HI, I am 40 years old and switched careers after 12 years of doing the same thing. It was terrifying, but has ultimately paid off. I am more fulfilled and there is much less stress in my current job. I would encourage you to follow your aspirations and give counseling a fair shot. You didn't come all this way to not use what you have learned. The leap is the scariest part, but once you are helping people, I think you'll be glad you made the decision.

I like the line Denholm Elliott as Coleman the butler says to Eddie Murphy before he begins his first day at his new career as a commodities broker for the Duke & Duke investment firm: "Just be yourself, sir. Whatever happens, they can't take that away from you."

Do the best you can, and know that you're armed with the information that you're being taught, information which will be useful and come into play when dealing with patients.

Also, I'm sure you've heard the saying "shrinks need shrinks", and you'll be in the good company of other counselors, should you yourself need counseling.

Master's degree in counselling. Blimey! That is very high powered.

To be honest, if you've come this far, you surely must mean it. No matter what your fore-brain thinks, your hind brain has done a ton of work without giving up.

It's no mean feat to get a bachelor's while working, and you've moved onto a masters. don't forget how much you have achieved and don't give up on your dream so close to the end!

powerpufflutterby....that is a significant accomplishment and you should be very proud, achieving that goal in spite of your anxiety, quite a feat. Hooray for you.

Thank you all for the encouragement. It it something I am working on constantly--to accept that I am "good enough." The anxiety has me constantly second guessing myself, and I always seem to expect the worst possible outcome. I know as a counselor, one of the most important things I will need to be successful is confidence in myself, and my training, and I'm not there yet. Hopefully, I will get there. I'm in an excellent program, and have a great counselor that continues to help me work through my anxiety and self-doubt, so it's a process. But I appreciate the support.

First of all, congrats on pursuing a higher education..

I think in your case anxiety is normal. Switching careers after 15 years sounds terrifying . I'm actually terrified for you honestly but I think that kind of anxiety is normal and by changing your perception of it, can be positive .

I say it is positive because finally you are fulfilling your passion in life and will make positive changes in the lives of others. Good luck!

In response to this:

"" Thank you all for the encouragement. It it something I am working on constantly--to accept that I am "good enough." The anxiety has me constantly second guessing myself, and I always seem to expect the worst possible outcome. I know as a counselor, one of the most important things I will need to be successful is confidence in myself, and my training, and I'm not there yet. Hopefully, I will get there. I'm in an excellent program, and have a great counselor that continues to help me work through my anxiety and self-doubt, so it's a process. But I appreciate the support. "


My reply to that would have to be 'heck no.' JMHO obviously, and I'm the patient not the doctor - but still . hell to the nizzo.

That's not what makes a person a good counsellor. Good grief. Reminds me of my sister graduating teacher's college and having an experienced teacher tell her 'what will make or break you as a teacher is how fast you can forget all the crap they told you in teacol.'

Yep. The ones who do all the nodding and the paraphrasing and the smiling and the pieces of paper - OMG they are unbearable. The ghastly 'contract not to kill yourself' rubbish, as if I'd let that stop me jumping if I were gonna jump.

It's just awful.

I think what you need, to be a good counsellor, is to be a good hearted human being.

To be interested in the person you are talking to.
To be wise about life and what happens in it.
To be willing to think outside the box.
And to believe in truth.

Just my personal experience obviously, and I am one of the patients as I say, not one of the doctors.

you gain confidence by being good at something. You don't get good at something by being confident.

Life will give you confidence. you just have to give yourself the experiences, and not quit on the task. You have to have courage in the face of not knowing. You have to be willing to go out there naked, unclothed in any confidence at all.

You don't have to tell people how to think. you need to find out how they think. you can be a questioner. You can wonder.

My best and most wonderful counsellor was the most humble and kind man. Truly humble, truly kind. he wasn't there to tell me anything. He let me find myself in a safe place.

As to being 'good enough' i don't even think that unpacks rationally as a phrase. if you look hard at it, what does it mean?

It just means you have a negative emotional charge, possibly fear? inside you that you are tying to these two random words that mean nothing.

Throw the word 'good' out the window. it's for children. it's what you tell them if you want them to do stuff you want. Good isn't a word for adults.

You are you, with as much right to be alive as anybody. With as much right to make mistakes, mess everything up, say the wrong thing and bang into doors as anybody.

With as much right to do well as anybody. With as much right to get rich as anybody.

What is this good thing. :D Imagine someone asking Donald Trump if he felt good enough.... and if he's good enough to run for president, you're good enough to become a counsellor.

:) Let go of the idea of good enough. it dies like a flea in sunlight.