Help Becoming a Therapist/Social Worker

amother

cornflower

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 6:20 pm

We are chassidish. My sister wants to become a Social Worker, but she cannot go to a regular college because my parents would never allow it and it is not accepted in our community. If she does TTI are there masters programs that could work and get her licensed Is there real experience in such a program? Does someone review your hours? She'd have to start with a BA/BS, but she wants to get it in a place that is frum and would allow her to get a masters as well. The masters program will probably not have to be frum because she will most likely be married then and will be able to do as she pleases, but if there are frum ones that would be great to know about too. TIA!

ILOVELIFE

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 6:54 pm

LIU has a phenomenal Masters in Social work program for frum women & girls. You can get your BA there too.

amother

Slateblue

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 7:14 pm

If she was never in therapy herself then she's not a good candidate to be a social work.
Being that u r chassidush and not married I assume she's young .

amother

cornflower

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 7:21 pm

amother wrote:

If she was never in therapy herself then she's not a good candidate to be a social work.
Being that u r chassidush and not married I assume she's young .

I find this comment to be odd and to be in need of more explanation. 1. Generally, people begin college at 17-19 and learn about and study their career before entering the profession. Chances are the best therapist in the world was young when he started his schooling. 2. Why do you believe someone has to have been in therapy themselves to be successful with social work and since it is regulated wont that be addressed? 3. If she does it and she is successful, that's wonderful. If not, then thats a risk anyone takes when they begin an education towards a profession.

amother

Blush

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 7:34 pm

amother wrote:

If she was never in therapy herself then she's not a good candidate to be a social work.
Being that u r chassidush and not married I assume she's young .

This is so out of left field and untrue. Besides, if she feels it would help her career along the line she can always go to therapy later to experience it. Some programs require that and others don't. But that is really a categorically untrue statement to make.

ILOVELIFE

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 7:54 pm

So in my field I interviewed over 80 therapists in the last 18 months & my husband actually is finishing up his degree so I hope I can clarify some stuff.

1) Beginning her BA now (suppose she is 18) means the earliest she is done with that is 19/20. The quickest programs are 15-18 months. Masters at LIU & Touro for social work is a 2 year program so at the earliest she graduates 21/22. Fair game. Then she does clinic hours for 3 years to work towards her C. By the time she is in private practice you’re talking 25. That is a very fair age in the world at large. From my interviews— the driven, emotionally secure, savvy therapists are making it even at that age though there is no question that those 30+ with the same skills, command more money.

2) Therapy: so this is sticky. In clinical psychology training, going for your own therapy used to be a requirement. They stopped that but it is still heavily encouraged. I find most people drawn to social work have their own “stuff” and being in therapy for themselves gives great exposure as to what the client feels and equips them emotionally. Most therapists who are super will tell you they either are or were in therapy. In fact I know one referral place that mandates it. So while the poster is not wrong on the idea, her tone was wrong and it might be better if she goes once in the process of learning as that’s when many young girls gain more clarity.

3) There is risk inherent in every career choice. My advice is to take no shortcuts. Be humble. Read a lot. Learn a lot. Think a lot. Get really really good internship placements. Go for trainings post graduation. Never ever believe you have made it enough to stop learning.

In her Masters programs, tell her to read some of Irving Yaalom’s work (Not yet!) and books that address the therapist.

Hatzlocha !!

amother

Teal

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 10:32 pm

Most importantly she should be really skilled. Alot of damage out there from therapy.

amother

Oak

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 10:37 pm

Your parents won’t allow her to go to college, but they’re ok with her becoming a therapist? She’ll be exposed to a lot more on the field than in school.

amother

Brown

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 10:37 pm

amother wrote:

Most importantly she should be really skilled. Alot of damage out there from therapy.

That's the point of getting an education. She's not going to be a skilled therapist now.

(15-18 month BAs continue to baffle me).

amother

cornflower

Thu, Jan 24 2019, 10:45 pm

amother wrote:

Your parents won’t allow her to go to college, but they’re ok with her becoming a therapist? She’ll be exposed to a lot more on the field than in school.

