The tide is turning for mental health awareness, and so too are career choices. With the global conversation around mental health gaining momentum, there is a heartening increase in the number of individuals taking up careers as mental health professionals. A career in therapy may be challenging, but it is just as rewarding. As a psychotherapist, you not only help people change their lives for the better but also find opportunities to learn and grow as an individual.
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Who Is a Psychotherapist?
A psychotherapist is a mental health professional with a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field and an advanced degree in psychotherapy or a related domain in addition to accreditation from a professional association.
Trained in various therapeutic techniques, these professionals help individuals dealing with mental health and emotional issues cope better. As a psychotherapist, you would use therapeutic techniques derived from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy to help people process their feelings in a safe and supportive space.
As a qualified psychotherapist, your work will greatly revolve around helping individuals deal with certain types of disorders like stress, insomnia, addiction, behavioural disorders, depression, anxiety and more.
The Career Path of a Psychotherapist
You can consider multiple career options after completing the required certifications and relevant training in psychotherapy. One is becoming self-employed and starting your own private practice and the second is turning to academic research in the field of psychology and psychotherapy.
With a steady practice or research career, you can also think of additional roles that get the best out of your psychotherapy knowledge and experience. With additional roles, you can utilise your skills to the max and extend your help to those in need. Doubling up as side jobs, these additional roles can also help you shift career paths or get back into practice after a break.
Here are three additional roles that you, as an experienced psychotherapist, can opt for, in tandem with your existing line of work.
3 Side Jobs You Can Opt for as an Experienced Psychotherapist
1. Counsellor for Children and Adolescents
Whether at home or school, young children and teens often face difficulties in expressing emotions and face challenges in managing themselves and their feelings. They may struggle to express their worries, thoughts, anger and confusion as they step into adulthood.
During these times, children need to be heard and understood in a safe space where they can communicate freely without facing judgment.
If you are qualified with relevant knowledge in child psychotherapy, you can offer counselling services for children and adolescents. As a mental health professional, you can use various therapeutic techniques like art therapy, music therapy and more to encourage children to communicate their worries and fears.
Encourage children to name their feelings and help them make sense of their worries. By delving deeper you will begin to uncover the underlying cause of their emotions, thoughts, feelings and behaviour related to conditions like depression and anxiety, and help children cope with traumatic experiences.
With focussed psychotherapy techniques, you can bring a positive change in the behaviour of children and teens troubled with emotional issues and stress.
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2. Mentoring Roles
If you are a qualified therapist interested in mentoring and educational roles, there are many options available for you. Have you been googling “how to become a mentor”? Here are some options to consider.
Professional Mentorship to New Therapists
If you have a rich and diverse experience as a psychotherapist, you can help new mental health professionals who are beginning their journey in the field. Through your experience, you can offer guidance, support and advice along with some tips and tricks to help them navigate their way through sessions. It can cover multiple aspects including but not limited to professional development, clinical practice and ethical considerations.
Support for Private Practice
If you are running a private practice, you can offer support and guidance to other psychotherapy practitioners for setting up and managing their practice. You can share valuable insights on attracting clients, maintaining regular practice and nurturing client relationships.
Leadership Coaching
As a seasoned psychotherapy practitioner, you can offer mentorship to individuals in leadership roles in an organisation. You can coach them to embrace conscious leadership thoughts and actions aligning with their organisation’s mission and vision. You can also help professionals in C-suite roles enhance their self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and communication skills.
Mentorship in Research
Practitioners of psychotherapy also get involved in research activities in the field. As a mentor, you can guide your mentees by offering them direction in their research, including research methodology, publishing and career development.
3. Teaching and Education
If you are a practitioner of psychotherapy with prior experience in education, you can make meaningful contributions to the field of teaching and education. Here are the two ways.
Educational Psychotherapists
To become an educational psychotherapist, you may need training and certification from organisations like the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). As an education psychotherapist, your job involves modifying teaching methods for children and teens to help them overcome emotional barriers in learning and development. You can work in schools as well as clinical setups.
Educational Psychologists
As an educational psychologist, you would primarily focus on assessing children’s learning difficulties and roadblocks. Using research-backed techniques for child development, you can enhance the overall learning experience of children.
In Conclusion
Supporting people – young or old, male or female, belonging to various backgrounds – in times of challenges and difficulties is fulfilling. Psychotherapists and mental health professionals get a chance to make a significant difference in the lives of people through their work in a range of different settings. As a psychotherapist, you can contribute to society and help enrich the lives of the people you meet.
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