In 2026, the need for mental health support has never been higher. Following the societal shifts of 2020, awareness has boomed, yet the industry faces a significant shortage of clinicians to meet the demand. In this episode, psychotherapist Liza Brackbill breaks down the "hiding in plain sight" reality of the profession: it is a career that blends evidence-based science with the unpredictable art of human connection.
Liza explains the critical differences between psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers, providing a roadmap for those considering a Master's or PhD path . We also discuss the impact of social media and the "dopamine hits" driving anxiety in younger generations, as well as the industry’s cautious embrace of AI as a therapeutic tool . Whether you are a "helper" by nature or an aspiring entrepreneur looking to open your own practice, this conversation offers an honest look at the emotional rewards and lifestyle flexibility of modern psychotherapy.
Liza Brackbill is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) based in Massachusetts and the founder of Pathways and Possibilities Counseling Services. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Social Work (MSW). Before entering the clinical field, Liza spent three summers as a guide in Yellowstone National Park, an experience she credits with helping her gain perspective before committing to her graduate studies . Her practice specializes in anxiety-related disorders, including panic, social anxiety, OCD, and hoarding.
Dream job or nightmare?
Speaker:It's hard to know if a career that looks
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Speaker:to the life you want to live. So welcome
to DreamJob Cafe. I'm Larry Port.
Speaker:I'll be asking different professionals
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Speaker:else. So grab a coffee, settle
in. This is Dream Job Cafe.
Speaker:Sponsored by Wastepark.co,
Speaker:where we help people navigate careers
in a crazy world. Hello everybody,
Speaker:and welcome to another
podcast of The Dream Job Cafe.
Speaker:Today I have Liza Brackbill with
me. She is a psychotherapist,
Speaker:and this is a continuation of
our healthcare series. So Liza,
Speaker:thank you for being with us today.
Speaker:Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker:So this is pretty cool. So Liza,
Speaker:she just went out on her own and
her firm is called the Pathways and
Speaker:Possibilities Counseling
Services. And so Liza,
Speaker:tell me a little bit about what it
is that you do as a psychotherapist.
Speaker:I think I know, but I'm
not a hundred percent sure.
Speaker:Sure. Yeah. So I am an
outpatient psychotherapist.
Speaker:So what that means is I'm doing mental
health counseling sessions with folks.
Speaker:Many of my clients meet with me once a
week. Some people are every other week.
Speaker:Some people are once a
month or less than that.
Speaker:And therapy is interesting because
it can be so many different
Speaker:things. And every week can be
different. Every person is different.
Speaker:The needs are always different.
Speaker:And there are a lot of different
approaches to therapy as well.
Speaker:But what I do is kind of a mixture
of supporting people through
Speaker:learning about their own patterns,
figuring out what they want to do,
Speaker:and also teaching them
skills to better regulate
Speaker:themselves, to strengthen
their mental health.
Speaker:So it's really kind of a mix of things.
Speaker:But I would say if I had to boil it down,
Speaker:it's talking to people to help them.
Speaker:That's great. Okay.
Speaker:So I've actually used
a therapist on and off.
Speaker:And what I find it very useful,
Speaker:and one thing that I learned about
the whole space is that there's many
Speaker:different types of them.
Speaker:There's people that work in
cognitive behavioral therapy.
Speaker:And I used one of those people when I
couldn't find my keys and misplacing them
Speaker:and to change behaviors
and so on and so forth.
Speaker:And I know there's people
that specialize in addiction.
Speaker:So do you kind of have a focus
or do you use certain techniques?
Speaker:Or I don't even know how
to ask this question,
Speaker:but go ahead and
Take a shot at it.
Speaker:Yeah, sure. Yeah.
Speaker:So I focus primarily on
anxiety and anxiety related
Speaker:disorders, kind of anxiety adjacent
disorders. So things like panic disorder,
Speaker:social anxiety disorder,
hoarding disorder,
Speaker:obsessive compulsive disorder.
Speaker:Hoarding disorder?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:People who collect too much stuff.
Speaker:Yeah. It's an anxiety related disorder,
which a lot of people maybe don't know.
Speaker:I think sometimes we
think about these things,
Speaker:why can't that person let
go of a lot of their things?
