Can you become a therapist if you have a mental illness?

[georgplaz]

Going through hard times can actually make you more empathic towards people who are having experiences outside the norm. You can relate better which is something your patients will be able to feel

[HellaMentalHealth]

Absolutely! Some of my most empathic and brilliant former students (now therapists and professors) were people who struggled with anxiety, depression, past trauma. Doing the hard work on ourselves helps us walk the talk

[cccccccccccc]

Thank you for addressing this! Currently, I'm in school to become a therapist. In the beginning, I questioned myself if I was even "eligible" to become one because I suffer with anxiety and occasionally depression. This gave me the clarity that I needed. Huge thanks! Your videos are always *chefs kisss*

[bellaluce]

I PREFER therapists who've been through similar struggles! There's a shorthand and deeper level of empathy that makes getting to the heart of things easier. I have ADHD and recurring depression, and the number of clinicians I've encountered who simply do not get basic things about both of them is astounding. We NEED more therapists with mental illness who've done the work of healing (even if there are recurrences) to help show us the way!

[carolynlawrence]

Thank you for this clarity! I want to become a drug counselor and sometimes I feel maybe I’m not adequate enough because I’m struggling with depression, see a therapist and in a support group. This gives me permission to move forward. Thank you!

[Flufferboy]

I would prefer a therapist that has the more prominant of my mental illnesses since they would have a greater understanding of it from the inside.

[amysinger]

RAPPORT!!! I have no desire to sit with superman and have him tell me to try harder. Sitting with my therapist who went through an messy divorce during pandemic AND STILL showed up to help me?!?!! RESPECT! AND RAPPORT. I am willing to try again, maybe not harder ;) but at least again, because he showed me a human can get through it.

[vance_tang]

Thank you Dr. Ali. Ive been denied for jobs because I had a mental illness in the past.

[GlassFullIsh]

Until an actual psychiatrist told me that I would make a great psychiatrist. I would never have considered a potential option of studying psychology, but maybe once I have enough money to actually study, I will consider it

[goodluckyoureonyourown]

To piggy back, it can allow you to understand quality that may not be salient to someone who has not experienced the issue.

[anonymouskheerlover]

THANK U I WAS WONDERING THIS FOR THE LONGEST TIME ❤

[dhesyca]

My mental health is definitely down right now. But it's also a journey, overall.

[htpkey]

It's just absurd as saying "you can't become a doctor, because you had a period of unhealthy eating in the past"

[Barbarothecat]

I have been enjoying all of your Shorts you’ve been posting recently❤

[Wildmanmercury]

My ADHD is harder to handle while I am caring for my father who refuses professional help and is experiencing auditory hallucinations / severe paranoia. So much is situational. I feel bad when I don't have major improvements to report to my psychiatrist, but it is what it is.

[sldeath]

Im dealing with anxiety and it’s hard especially derealization

[Richie_Editz]

When I had relapse from bipola
I suffer from very bad dellutions now I'm clear only I am left with panic attacks I wish they release my meds certain meds

[ginahn]

This was what I wondered. I broke my dream to become a psychologist because I was having mental illness.

[BobConnor-ng]

But how do mentally ill people get through college and graduate school? I knew a lady who went to law school, then became mentally ill and now does not work. Also, if one has a "breakdown" in college, it is almost guaranteed that university will handle it badly. People may never be able to re-enroll if the grades get bad as can happen if one becomes ill in college.

[The_Beautiful_Ones]

This is a completely valid question seeing as some mental illnesses can be very destructive and wreak havoc on other people mentally. Some mental illnesses would naturally disqualify someone to be a therapist, just as having Parkinson’s would disqualify a doctor from being a competent surgeon. Also, many people become therapists to validate themselves, as if they are now ok and that couldn’t be further from the truth. I have seen this first hand and it was dangerous. Do you want a psychopath, narcissist, borderline, ie someone with cluster B personality disorders as a therapist? And that is just a few that would be highly questionable…