Why I Changed from Being A Lawyer to A Therapist/Counsellor

Why I Changed from Being A Lawyer To A Therapist/Counsellor

Video about why I changed my career from law and being a solicitor to pursuing a fulfilling path in mental health as a therapist and counsellor. In this video, I explore the personal motivations and experiences that led to this significant transition.

I also share some valuable advice for anyone who might be contemplating making a similar change in their professional life. Whether you are currently working in a legal profession or any other field, you may find insights that resonate with your own journey.

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Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy the video!

[richardcampbell]

Great video, John-Paul. So much of this rings true with me. I have to feign interest at work in exchange for money. There's nothing wrong exactly but definitely missing something. Very helpful video.

[Ela]

Very helpful. Resonate with the reasons you made the career change, i feel similar and quite disappointed with how the corporate world treats their employees.

[holistikirsty]

It's great to hear that it is a career that welcomes that balance of thinking and feeling. The continued learning definitely appeals too ☯️

[goldenghostie]

It really touched me when you mentioned that we have the tendency to think that changing careers (especially when leaving a more "prestigious" career) is selfish. I have been greatly struggling with this myself. But I really appreciated that you shared your thought that is is our duty to ourselves to change, and also it benefits our relationships and others around us when we are doing something that is meaningful.

[our.secret]

My love for this video transcends words

[Queenbean]

I am currently studying Counselling. It’s hard, as I am working full time and work is demanding. I am determined to make this switch, but it gets stressed and I do feel tired after work. It’s great watch your video, it makes me stronger and encourage myself to go through it.

[mandymandy]

quite often, law is about managing unreasonable client expectations. That’s sustainable for a few years, but after time that grates considerably

[jessannaj]

I am currently working in mental health, and I am looking at graduate school (to be a licensed psychologist) but I have also always enjoyed law, (Indigenous advocacy law) and have been deliberating law school as well. I am curious if having a private law firm with distinct boundaries that balance work/ family life be beneficial? I work in more rural areas and will not ever live in an urban setting (I don't like cities- and live on a ranch). I am so thankful to have stumbled upon this video in my research. (Ideally, I want to work remotely/ have a private practice, working with Indigenous communities one-on-one and teletherapy as well). thank you

[kivigray]

Thank you. This was very helpful. I’m currently in the legal field and looking to make the switch, myself. I have undergraduate degrees in both fields, but would obviously need more accreditation to practice therapy. I’ve just begun looking into what-all that entails and how to go about attaining it, hence my searching this type of content. But I’d love to connect for more guidance, if you’re open to that. Thank you again for sharing!

[clairetremblay]

Thank you. I’ve found this video helpful. Going into a Masters program in psychotherapy after 20 years of the Law.

[williamsmith]

Great video. Please can you share the steps/path you followed to become a mental health therapist?
Thank you!

[ideaWorld]

Ive just found your channel John-Paul and its been great food for thought as I consider a career change into therapy. Any tips for evaluating whether someone should pursue counselling or pschotherapy? Im in NZ and a masters of counselling is 2 years full time, vs psychotherapy which is 1 year full time diploma and then a 2 years master degree. Also any thoughts on inperson vs online degrees? There are two masters of counselling where i live- one is completely online (attractive as i have children so reducing my commuting is always a bonus), the other in person lectures a ways away from my home. Presumably people study the online degree but i wonder if id be missing out on that direct group connection, especially given the nature of the therapy work post graduating. The psychotherapy degree would be inperson as well. Thanks for your informative videos!

[smurfeyo]

Hi, I love your content and you have persuaded me to think deeply about changing careers after getting my MA in heritage management. (had a coming to jesus moment when i did a lot of mental health based projects for museums) I think i would truly only be happy in life/work by being a therapist, but i'm very worried in terms of job security and how hard it is to establish my own private practice. I really want to go down this path, but i'm hesitant to comit to the training for it incase i find myself struggling to make a living from it. Any advice or insight on this would be greatly appreciated, thanks.:)

[ShivangiSinghal-on]

Hi Paul! This video is enlightening. I'm a software developer trying to figure out a non corporate career. Could you please elaborate on how you decided if psychology is something you'd like and how did you actually make the switch? Thanks a lot!

[dr_geraldm]

I gave up podiatry to be a therapist after 15 years !