Speaker:And it's like there's an anxiety basis
around throwing things away. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker:So anxiety is kind of my sweet spot.
Speaker:Well, it seems like there's a
lot of that these days out there.
Speaker:So I would think that you might be busy.
Speaker:Is it my imagination or is it just
part of what's going on right now?
Speaker:Yeah, it's definitely
not your imagination,
Speaker:but I think that there's also
just a lot more awareness.
Speaker:And I think we saw a huge change
th mental health awareness in: Speaker:when COVID happened and all
of a sudden it was like, "Hey,
Speaker:it's okay to not feel okay." And there
was really just a lot of campaigning
Speaker:around mental health awareness where
we really realized as a society,
Speaker:this is happening.
Speaker:I think we're all feeling it right
now to some degree in different ways.
Speaker:And so yes,
Speaker:I think with different things that are
going on in the world and different
Speaker:pressures and the way the world
is changing, there's more anxiety.
Speaker:But it's also always been
there, I think to some degree.
Speaker:And now we just have more awareness
of it and we're saying, "Hey,
Speaker:it's okay to come out and
say, you need some help.".
Speaker:That's fantastic. Yeah.
Speaker:And I know that something that's been
really popular on the bookshelves lately
Speaker:has been Jonathan Hate's
book, The Anxious Generation,
Speaker:which kind of attributes a lot of things
to social media and that kind of usage.
Speaker:Do you play in that space
too, just out of curiosity?
Speaker:In the space of social media?
Speaker:Social media... kind of ... I don't
even know what his really argument is,
Speaker:but I suppose that that is an actual
phenomenon that's happening to people.
Speaker:Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I see it,
Speaker:especially with teenagers.
Speaker:I think they have just such a different
ballgame going on with social media.
Speaker:I think even for me,
when I was growing up,
Speaker:it was like we had social media maybe,
Speaker:but it was kind of adjacent to our social
life. And for people growing up today,
Speaker:it is their social life.
It's fully integrated.
Speaker:And so a lot of their social life is
sort of looking at these feeds where
Speaker:it's a highlight reel and it's not
a realistic representation of their
Speaker:peers, but they're comparing it
to everything about themselves.
Speaker:So that's not a good comparison.
Speaker:And I think that does create
a lot of anxiety for sure.
Speaker:And there's other things.
Speaker:Social media acts in a way the
same way drugs and alcohol act.
Speaker:It's a dopamine hit for our
brain and it becomes addicting,
Speaker:but it's not really good for us.
It's not a healthy use of our time.
Speaker:And so over time, we don't feel
good because we're using it so much,
Speaker:but we want more of it
because of that dopamine.
Speaker:Interesting. So between the
awareness and the different factors,
Speaker:societal factors, I would
think that there's a lot of,
Speaker:this is a bad way to say this, but
there's a lot of need for this field.
Speaker:I was going to say opportunities,
but that sounds a little callous.
Speaker:But it sounds like there's a lot of need
for psychotherapy in the world these
Speaker:days. Would you say that there's ...
Speaker:When you were looking for work post or
while you were finishing up school and
Speaker:thinking about the next phase,
Speaker:is that a challenging thing to do or
is it not so hard to get placed in
Speaker:your first initial job?
Speaker:Yeah. Well,
Speaker:so I can speak from the perspective
of a therapist because I'll say my
Speaker:background is in social work and there's
just so many different jobs that you
Speaker:can do within the field of social work.
Speaker:But as far as outpatient therapy goes,
Speaker:I didn't find it hard to find jobs.
Speaker:I think there are more
open offices than there are
Speaker:clinicians to fill and
work in those offices.
Speaker:The last practice that I worked
at, I think, let's see here,
Speaker:there were five office spaces and at the
Speaker:most in the three years I was there,
we only had four clinicians at a time.
Speaker:So there's always an open office
and that job posting was there.
Speaker:So I think in terms of
there being job openings,
Speaker:they're out there and I think that
that's only going to continue to progress
Speaker:more as the need does continue to grow.
Speaker:Yeah, I think so too.
Speaker:I have a friend who is from
Argentina and in their society,
Speaker:therapy is just part of life.
Speaker:Everybody talks about their therapist,
Speaker:everybody goes to therapy
and so on and so forth.
