A lot of my life I’ve sacrificed for others and have really wanted to help people. I still do but after finally getting out of an abusive relationship that I accepted for years I realized that it’s ok to desire more and better things for my own well being. I spent a lot of my life doing really hard caretaking and mental health jobs because I felt like I was making a difference but I was usually treated like dirt by the people I served or their families. Part of me thinks success is the best revenge and so I want to lean into this. I’ve spent a few years now doing a lot of work on myself and I’ve realized that I am a really smart and capable person and I feel like my intelligence or ability to work hard are not the limiting factors but my ability to choose a career option is at this point.
I did half of a counseling program and then dropped out(I can still enter back in if I want) because I was so frustrated with the amount of time and sacrifices to our own mental health that counselors put into the career. I’ve heard so many people say they are burning out not because of the work itself but the compensation they receive. They take care of the needs of others all day but are not able to take care of their own needs.
I’ve looked into psych NP programs and have been accepted into a nursing program so I could start that but I also hear this field is becoming increasingly saturated and may not provide the compensation I would need to pay off all the loans I would need to take out to complete this education.
Part of this is a rant that I can be very educated(masters degree plus years to get to licensure) and be paid so low. Ideally I would be able to help people but be compensated more fairly for what I do.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Is counseling a better financial path than I’m thinking? I live in a HCOL area(in top 10 in the US). What about psych NP? Should I give up and pursue something else entirely?
TLDR:frustrated with counseling compensation looking for another option to be successful. Had a history of being abused in the past and feel like succeeding and finally putting myself first will be the best revenge.