Dear Therapist:

The time has come in my life for me to make a parnassah to support my family. I am having a difficult time choosing what career path I would like to take and what field I want to get involved in. I am generally not a person who has a hard time making up his mind but I can’t seem to settle on something that I think I would be good at and interested in. Someone mentioned that therapists are trained in career counseling so I thought maybe you would have some ideas to help me resolve this. Thanks.

Response:

Although licensed career counselors typically have graduate degrees in a mental health-related field (like psychology or social work), career counseling is generally considered a separate specialization.  Not all therapists who offer career counseling are certified in this field, and I believe that one can be certified as a career counselor without being a licensed therapist.  As with any profession, you’re likely best off with someone who is experienced and licensed in the field.

Since I am not a career counselor, I cannot speak specifically about the process.  Hopefully one of the other panelists does career counseling and will discuss the general process.  Just based on your inquiry, it seems that you simply need someone who has knowledge of many fields, and has access to assessment tools that can help to point you in the right direction.

There are assessment tools that can be accessed online or in a library as well.  This is something that you can try in order to get a general sense of the careers that might interest you.  Seeing a licensed career counselor, however, will likely give you a broader perspective and experienced, educated opinions.  Good luck!

-Yehuda Lieberman, LCSW

  psychotherapist in private practice

 Brooklyn, NY

 author of Self-Esteem: A Primer

 www.ylcsw.com / 718-258-5317