Speaker:And I feel like we're not there,
Speaker:but I feel like we're kind of tiptoeing
in that direction. So I don't know,
Speaker:but it just seems like it's becoming more
accepted, less stigmatized for people.
Speaker:So it does seem like it's trending in
the right direction. Can I ask you,
Speaker:along these lines, when
it comes to mental health,
Speaker:there's a lot of different jobs.
Speaker:There's the psychiatrists and they're
the ones that can prescribe medication,
Speaker:I think. There's psychologists,
you're a psychotherapist.
Speaker:Can you kind of break down the different
kind of fields that there are and
Speaker:what you know about the paths that
people have to take to get there?
Speaker:Yeah, totally. Yeah. So my
background is in social work.
Speaker:I'm a licensed independent clinical
social worker, which in each state,
Speaker:the designation is like some
variation of that, slightly different.
Speaker:In Massachusetts, that's
what it's called, LICSW.
Speaker:And so what I'm able to do is
I can do things like diagnose,
Speaker:I can do things like treat through
therapy and clinical interactions,
Speaker:but I can't do something like prescribe
or administer neuropsych testing.
Speaker:So those are reserved for different
designations and they do require more
Speaker:schooling as well. So with what
I do, it's a master's degree.
Speaker:If you wanted to be a psychologist,
Speaker:you need a PhD and psychologists
can do everything that a
Speaker:social worker can do. They
can also administer testing,
Speaker:so like neuropsych testing and that
kind of a thing to diagnose some
Speaker:specific conditions. And then
the other one you asked me, oh,
Speaker:psychiatrist.
Yeah.
Speaker:So psychiatrist is a doctor and that's
somebody that's gone to medical school
Speaker:with a psychology angle basically
as their specialization.
Speaker:And so there are sort of different
things that you can do within
Speaker:the allowance of your license.
Speaker:Okay, gotcha. So yours
is a master's degree.
Speaker:So is that like two years?
And then is there also a ...
Speaker:I know with these medical
and health related fields,
Speaker:there's the schooling part and there's
like a practicum or some sort of lab
Speaker:experience. Is it all
academic or how does the ...
Speaker:Tell me a little bit about your
degree, what that was like.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So the master's degree full-time takes
about two years to complete for social
Speaker:work, and it's not all academic.
Speaker:It has field experiences with it.
That kind of varies by program.
Speaker:So some programs have one
longer internship that you
complete throughout the
Speaker:duration of your program.
Mine actually had two.
Speaker:So I did about six months in
one experience and then another
Speaker:year in another internship.
So that's part of it.
Speaker:And I think it's actually an essential
part of the schooling because especially
Speaker:with therapy, it's you and another
person behind closed doors, right?
Speaker:So you're just kind of going into it.
Speaker:And it's kind of weird at first
because you've never done it.
Speaker:You're kind of trying to apply these
concepts from the classroom now with a
Speaker:real person in front of you and you
don't know what they're going to come in
Speaker:there with or say or ask you for.
So it's really essential that that's a
Speaker:part of school because then you go back
to class and you get support about it.
Speaker:And usually there is a designated class
that you take alongside your internship
Speaker:where the purpose of the class is to
discuss your internship experiences and
Speaker:discuss clinical interactions.
Speaker:And so you're really getting a lot of
support that way to help you learn through
Speaker:your experiences and also hear
about your classmates' experiences.
Speaker:So at some point you are sitting across
from a patient for the very first
Speaker:time. How does that happen?
Speaker:Are they aware that you're in training
or do you foreshadow a psychotherapist?
Speaker:Tell me about just jumping in.
Speaker:Yeah. I think that's one of the
hardest parts about entering the field.
Speaker:I remember when I was first getting
started and thinking to myself like, "Man,
Speaker:I cannot wait for the day
where this feels comfortable.
Speaker:I'm not kind of working myself up for
every session that I'm about to go into."
Speaker:And so it is hard at first.
Shadowing can happen.
Speaker:I was lucky enough to be able to do that.
Speaker:I had a supervisor who was more
than willing to let me sit in on
Speaker:her sessions and also her clients
were willing to let me do that too,
Speaker:which is really special because they
have to be willing and this is like-.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's a lot of trust. Yeah,
definitely. So it does happen.
Speaker:I don't think it's a super standard part.
Speaker:It's not always happening, but it can.
