Career counseling is something that you can get from seeing a psychotherapist. Usually people who need help or guidance with their career path will turn to a business coach or a career coach. While a coach can definitely be helpful, they will not be able to sort through the emotional side of your decision making. They are not licensed professionals who can help decrease your stress during this process. As psychotherapists, we are trained to help our clients figure out not only their future goals but the best way that will get them there based on where they’re at currently. That usually looks different for each person.

Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with psychotherapists specialized to help teens and adults with anxiety, depression, and life transitions.

When should I seek out a counselor to help with my CAREER?

Usually clients come to me for career counseling when they are either unhappy at their current job, they are struggling finding a job, they are thinking of changing careers, or they recently graduated from school and are just starting their career. As a psychotherapist, I have helped clients ranging from college graduates to CEO’s of big companies. In my opinion, I believe everyone could use some guidance in their careers. Whether you need guidance in which way to take your career path, help confronting your boss, or to learn how to have a better work-life balance. Counseling with a mental health professional can help you with all of this.

I just graduated college, should I get a masters now or start my career and get a job first?

This answer is going to be so different for everyone. If your career goal is to become a medical doctor then you will want to go straight into medical school if you are able to. If your career goal is to create your own business then you may want to hold off on that MBA program and gain some working experience in the business world. (Usually this is required to apply to business schools anyway). You can then get a feel of the business world and if this career path is something you still want to pursue. If you want to own a private practice as a psychotherapist (like myself) then you will want to attend your masters as soon as you can as there’s several years of clinical experience you need to do before you can become licensed. If you have a career goal in mind, I recommend doing research on what is the typical path that will lead you to this career. Is graduate school even needed? Some people have become very successful in their careers without extra schooling. That will save you time and money. So it’s important to have a general idea of what you want to do- and especially what you do NOT want to do. This will help you narrow it down.

I don’t know what career is right for me- Help!

At any age, this question is common. As a society, we have it ingrained in teens that they need to know their career path before they even apply to college. Yes, it’s possible to attend college as an undecided major which is great. But usually teens feel bad about choosing this undecided major when they have classmates who seem to be ahead of them by having a specified major. It’s okay to not know what career you want in your future. Even if you were working as a nurse for the past 20 years, you may want a whole career change. Maybe you want to stop working with people and start working with animals. Really anything is possible at any age. The fact that our society doesn’t normalize this is what makes people feel inadequate or like they’re not doing well in life. This can cause feelings of anxiety, sadness, shame and cause lack of sleep, agitation, and bad eating habits. If you feel this way, it’s recommended you speak to a mental health professional to discuss what changes you need to make in your life in order to feel like your best self again.

I like my career, but my boss is the worst. How do I talk to them about changes I want made for a better work life?

This is something I’ve worked a lot on with my clients. Talking to a boss can be intimidating. Take out a piece of paper and a pen. Write down the pro’s and con’s of your job. Next, on another piece of paper write a list of things you wish you could change about your job. Now look over this list. What is realistic and reasonable? Circle the things that you feel you could talk about with your boss. Then you can create another written piece of how you could say it to your boss. The next step would be to schedule an in-person meeting with your boss and discuss the items you wish to see changed at work. Explain that these are things that will make you a happier worker. Confrontation can be difficult for a lot of people. This is definitely something a psychotherapist can help you with in which you plan what you can say, and how to say it, to your boss. The goal is to feel happier at work!

How Do I Get A Better Work-life balance?

This is something that I tell my clients is so important. You must find a good balance between your work and home life. If you’re able to, you want to stop checking emails or going on your work computer outside of work hours. You want to use ALL of your vacation and sick time- especially if it’s going to expire at the end of the year. This is time your company gives you to take off so that you can come back to work re-energized and a better worker. As an entrepreneur and a business owner, it is hard to take time off since you feel you need to always be available to run your business and time off is usually unpaid. But it is still just as important for you to schedule in time off! Your business will still be there after you take a break. You need time off to help you truly work at your 100% best. If you don’t take any time off from work, you will burn out.

I personally own my business and don’t get paid for any time off. But I make myself take 4 weeks off a year so that I’m able to hit that refresh button throughout the year. I want to be my 100% best when I help my clients. I like to practice what I preach as well. So I am telling you right now you need to schedule in your next day off from work. And this has to be a true day off in which you’re not checking emails, answering calls, or working throughout the day. Whether you schedule a staycation or a trip away- you have to have something planned to relax your mind and look forward to.