When I left uni I sort of had to choose between, do I try and go into a job that I feel like is in and of itself making a difference? Or do I choose a way to fund myself so I can do maybe voluntary work at the same time, which is what I opted to do. So I felt like had a really good balance.
And then when I had my son, I was then able to take as much time as I wanted off work because I'm self-employed, and my partner at the time was well paid, so I was able to do that. Now working full time as a translator, but I started a master's in person centered psychotherapy. My long-term plan is to be a psychotherapist and move in that direction. And again, the flexibility of this work’s really good because I can fit my study around it, and once I start a placement later this year, I'll be able to fit that in as well.
There's just so many avenues for doing other things as therapists. So you can go down the academic route and do research and produce papers and do a PhD. You can do voluntary work if you're lucky enough to earn enough money. So. But yeah, I think just generally having several different ways in which I can use my therapy skills.
It does take a long time to train, but I will start doing placements - actually working face to face as a trainee therapist with clients - later this year. And that will continue for the next three years. I have to do 450 hours of client work before I can register as a therapist as opposed to a trainee therapist, so it's quite a long process. So I'm going to be translating all through you know, those next three years as well.