Speaker:And then you just go into
it and you've got to try.
Speaker:And there is something called-
Jump right in. Jump right in,
Speaker:right into the fire. And there is
something called process recordings.
Speaker:And what that is,
Speaker:is after you have a clinical
interaction in your internship,
Speaker:so you do a therapy session, for example,
Speaker:you actually write out as much
as you can remember a script
Speaker:of exactly what happened in that session.
Speaker:And then you kind of reflect on
that and your supervisor also
Speaker:provides you with feedback and
reflections on the interactions.
Speaker:And of course that's all from memory
because we're not recording these things,
Speaker:but yeah,
Speaker:that's a big part of processing
all of it too and getting feedback.
Speaker:Tell me, so you've been
doing this now for a while.
Speaker:When we were introduced,
Speaker:you mentioned something about you worked
with people with severe mental health
Speaker:disorders.
Speaker:So you've been in the field for a
little bit before you started your own
Speaker:practice. Tell me a little
bit about your path.
Speaker:Were you a psychology undergraduate
or just can you speak to that a little
Speaker:bit?
Speaker:Yeah. Yeah. When I was a kid,
Speaker:this was one of the things that I
always thought I would like to do,
Speaker:but I'm very indecisive.
Speaker:So I went to college and I
did major in psychology and I
Speaker:just always was drawn to it. And I
thought if I go further with this,
Speaker:then that's great. If not, psychology is
maybe a good background to have anyway,
Speaker:it could probably be applied
to a lot of different jobs.
Speaker:So I did major in psychology,
but right after college,
Speaker:I didn't do anything even
remotely related to this field.
Speaker:I actually was a guide in
Yellowstone for three summers. Ooh.
Speaker:That.
Speaker:Sounds like.
Speaker:Fun.
Speaker:It was a lot of fun,
yes. But it was seasonal.
Speaker:And then I would do other stuff
at other times of the year.
Speaker:And I think after a few years
of doing that, I was like, "Man,
Speaker:I don't want to have five
different tax documents anymore.
Speaker:I just want to have my one
Speaker:W2." So I decided to go
back to school from there.
Speaker:And
Speaker:the job that I had working with
adults with severe mental illnesses,
Speaker:that was actually part of my schooling.
Speaker:So that was one of the
internships that I did was that.
Speaker:Let me ask you a question because I like
the fact that you took some time after
Speaker:college to really explore and take your
time before you made that next move.
Speaker:Is that something that you
would recommend that people do?
Speaker:Or looking back on that experience
now, how do you feel about that?
Speaker:Yeah, I'm so glad that I did that. I mean,
Speaker:I just wasn't ready, I don't think,
Speaker:when I first got out to make
a decision to go invest more
Speaker:finances and time and everything
into something more specific.
Speaker:So it's hard because it's got
to be a balance. At some point,
Speaker:if you want to go further,
Speaker:you have to decide and you have
to commit and you have to do it,
Speaker:but why does it have to be right
when you get out of school? I mean,
Speaker:I think it's a lot to think
about if you're not really sure,
Speaker:then take that time, go do something
else that seems interesting.
Speaker:What I did was guiding.
Speaker:And I think there was a part of me
that thought maybe I would do that
Speaker:long term, but I think there was
also a part of me that was like,
Speaker:"You know what?
This seems like a cool job.
Speaker:I'm going to go have some fun
summers and meet different people and
Speaker:see animals and stuff,
Speaker:and let me do that before I
give some more thought to this.
Speaker:" So yeah,
Speaker:I think it's a good experience
to have if you're not sure yet.
Speaker:You don't have to commit.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So I think for people who are listening
to this podcast or trying to figure out
Speaker:their career direction, I think that
there's nothing wrong with that.
Speaker:You get mixed career advice from
people where you need to hit it hard,
Speaker:you need to do your thing in college,
you need to get your internship,
Speaker:you need to get your job. But you know
what? It's like at the end of the day,
Speaker:life is kind of short and you really
need to have these experiences if you can
Speaker:in your life. And they really
inform your next chapters really,
Speaker:really well, especially
if you're not dead set,
Speaker:100% set on which path
you want to take. I mean,
Speaker:I think it's really good to back
up and really see things and
Speaker:explore the world because you never
know how things are going to play out or
Speaker:who you're going to meet
or what experience is going
to lead to what experience.