Our parents dont care what we do after we're married. Really, they have never commented on things I've done even though they may disagree, but when we were children it was their house their rules and thats it so, yeah..

amother

Cyan

Fri, Jan 25 2019, 1:54 am

Those quick BAs won't give you enough preparation and basic skills to be able to compete in a real masters program. And any lesser Masters isn't worth it. You might get your sheepskin but will you be able to do the real hard work in the field?
Speaking as a therapist here...
As a therapist you will be exposed to some of the worst parts of this world. Internships are not going to be in nice clinics with wealthy, stable clients. It will be with addictions (and not just pot but crack, heroin, meth), low cost clinics with court mandated clients, serious abuse and neglect, and other situations where a nice chassidish girl with such limited exposure that she didn't go to a real college may not be able to cope. Let alone help her clients.

Even now years later I have a job working with clients whose stories will scare even people who aren't from sheltered backgrounds. Kids being abused. Watching people die. Gangs. Some of the worst parts of our cities. Go into this field with eyes wide open...

Oh and we don't make big bucks. Lucky few have successful and thriving practice. Rest of us make pittance. So if the plan is to get wealthy this isn't the easiest way. School, internships for hours that are often unpaid, and then low wages until you can start a private practice and hope you make enough to pay rent for the office space. Oh plus malpractice insurance, mandatory fees, CEU courses....

amother

Ruby

Fri, Jan 25 2019, 6:53 am

amother wrote:

I guess this was your experience, amother, but it wasn't mine.

OP, social work is a rewarding, fascinating field. I've been a social worker for about 15 years, and it has enriched my life. I hope I've helped the client's under my care. I've been privileged to have clients who have taught me, by example, the meaning of effort, motivation, perseverance, bravery, and faith.

I did not find that my BA had much relevance to my chosen field. I enjoyed the electives in art and English literature, but my BA taught me little about the great wide world out there. I think your sister is pretty safe getting any old BA that she can, and fast-tracking it to her master's program. It pains me that her ambitions are not respected by your parents, and if she was my client we might be exploring whether or not it would be safe to talk to them about her hopes and wishes for her future, but as things stand, I don't think she'd be missing out on all that much by getting a TTI degree. I don't know too much about the chassidish world. Can she push to be allowed to go to Touro? It might be nice for her to meet other women who have similar goals.

Your sister's master's program will challenge her, no doubt. Mine challenged me, and I did not grow up in a sheltered home. I found it particularly difficult to learn about and meet clients experiencing incest, addictions, interpersonal trauma, and bullying. These are still topics that twist my heart when I work with clients who are dealing with them. I think these are painful topics for everyone, no matter what walk of life you come from. I doubt your sister will be so far behind that she can't catch up.

I interned with the US army, on an oncology ward, and with the elderly. I remember those experiences with gratitude. The learning curve was, again, very steep. But you are not alone in it; your professors, your supervisors, your fellow students are all there to help you learn. The largest culture shock for me was working on an army base. I was, many days, the only woman I encountered. If it is your sister's lot to be assigned to a placement like this one, it will be hard for her. But I got through it, (loved it in fact, despite the many challenges that came along with it) and so would she. Emotionally, working in oncology would have gotten the reward for most difficult. I watched several of my client's die. This was incredibly painful.

I now split my time between clinic work and private practice. I'm not rich, but I am making over 100k a year doing work that is rewarding and meaningful to me, with flexible, family-friendly hours and co-workers who I respect and admire. I really hope your sister is able to follow her dream. I'm guessing it's going to take skill and strength for her to pursue this path without the support of her family or community; those same skills and strength will probably help her become an excellent social worker. Best of luck!

kallateach

Fri, Jan 25 2019, 9:33 am

Sorah shnerer seminary just started an excellent social work program . They connected with Wurxeeiler school of Socisl work which is a very respected Social Work school.

amother

Springgreen

Tue, Mar 15 2022, 5:55 pm

Bumped into this thread now, while searching for info on becoming a social worker. I'm in my thirties. I have had a passion for this for since I remember... I can manage schooling in my schedule now, and I feel like it's now or never. I wouldn't rely on this for income, although it would be nice to bring home some extra money.

