Ever since high school started, I have wanted to learn about the mind and what causes certain behaviors. Throughout my high school years, I believed that it was just a phase or a silly fascination that would leave after a few weeks. This was not the case. I found myself researching more and more about it and learning about different jobs I can choose from by studying the mind. Through this research, I was able to pinpoint that my dream was to become a psychotherapist as it always appealed to me the most. 

My dream can be considered important for many reasons but the one that matters most to me is that it gives people the outlet they need to get their feelings and experiences out in the open without judgement. An article written by Kendra Cherry on Verywellmind states, “therapists genuinely help people and enrich their lives”. Being a therapist would allow me to improve the lives of people by helping them work through their problems and trauma. This can be done by helping them discover truths about themselves that could result in improved lives. My dream is to ultimately work with families and help them with issues before they become serious problems.  

When considering what I need to do to make my dream a reality, I will first need to do research and figure out what type of therapist I want to be. There is a wide variety of different choices to choose from which include social work, psychiatric care, counseling and more. In the article, Kendra Cherry states, “while becoming a therapist might be your goal, the steps that you take to achieve it depends largely on the type of therapist you want to become.” This means that because there are so many options to choose from, you must pick your steps carefully based on your decision. So far I have narrowed it down to working with families and children which can make me a good fit for being a mental health counselor or a family therapist. My next step would be to graduate high school and get into a college fit for me where I feel I can most grow and learn. I would take the courses that I need and start on getting my degree in that field which would be a bachelor’s degree in psychology and work my way up to a doctorate. Afterwards, I would need to take any necessary exams to become a licensed therapist in the state of my choosing. An example of an exam I would need to take is the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology, or EPPP. 

The help I will need in order to succeed will come from a variety of places. This includes my family, my teachers and my peers. I will need my family’s help and support during the first few years of starting on my path to fulfilling my dream. This will come in the form of allowing me to stay with them while I begin the transition of becoming more dependent on myself. I will also need their help with the financial situation. College will be a pain and will take a tremendous amount of effort to get through. It will require lots of money and will surely leave me in a mountain of debt from student loans. With my parents' help, I can pay to get through college and later pay them back when I start my career. Another source of help I will need will come from my teachers who can advise me on the information I need and about different opportunities that open up. Kendra Cherry states, “it is important to discuss your options with an academic counselor at the school of your choice.” Through my teachers and counselors, I can discuss my options on how to get where I want to be and what may be good opportunities for me. I will also need the help of my peers to get me through the rest of high school without losing morale.

In conclusion, my dream to become a psychotherapist is significant for a few reasons and will be achieved through a series of steps and from the help of others. Being a psychotherapist will allow me to help people and improve their lives by working with them through their issues. My dream will be achieved through the hard work of earning the degrees I need and graduating from high school and college. I will need the help of those around me to really succeed in this aspect of my life. I will need the support and help of my parents as I go through my college years and the help of my teachers as I go through my senior year of high school. I will also need the support of my peers as they will motivate me to work harder in order to succeed.