Speaker:So I think it's phenomenal that you did
that. So tell me a little bit about,
Speaker:if somebody's maybe thinking
about going into this field,
Speaker:I'm trying to put myself in
the shoes of that person.
Speaker:Maybe they'd be concerned
about like, okay,
Speaker:it's a pretty serious endeavor to
take somebody's mental health into
Speaker:my hands or sit across from them.
Speaker:Who do you think will succeed in a field
like this and who do you think should
Speaker:not be in this field?
Speaker:Okay. I'm going to start with
people that I think will succeed.
Speaker:I think if you want to help,
Speaker:you're like at least 50%
of the way there. I mean,
Speaker:you have to be somebody
that wants to help people.
Speaker:And I think if you are
that kind of person,
Speaker:you will find that almost everybody else
in the field is that kind of person.
Speaker:And that's something that's so great
about this field because there is so much
Speaker:support, especially when you're just
starting out. I mean, therapists,
Speaker:they want their clients to succeed, but
they also want each other to succeed.
Speaker:And a big part of the field is talking
to each other and getting support.
Speaker:So I think if you think
of yourself as a helper,
Speaker:if you think of yourself as
someone who is empathetic and maybe
Speaker:can feel for people who
have not just the same,
Speaker:but different experiences as you.
I had a professor one time say that
Speaker:therapy was a mixture of science and art,
Speaker:and I always really loved
that and that stuck with me.
Speaker:And I think it's so true
because it is the science of
Speaker:an evidence-based modality, like you said,
Speaker:cognitive behavior therapy or
motivational interviewing or something.
Speaker:And these concepts that you learn
in school, that's the science,
Speaker:but then the art is how do you apply
it to a real person in front of you
Speaker:that's going to say things
to you you can't prepare for.
Speaker:So I think if you are a helper,
Speaker:if you describe yourself as empathetic,
Speaker:and if you're someone who kind of
likes a mixture of science and art,
Speaker:then this could be a good field for you.
Speaker:Oh, wow. Okay. That's fantastic. All
right. So people who shouldn't go into it.
Speaker:Yeah. I mean,
Speaker:you've got to have patience and you do
Speaker:have to sometimes think on your
feet as well. I mean, again,
Speaker:you just can't really prepare
ahead of time for a session.
Speaker:I mean, you're learning over time,
Speaker:but you have to be
patient with your clients.
Speaker:You have to be patient with
yourself because you don't know
Speaker:everything. And so it's
a learning process.
Speaker:And I hope that I'm always going to be
learning as long as I'm in this field,
Speaker:I would hope that I'm
still sharpening my skills.
Speaker:And so I think if you can have
that open mind, it's helpful,
Speaker:but if you feel like you want to go into
something and sort of be an expert at
Speaker:it right away and climb
the ladder really fast,
Speaker:then it's going to be hard for you.
Speaker:Interesting. Oh, that's a great answer.
Speaker:So what about some of the stuff I assume
that you deal with is pretty heavy.
Speaker:How about dealing with
it? When you leave work,
Speaker:are you able to just shut it off or is
it something that you think about or do
Speaker:you develop skills around
that? How does that work?
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:I think I've always been pretty lucky
in that I just kind of went into it with
Speaker:the mindset that, okay, I'm not the
end all be all in anybody's life.
Speaker:I'm not going to come in
here and save anybody.
Speaker:I'm just trying to make their
life a little better and
help them make their life
Speaker:a little better. People's lives are
going to go on with or without me in it,
Speaker:but if I can do my best to
make their day or their week a
Speaker:little bit better or help them to have
a skill that they didn't have before,
Speaker:then I'm doing my job.
Speaker:And so I think you do have to
sometimes have kind of thick skin and
Speaker:situations do come up. And
again, it connects back to,
Speaker:it's a learning process and some
of it's learning through doing.
Speaker:And if you can say at the end
of the day that you've done your
Speaker:best and you're trying to get
better, then you have to be able to
Speaker:let that just be and know that it's not
going to be perfect every single time.
Speaker:And to connect back to who should
or shouldn't be in the field,
Speaker:I think if you're a person who's not going
to be able to do that and not be okay
Speaker:with you not going to do it perfectly
every single time, it will be hard.
