Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Career Predicament

When I was little I was a big fan of the movie Annie. I remember telling my mom when I grow up I wanna own an orphanage. That was my dream. Imagine my disappointment when my mom explained to me that here in the US there is no orphanage to own. Dang.   (However  - many days in this house I feel I own an Orphanage! ha.)
Next idea I had a few years later work with foster kids. Not sure how old I was when I decided this is what I wanted to do with my life - but it goes as far back as I can remember.  As I got older it evolved into wanting to be a Child Psychologist to work with Foster Children. This has been my goal ever since. That is, until about 8 months ago or so. Don't really know what changed but that dream suddenly faded over night. As I think about it, I think it's the way the state runs their therapy-for-foster-kids system... Hm.
 Well, I'm in school going for a behavioral science degree, so what else would I love to do with that degree??
I've toyed with the idea of being a Marriage and Family Therapist - which would also have me working with children. Then I toyed with the idea of being a Play Therapist. This too is working with children. I loved both of these ideas but still as the weeks have gone by as much as I loved these ideas, they didn't quite click with me...  Then I remembered a career my sister had mentioned to me a year or two ago.  A Child Life Therapist. 
A Child Life Therapist works with terminally ill children and their families.  They spend time giving therapy and counsel to both the child and their family. They spend one on one time doing various activities with the child - crafts, play time, stories and even spend time educating them (on their level) on medical procedures and such that may be going on in their life.  This career fits for me.  It just clicks.  It incorporates both the marriage and family therapist as well as the play therapist. Yes, they are terminal, so it will be sad to eventually lose each one of them, but I love the idea. Who needs a friend and a therapist more than a a child and a family going through a situation such as this?
This job requires a bachelor degree and additional training. So I'm on track for that - AND I just registered for Spring semester, which leaves me with one semester left after that!!  Exciting, yes - but I find myself quite frustrated with the school.  Two of the classes I need are only taught once, at the exact same time as the other - and a third class is only offered in the mornings (when I am with my kidlets). the 4th is a practicum which includes doing an internship along with classes, yikes, that's the same as going to school and having a job at the same time, except I don't get paid for it. Dang. Frustrating. But hopefully I can get it to all work out.
I am also still planning on pursuing a Master's Degree, slowly, while working - or maybe when my kids are a wee bit older, say 35 - just kidding, but maybe when Jersi is in 1st grade it will be easier for me to work towards a Master's Degree.

2 comments:

Ara said...

I am SO impressed with you. I don't know how you do it. I think you will be an amazing child life therapist.

Sharli said...

Hey I think they work with kids whose parents or siblings have a terminal illness too. If I'm remembering that right then you won't lose every patient.