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Cooper L. Mitchell

Professor Shelby

English 1113

3 March 2023

Career Analysis Essay

I plan on attending Oklahoma State University to obtain a degree in psychology. After

obtaining that degree I will continue my study long enough to obtain the license required to

become a therapist. Since late 2019 I have wanted to help people with the issues they face in

their day to day life. At first I was unsure as to how I planned to do that. I just knew it's what I

wanted to do. After further research and more life experience I realized the best way for someone

like myself to do this would be to become a therapist. Not only have I frequently visited a

therapist, I've also already learned a little about how they do what they do. From just listening to

what someone has to say, giving suggestions on what to do about a specific issue, and answering

questions that an individual may not be able to answer for themselves. If I can make a difference

in someone's life, I believe therapy is the best way to do so. A job is waking up everyday

dreading work, a living is looking forward to work everyday.

However getting the degree and license it takes to become a therapist is not so easy. In

order to get a degree in therapy, an individual must earn a master's degree. Before this they also

have to earn a mast degree. The process of getting the degree alone can take six to eight years.

After obtaining both you must get the license required to actually perform the practice. This

license is known as a Licensed Professional Counselor (OLERE). Getting the actual license is

the shortest part of the entire process, only taking roughly 10 hours to obtain. It is after gaining

all of these necessary qualifications an individual can start their own practice in therapy.
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From just listening to what someone has to say, giving suggestions on what to do about a

specific issue, and answering questions that an individual may not be able to answer for

themselves. From just listening to what someone has to say, giving suggestions on what to do

about a specific issue, and answering questions that an individual may not be able to answer for

themselves. A therapist can also answer questions that may be hard for people to ask friends or

family. They allow a sense of privacy and a place of no judgment. Being able to feel comfortable

in a therapy room is essential. This is another reason therapists work so well. The information

shared in the room cannot be given out without permission from the patient. This fact allows a

person to truly open up and get to the root of the problem. Over time becoming more

comfortable can help the therapist get a better understanding of the patient. By doing this the

therapist can help more, this also helps tell the therapist what can be done to help the situation.

The more the patient can tell the therapist the better the treatment can be.

For this essay I decided to interview Darlene Curry. She is based in Groover Texas. She

is also the therapist I visited when I needed to. Mrs. Curry does not have one particular specialty.

She helps everyone with almost any problem they might have. The only cases she does not work

with are substance abuse issues and eating disorders. She told me “I simply do not have the life

experiences to thoroughly help these individuals.” She explained that she was not comfortable

helping people she was unsure of how to help. I then asked what she helped with the most. “I see

a lot of depression and anxiety cases. From mild to crippling cases.” the answer to the next

question could have an entire paper all on its own. I asked what made her want to get into

therapy. She explained how she started college wanting to be an elementary teacher. So naturally

she went to college to get a degree in teaching. After getting this degree and teaching for a short

time she then began being the principal in the same elementary school. She did this for a time as
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well, and realized it was not for her. She then stated “I enjoyed the job and the role I played. I did

not like the amount of time it took from me and my family.” After figuring out that neither of

these jobs quite fit her she went back to school. It was then she began finding interest in

counseling. As the classes went on she found herself counseling for friends and the other

students in the class. “After a while I started to see the impact I could have on people and it made

me want to impact more.” However, even after all of this she did not want to take the final step

in getting her license to open her own practice. She then went back to the elementary school

where she had taught before and started her work as the school counselor. “I loved it, all of it.

Talking to the kids and helping them, but I could never get enough time with them.” This went

on for a while. She then began to keep kids longer than her boss liked her to. Mrs. Curry then

told the rest of the story. “My boss walked up to me one day and said you are not a therapist, you

are just a school counselor. It lit a fire under me Coop. I took it straight to the heart.” After this

happened she went back to school again just long enough to get her therapy license. She told me

that it was the best decision she had ever made. “I've loved it ever since, and I wouldn't change a

thing about it.”

After talking to Mrs. Curry, my desire to become a therapist grew stronger. Day after day

I've thought about how my life may turn out, in a perfect world it would go something like this.

After obtaining my degree in college I would continue my work long enough to get my therapy

license. After getting the license I would consider moving back to the panhandle, staying in the

Stillwater area, or moving out to the mountains. Wherever I end up living I plan on opening my

own practice. After I've been established I would then like to open a gym. This way I could help

people both mentally and physically. I'm not sure where I will end up, however I know that

helping people with my college degree would be a great way to start.