Speaker:Yeah. I would think also just hearing
about somebody's troubles or like
Speaker:if I was in your shoes, I might have
trouble, I might be thinking about,
Speaker:"Oh my gosh, that poor guy," or
whatever like that after work.
Speaker:But I guess from that perspective,
Speaker:you're able to just hang out on a hook
at the end of the day or something like
Speaker:that?
Speaker:Yeah. Yeah. I mean,
Speaker:you do have to take care of yourself and
I think that that's a big part of when
Speaker:you say are there kind of strategies
for being able to leave work at work?
Speaker:Part of it is just your own mental
wellness and get yourself a therapist if
Speaker:you're feeling like you're struggling
with that kind of thing or it's hard to
Speaker:leave work at work because
it can be hard. And certainly
Speaker:when you have people on your caseload
who are maybe struggling a little extra,
Speaker:you can worry about them.
Speaker:And I'm not going to say it never
crosses your mind. It definitely does,
Speaker:but then I think you have to come
back to what's my role in their life?
Speaker:And my role is to show up for them
once a week or more if needed,
Speaker:if they are struggling.
Speaker:And I'm going to do that and I'm going
to do that to the best of my ability. And
Speaker:then part of it is sort of trusting
that they are also going to be able to
Speaker:take care of themselves. I
remember once when I was going,
Speaker:this was when I was in school,
Speaker:I was going on vacation
for one of the first times.
Speaker:I hadn't taken a week off
from my clients before.
Speaker:And I remember talking to my
supervisor about it and saying,
Speaker:"I'm just really worried. Are people
going to be okay?" And this and that.
Speaker:And she said to me,
Speaker:"It's a little infantilizing to your
clients. They can take care of themselves.
Speaker:You have to trust in them and believe in
them." And so I think that that's a big
Speaker:part of it too,
Speaker:is just recognizing what your role is
and believing in the people that you're
Speaker:trying to help.
Speaker:Right. Well,
Speaker:if you've seen Freaky Friday a thousand
times like I did with my kids growing
Speaker:up, then you see Jamie Lee Curtis running
into problems with their client, Evan.
Speaker:But in any case, tell me
what your day is like.
Speaker:Is it regular nine to five or
talk about that a little bit and
Speaker:just how many patients do
you see, that kind of thing?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So most psychotherapists full-time
is considered somewhere between
Speaker:maybe 24 to 30 clients a week.
Speaker:And with that,
Speaker:it does come out to about 40 hours of
work because there's other stuff that has
Speaker:to be done, like documentation
and that kind of a thing.
Speaker:It's not really nine to five,
although I would say it can be.
Speaker:And I think with COVID and
everything moving online,
Speaker:it has changed to look more
like that because traditionally
Speaker:therapy hours were after work.
Speaker:They were in the evening or
they were on the weekends.
Speaker:And I think that therapists were kind
of required to work those hours a lot
Speaker:more than they are now.
So after COVID happened,
Speaker:we started doing teletherapy and that
wasn't really a thing before COVID.
Speaker:I mean, maybe it was, but insurance
didn't really think it was a thing.
Speaker:They weren't covering it.
Speaker:And now it's covered up in the
same exact way that in office
Speaker:therapy is because people have the
flexibility to take an hour out of their
Speaker:workday to come see their therapist.
And so because of that,
Speaker:it can look a lot more like daytime hours.
Speaker:And I think from a work-life
balance perspective for therapists,
Speaker:that's probably been great. I mean,
Speaker:I entered the field
while that was happening.
Speaker:You do have to do some evening hours.
At the last agency I worked at,
Speaker:we were required to work until
7:00 PM on two nights a week,
Speaker:but other than that,
Speaker:we could work any hours that we wanted
as long as we were fulfilling our
Speaker:productivity requirement of that, again,
Speaker:between 24 and 30 client hours.
Speaker:So there's a lot of flexibility with that.
Speaker:It can kind of look like whatever
you want it to look like.
Speaker:Well, and also let's point out
that you went out on your own.
Speaker:So you have pathways and possibilities.
You're an entrepreneur now,
Speaker:so you also have to take
care of your own billing,
Speaker:and you have to take care
of your own marketing,
Speaker:and you have all these other
things you have to do. So I mean,
Speaker:I guess there's ...
