There are many reasons that someone might choose a career in mental health. If you’re trying to decide whether it’s the right path for you, it pays to consider these reasons. If you relate to any of them, you may have found your calling.
Helping People
One of the biggest reasons that people choose a mental health career is because they enjoy helping people. Individuals who have a mental illness need different kinds of help, including therapy and assistance with connecting to resources and managing medications. If this is something you can see yourself doing, you may be a good fit for the positions open in the mental health field, which range from a home health worker all the way to a hospital-based psychiatrist.
It’s Interesting
There’s no doubt that mental wellness is fascinating. Learning how the brain works is something that many people enjoy. If you’re one of them, going into a therapy or psychology career is likely something you will feel passionate about and will love doing. Take courses in psychology; if they excite and stimulate you, chances are that you’re on the right path.
Improve the Community
Many people who work in the mental health industry work with homeless people, who have a higher-than-average rate of mental illness. By helping connect these people with services and medications, you can help the entire community. Duties range from finding funds for housing to helping people get to their psychiatric appointments to getting meals and medications.
Changing Lives
Many mental health workers state that their favorite thing about the job is that they are changing lives. Helping people learn to manage their condition and live a healthy life is extremely rewarding and can keep a person happy with their job. Those who work with kids and help people transition from a psychiatric hospital enjoy the feeling of success that comes from helping someone improve their life. If this is appealing to you, mental health may be your ideal career path.
Finding Out New Things
On the research end of things, learning more about what causes and helps mental wellness is beneficial for anyone in the field and anyone who is suffering from a mental health condition. New strides in treatment are being made all the time, and if you want to get in on that, a research-based job in the psychology field may be just what you’ve been looking for. There is fulfillment and reward in finding new and innovative ways to help people take care of their mental health.
Diane Hamilton
Mental Health Recruitment
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario M4P 1E2
416-481-1052 office
www.mentalhealthrecruitment.com