I am 41 years old, married, the mother of a 6 year old. I have a job that’s pretty good for what it is and I carry my family’s health insurance. I am the office assistant to the mental health counselors of a college. More and more, I am interested in what they do. My husband is a social worker, so he does similar work, but with a different population. I think his work is interesting too. I’m kind of thinking of getting an MS in counseling or an MSW. I think I would be GREAT at it. I think I would LOVE it. However, I am 41 years old, married, the mother of a 6 year old. I have a job that’s pretty good for what it is and I carry my family’s health insurance. If I did this, I would probably be 45 by the time I was done and employed in my new field. I would probably make less than what I make now. I would have to stop working to do my unpaid internships.
Has anyone been in a similar situation and gone for it? How’d it work out? Has anyone thought about it and not done it? Regrets or not?
Caricci - having an MSW is fantastic, it will open windows into anything from administration to clinical work (with an LCSW). It all depends on what you want to do with it. The things that you’ll need to think about are insurance concerns, time vested into the degree itself, time possibly taken from your 6year old, if any, and what you really want to do with the degree when you are finished…
We only get one life to live and having your MSW could prove to be a wonderful thing. Also, your age is working for you in the situation, where you will have something to fall back on should you need it when your little one goes to college etc…etc… I see it as a great opportunity.
Are you in Rhode Island? If so, URI has a great program IIRC.
Thanks,Phlospher . I will check URI for the MSW. My husband got his out of state. I think RIC might have one, too.
What I want to do is psychotherapy. I realize I need my LICSW eventually for that - well, that is if I go the Social Work route. I am glad to have a realistic concept of “paying ones dues” in this field. We had an intern last year who did NOT. In fact, my husband facilitated her getting a job at the agency where he works. She was so happy to be the first in her program to get a job, and seemed to get that it was a homebased program, but ultimately couldn’t hack going to homes.
Hmmm. I guess I’ll have to learn how to parallel park if I start out in that kind of job.