Speaker:And I don't think that's that uncommon
for psychotherapists either to open their
Speaker:own shop. It's kind of like
attorneys or something.
Speaker:So that's also something I guess
that is a factor. Are you using AI?
Speaker:AI, the hot topic of the field.
Speaker:Hot.
Speaker:Topic.
Speaker:I do.
Speaker:Use some of that.
Speaker:Are you worried about AI impacting
the field? I mean, my take is no,
Speaker:because I want to talk to a human
being. And as far as I can tell,
Speaker:you're a human being and
not ChatGPT right now.
Speaker:Not a robot.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Okay. So what are your thoughts? I.
Speaker:Was worried. I was very worried initially.
Speaker:I was like, oh my God,
this is going to take over.
Speaker:Why are they going to need us?
Speaker:Especially to connect what we were
talking about with teenagers and stuff
Speaker:earlier. These younger
generations, unfortunately,
Speaker:I think they're a little more comfortable
talking to a robot than they are a
Speaker:real person. It's easier for them to
sort of dump their problems on a robot.
Speaker:And I was worried about it. And
Speaker:I realized that we kind of have
to normalize AI being a big
Speaker:part of our society. And they'll
come to therapy and they'll tell me,
Speaker:I ran it through chat and I
asked Chat what I should say.
Speaker:And I'm like, okay, it's a tool.
People are going to use it.
Speaker:People are going to ask
Chat what they should say.
Speaker:Let's talk about what Chat said you
should say. And let's still have
Speaker:this human to human connection
where we can normalize that AI is
Speaker:becoming a part of life that is
integrated and many people are
Speaker:turning to as a tool, but it
shouldn't be the only tool.
Speaker:So I think I was initially more worried
than I am now. I've kind of realized,
Speaker:okay, people use this, but I
don't think they're relying on it.
Speaker:Yeah. I think it's like,
from my perspective,
Speaker:I think that the field is probably pretty
insulated against it because I just
Speaker:think that this is a human field.
Speaker:And my perspective is that we're
on the threshold of a really
Speaker:great human age where we
kind of rediscover it again.
Speaker:So I think that you're in pretty
good shape. It's also like,
Speaker:I think they're a ways
away from truly figuring
Speaker:out that true feel.
Speaker:I don't know if you saw the newspaper or
the article when it was either the Wall
Speaker:Street Journal or it
was the New York Times.
Speaker:It was a front page headline
about somebody getting
involved with a delusional
Speaker:relationship with an AI. I read it.
Speaker:And whenever the bot would be
like, "Wait, I'm just an AI.
Speaker:You need to adjust your behavior because
... " And the guy would freak out.
Speaker:So people don't know how to interact
with these things. So long story short is
Speaker:that I think the need for,
Speaker:and I'm not sure my opinion counts
for anything, but I think you're.
Speaker:In good shape. I think it does. I think
it does because you're a person, right?
Speaker:So it's like, what do you want?
Yes. And I do think you're right.
Speaker:And I will say that, I mean, there is not,
Speaker:like we were talking about open offices
before and there not being enough
Speaker:clinicians.
Speaker:There are not enough clinicians right
now for the number of people that want to
Speaker:have therapy with a real person, right?
Speaker:There's not a shortage of
that. At my last practice,
Speaker:the group practice I worked at,
Speaker:we didn't have a wait list because
it would've just been too long.
Speaker:It was just like, you can call and
if we have an opening when you call,
Speaker:then you can get it,
Speaker:but there's so much demand that
we're not even keeping a wait list.
Speaker:So I think at least right now,
Speaker:it's not showing signs of stopping
to Just because AI is here. So
Speaker:I think, and I hope that you're right.
Speaker:Is it my perception correct,
Speaker:but it seems like there's
this field skews more
Speaker:female than male.
Speaker:Is there an issue getting
male psychotherapists into the
Speaker:workforce or is that not an issue?
Speaker:Yeah, you're definitely right. I mean,
Speaker:it's mostly white women out here and I'm
obviously part of that demographic and
Speaker:we need some diversity.
So if you're a guy,
Speaker:if you're anything that's not a
white woman, come on in because
Speaker:people sometimes they want to
identify with their clinician.
