Becoming a Therapist Later in Life – A Guide to Starting a New Career in Counseling

Starting a new career can be daunting, especially later in life or after you make significant investments in another profession. Still, people start new careers all the time for many reasons. And a Harvard Business Review article cites a survey of people who attempted a career change after age 45 and found that 87% “were happy or very happy they had made the change.”

Individuals who make a career change to therapy are often motivated by a desire to help others, and many have had positive experiences with therapy themselves and want to help make the same assistance available to others.

Are you considering becoming a therapist later in life? This post will discuss the advantages of starting a therapy career with life experience; provide guidance on therapist certification for career changers; and offer tips for navigating the transition into this rewarding new career. 

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Individuals who become a therapist later in life are often motivated by personal experience and a desire to help others. 

They might have transferable skills from previous careers in healthcare, education, the arts, or business, as well as significant life experience that enhances their ability to connect with others. 

The job security associated with entering a high-demand field is also a draw for many people who are considering becoming a therapist later in life. 

Starting a therapy career in midlife can provide job security and stable employment prospects. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, the demand for mental health counselors is expected to increase by 19% between 2023 and 2033. The bureau indicates a median salary of $53,710 per year for mental health counselors. 

Russell Sage College’s mental health counseling master’s program receives significant interest from people who want to make a career change to therapy, for good reason: There are advantages to starting a therapy career in midlife. 

One of the advantages of becoming a therapist later in life is the personal and professional experiences you will be able to draw on. Chances are you will have had personal relationships and professional roles that have required you to build skills like active listening, setting boundaries, and clear communication. These are just some of transferable skills that translate into effective counseling practices.

Individuals who become therapists later in life have encountered a fuller array of career challenges, personal setbacks, and family struggles, that help them connect with clients more authentically.

Career changes at any time can be intimidating, especially if your career change requires you to return to school. Common concerns about returning to school center around time and money. 

Many people making a career change to therapy must continue to earn an income while they attend school for the degrees to become a licensed mental health counselor. These career changers need a counseling degree program that is easy to balance with a full-time or part-time job. 

You will need a bachelor’s degree and a master’s or doctoral degree to become a licensed mental health counselor in New York state. Depending upon your bachelor’s program, you may have to take prerequisites before starting a graduate program. Many students are happy to hear they do not have to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for admission to Russell Sage’s program.

As long as you have completed a bachelor’s degree and prerequisites, you can finish a master’s in mental health counseling at Russell Sage College in three to four years while you work. 

Once you meet the educational requirements, it typically takes between two and four more years to complete the 3,000 hours of supervised practice that is required before you can call yourself a licensed mental health counselor in New York state. 

See the New York State Education Department’s Office of the Professions website for detailed information about the supervised practice required to become a licensed mental health counselor.

While a degree related to a career change to therapy is an investment, there are factors that can make a master’s degree in mental health counseling more affordable. 

For example, some employers offer tuition reimbursement, and some graduate programs offer tuition benefits. RSC offers a 10% tuition discount (among other benefits) to employees at dozens of Workforce Development partners. 

At $800 per credit hour, Russell Sage’s mental health counseling master’s program also costs less than similar programs at other private colleges in New York state, where tuition typically ranges from $825 to $950 per credit.

As mentioned above, you need a bachelor’s and a master’s or doctoral degree to become a licensed mental health counselor and use the LMHC acronym with your name in New York state. Your graduate degree must be from a licensure-qualifying program like Russell Sage College’s master’s in mental health counseling and community psychology program.  

There are requirements beyond education (more on those, below) — but education is the first step and the best counseling degree programs will offer guidance on the subsequent steps. 

Individuals who are interested in starting a therapy career in midlife are often drawn to counseling graduate programs that make it easy to earn an income while they prepare for their new career. 

Russell Sage has an online master’s in mental health counseling and an in-person master’s in counseling that meets primarily in the evening. RSC also offers the option to attend graduate school part time to be more compatible with work schedules. 

Sometimes individuals who make a career change to therapy are inspired by a desire to work with certain populations or mental health concerns. If this describes you, look for a master’s program that will prepare you for specialized practice in your area of interest. Russell Sage’s master’s in mental health counseling and community psychology program offers optional concentrations in:

Certifications and licenses mean different things when it comes to practicing as a licensed mental health counselor. Keep reading for an overview. 

Certifications are optional credentials mental health counselors may pursue to represent expertise in a certain area. 

For example, you may choose to pursue Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor Trainee (CASAC-T) certification from the New York State Office of Substance Abuse Services, which may be required for specific positions in addiction counseling, but is not required to be a licensed mental health counselor.   

Licensure refers to the legal requirements to call yourself a licensed mental health counselor; requirements for licensure vary by state. 

In New York state, these requirements include a specific educational program, at least 3,000 post-graduate hours of supervised practice, and a passing score on the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors. 

Licensed mental health counselors also have different continuing education requirements, depending on where they practice. It is important that you consult the laws of the state in which you wish to practice.

Colleges and universities with mental health counseling graduate programs are great resources for how to become a therapist later in life. 

The alumni offices or faculty members at mental health counseling programs you are considering can usually connect you with alumni who have made a successful career change to therapy. 

Once you enroll in a mental health counseling degree program, the program will match you with a faculty advisor who can help you identify short and long-term career paths that are a good fit for your skills and interests. 

And the career center at the college you attend is a valuable resource. You’ll find guidance that will help you showcase how your previous experience and transferable skills complement your new degree. 

Networking with other students and professionals and seeking mentoring can help you during graduate school and throughout your career. 

Russell Sage College builds networking and mentorship opportunities into its mental health counseling curriculum. For example: 

When people think of working in mental health counseling, they often picture a therapist in private practice meeting with clients one-on-one — but this is just one of several possible career paths in a multifaceted field.

Mental health counselors may work with individuals or groups, or they might implement programming within individual hospitals or large health systems; health care offices; schools, school districts, and colleges and universities; community programs; and outpatient or residential mental health or substance abuse programs; and in many other capacities. 

Russell Sage College’s century of experience educating nontraditional students, low tuition compared to other graduate programs at private colleges, and online, evening, and part-time options make its master’s in mental health counseling and community psychology ideal for anyone becoming a therapist later in life.

If you’d like to learn more about the mental health counseling master’s programs at Russell Sage College, reach out to a graduate admission counselor or the director of graduate psychology programs. If you are ready, apply today!