WHY I DON’T WANT TO BE A THERAPIST (ANYMORE)

When I made the decision to go to grad school at the end of 2019, I fully intended to become a licensed marriage and family therapist. The idea of becoming a therapist was something that had always been in the back of my mind as a sort of fail-safe for my career. I had known since I was 15 that I wanted to be a writer, but the entertainment industry is not a steady path, and I am not exactly a “go-with-the-flow” type of person. The instability scared me, and I remember sitting in my old apartment in my early twenties—far before I had had any glimmer of success—googling what it took to become a therapist. As my eyes scrolled through the requirements, I quickly became overwhelmed and abandoned the idea. And I’m glad I did. It allowed me to work at BuzzFeed, grow Just Between Us, develop multiple TV shows with major networks and become a New York Times bestselling author. (What a thrill that one week was!)

But as I entered my 30’s, the upward trajectory of my career had plateaued, and I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to support myself anymore. My partner at the time didn’t do anything to assuage those fears. If anything, he stoked them. The freelance lifestyle freaked him out. So, I decided to be a “grown up” and pursue my backup plan. I wasn’t going to give up on my creative pursuits, but I was simultaneously going to earn a degree that would give me options. It was the kind of decision that brought comfort but not excitement.

As I went through the program, I found myself fascinated with some subject matter and bored to tears with others. I hated writing papers and doing group projects, but I could sense my brain expanding and my perspective shifting. I started my Emotional Support Lady Instagram account and took my role as a mental health advocate more seriously. But then, during the first few months of 2021, while I was back in New York, recovering from my broken engagement, I took a class that changed my trajectory yet again. That class was “Law and Ethics.”