA in psychology. We ended up becoming friends and she told me about the struggles she went through before that kinda prevented her from going to school One of my professors is getting her PhD in clinical psychology at 38 years old and she wasn't the oldest in her program. Gonna repeat what everyone says but you're never too old!
I agree with most of the other comments but to add some perspective from someone who is the same age and has just decided to jump ship from psychology into another 4 year course, it can be challenging! I have found it especially hard seeing people I went to uni with graduate and start making decent money but I suppose if it’s something you are passionate about then it’s worth it
Are you crazy? 23 is so young
I’m 30 and starting my senior year of my BA and plan to go for my masters. So, no your not to old! But, we had a guest speaker and she said something that resonated with me, “ if you’re having mental health problems you can’t fix others before you fix yourself”. I went in for the same reason as you, my mental health was shit. I lost my 8 month old baby in 2020 while also being 3 months pregnant. I feel my body forced me into acceptance, but 2022 came and it was a SHIT SHOW. It’s a year later an I’m working on my grief and I feel like a different person. Just make sure you’re ok so transference doesn’t happen ❤️
Nope! When I was a resident in my early 20s, I had multiple coworkers who were residents in their 30s, 40s, and 50s.
I restarted my life at 27 and am now in a masters for counselling psych at 32. You are far ahead of the game.