My main concern is, is it really that hard to get the degree and all internship hours done? I hope to enjoy the learning part since I enjoy psychology, but it would be really devastating if I won't be able to pull it through.

I will probably be taking loans. What's the starting pay in a clinic? I'm trying to calculate how long it would take to pay the loans, considering I'll work part-time, in a clinic.

Any veterans out there for some help? Would greatly appreciate it!

chocolate moose

Tue, Mar 15 2022, 8:09 pm

I would have gone to wurzweiler if I had gone that route

amother

Slategray

Tue, Mar 15 2022, 8:18 pm

amother [ Springgreen ] wrote:

What's the starting pay in a clinic?

Don't do what I did - using schools and people you know to find out what the going rate is not going to yield accurate results. Do a job search as if you had just finished your degree and were looking for a job at a clinic with minimal experience to see how much the pay is per hour in your area. Let the job market tell you the truth.

In my experience, clinic pay is low. When I worked in a clinic full time - I made so little we qualified for food stamps, wic, medicaid... Don't expect to pay back loans on clinic pay. Unless the clinic that hires you pays your loans back.

amother

Darkblue

Tue, Mar 15 2022, 8:35 pm

amother [ Springgreen ] wrote:

Its probably different depending on where you live but where I am a masters in social work costs about 50k and starting salary is as low as 35k full time. I'm sure in tristate it's better but I dont think by much.

amother

Seagreen

Wed, Mar 16 2022, 12:19 am

As someone with a doctorate in psychology, I have a private practice now but previously worked in a clinic. The NYC clinic where I worked paid $29 an hour in 2014. This was a prorated rate so 45 minute sessions which was a standard session did not even earn me that full amount. Additionally, I only got paid if they client showed up for the session. During that same time-frame, my friend worked at another local clinic which paid approximately 40 an hour, but they had very few clients to offer her so it wasn't possible for her to fill her caseload. I, on the other hand, had the option of seeing as many client as I wanted from morning to evening.

amother

Oak

Wed, Mar 23 2022, 12:25 am

amother [ Springgreen ] wrote:

Where are you located?
I can share my experience in the Lakewood area. I had a hard time finding my first job, but I was a little picky. If I was willing to take anything, I could have found something sooner. My first job paid about $20/hr. This was about ten years ago. Likely things have changed. This was per diem and I eventually took another per diem job at the same time which I think I made about $35/hr. After that took a salaried job at an agency at $40/hr. This was 3.5 years after I graduated. Eventually I switched over to per diem at that agency making about $90/hr. Around 7.5 years after graduation I opened a private practice starting at $125/45 min session. Now, close to ten years in the field I charge $150/45 min session or $200/hr, and I can really charge more if I wanted to. My fee is on the lower end around here. I’m also BH completely booked as are most of my colleagues. I could have been more ambitious and gotten to this point quicker, but I was focusing more on my personal life than on my professional life.

amother

Dustypink

Wed, Oct 26 2022, 12:42 am

Hi. I'm bumping this thread.. Again.
But I'm looking into the field of therapy (sorry for ignorance.. But what's the difference between therapy and social work?)
I have a family, but have a want to do something meaningful and productive - and my life experiences brought me to therapy specifically.
My highest level of education unfortunately is high school diploma.
So it seems I need a BA and than a masters to practice. Also clinical hours?
How many years are we talking?
And I'm in Lakewood area.. Any best place to speak with?
I want to do this right. But also don't want it to take more time than necessary. If there are shortcuts I'd be open to hear - but don't want it to take away from learning things I'll need to learn. (aka learn from home VS school, night VS day...)
If anyone has answers to any of my questions I would be thankful as I may have more clarity to see what I need to do.
Thanks!