Speaker:They want to see a clinician that looks
like them or maybe has had similar life
Speaker:experiences based on their
demographic and that's fair.
Speaker:So yeah,
Speaker:I think it's less common to
see men for sure in the field,
Speaker:but we need them. We need you guys.
Speaker:Okay. Well, noted. If the podcast
doesn't work out, I may enroll.
Speaker:Sounds good. Okay. So let's
talk a couple other things.
Speaker:And we're going to wrap it up with
this. On a scale of one to 10,
Speaker:the family dinner test,
Speaker:so how likely are you to be able
to enjoy a dinner with your family?
Speaker:Oh, I think an eight.
Speaker:That's pretty good. All
right. We'll take it.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Yeah. Okay. Let's take it up a notch.
Speaker:Let's say that you want to get
involved, I call this the coaching,
Speaker:the little league test.
Speaker:If you want to coach a soccer
team or something like that,
Speaker:on a scale of one to 10,
Speaker:how likely would you be able to keep a
two or three night a week commitment?
Speaker:Yeah, still pretty likely, especially
two, three nights a week. Yeah,
Speaker:I would give that maybe a seven.
Maybe it's a little bit tougher,
Speaker:but I think you're still pretty
likely to be able to do that. Well.
Speaker:Maybe you're not the main coach.
Speaker:Maybe you're the co-manager
or something like that. All.
Speaker:Right. Yeah. So cool.
Absolutely. I think- Well.
Speaker:And also when the kid strikes out,
Speaker:you'd be able to say the right
things to them because they're a.
Speaker:Psychotherapist. So there's
that too. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.
Speaker:Now the last one is we don't like to
talk numbers, but the Disney World test.
Speaker:This is, okay,
Speaker:could you take a family to Disney World
on a psychotherapist salary? And if so,
Speaker:would you stay in the budget
hotel, the moderate hotel,
Speaker:or could you splurge and go
to the super fancy hotel?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So what I'll say about
that is it varies widely
Speaker:in the field. So if you're
just starting out in the field,
Speaker:you might be more likely to be working
in a community mental health center.
Speaker:It's a little bit easier to get those
kinds of jobs right out of school where
Speaker:maybe you're not being paid
quite as much and you are
Speaker:working more. However, as
you progress in the field,
Speaker:it's absolutely, it's absolutely possible.
Speaker:And can you tell me the kinds of
hotels we could be staying in again?
Speaker:All right. Well, let's say a budget hotel.
Speaker:Let's call that the Motel six.
Speaker:Or could you go and could you
stay in a Hilton or could you stay
Speaker:in the super fancy Mickey Mouse Hotel?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I think you're probably going to be in
sort of the mid-range most of the time.
Speaker:But that being said, it all depends on
the rest of how you're living your life.
Speaker:And if you save up,
Speaker:you probably could stay at that fancy
hotel if that's really what you wanted to
Speaker:do. So it's absolutely
not out of the question.
Speaker:All right. I may switch things now.
Speaker:I may switch things to Yellowstone
because that seems like-.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Sure. Yeah. Let's talk about that.
Speaker:More people may want to be going to
Yellowstone now than Disney. All right.
Speaker:Well, this is wonderful. Liza, thank
you so much for coming on our program.
Speaker:Any other closing thoughts?
Are we good? Or you tell me.
Speaker:I think the last thing that I would
want to say is just that it's a
Speaker:really, really rewarding field. If you
are somebody who wants to help people,
Speaker:it's pretty incredible.
I keep this little ...
Speaker:I actually have it right here on my desk.
Speaker:I keep this little notebook
about all my client wins when
Speaker:people have a breakthrough and things go
well because there are hard days in the
Speaker:field as well, but there are
also really, really good days.
Speaker:So if you're considering it,
Speaker:I think it's a worthwhile
consideration and endeavor.
Speaker:Fantastic. So I'll tell you what,
everybody, if you like this episode,
Speaker:please like it or share it
with a friend. And if you can,
Speaker:be grateful for something
today. Thank you, Liza.
Speaker:Thank you so much.
Speaker:Thanks for listening.
Speaker:Don't forget to like and subscribe to
Dream Job Cafe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts,
Speaker:or wherever you listen. And don't
forget to check out Wayspark.co,
Speaker:where we help people navigate
careers in a crazy world.