The Rewards and Realities of Helping Others for a Living

In a perfect world, we could all work jobs centered around helping others. Of course, that’s not possible, but the many people who have made helping others their mission are cherished by many. Therapists, counselors, psychologists, social workers, and people running nonprofit organizations do exactly that.

Helping others for a living is quite rewarding, but it also comes with some challenges you won’t face in other professions. For example, forensic social workers often spend time with and counsel people going through the worst times of their lives. The same can be said for addiction counselors and trauma therapists who help people dealing with harsh realities.

While this can be tough, it pays off with dividends when you see how people can heal and process their troubles. Those are just a few examples of the many jobs built around helping others and how they pay off. Follow along as we highlight the rewards and realities of helping others for a living.

Helping Others is Rewarding in Many Invaluable Ways

“What can I do with my psychology degree?” is a question countless students and young psychologists have asked themselves. Whether you become a social worker, counselor, or psychologist, you can use your degree to change people’s lives. This doesn’t happen overnight, but using your empathy and hard-earned skills to help others can create a snowball effect.

You will help each person you work with, and in turn, you’ll help yourself become better at your craft. Helping others for a living takes a lot of hard work and discipline, but it pays off in many ways, such as:

1. Grow Continually

Helping others daily can ultimately help you grow in ways you may not otherwise. You most likely already have a lot of empathy and understanding if your work is built around helping others. However, this innate empathy and understanding will only grow stronger if you foster it daily.

This is especially true when you must face situations, cases, and clients that challenge your foundation. For example, a psychologist may work with a client who is unruly, stubborn, and seemingly ungrateful. They need your help, but they may not make your job any easier.

Figuring out how to help someone like that can be challenging, but cracking the case can make you a better psychologist. You can apply that scenario to most professional fields centered around helping others. The more you help others, the more you grow and become better at your job.

2. Enjoy a Sense of Purpose

Most people work simply because they have to, which sometimes entails working jobs that aren’t too fulfilling. That’s perfectly fine, as everyone must work, eat, and pay the bills. However, working in psychology and helping others comes with a strong and fulfilling sense of purpose.

Your job is clearly defined, so you go to work each day knowing you’re helping others. Because of that, you can avoid some of the pitfalls of working a job you aren’t passionate about. Of course, working as a therapist, psychiatrist, or social worker involves some harsh realities, which can be tough.

That said, navigating such harsh topics is much easier when you feel fulfilled and know you’re helping others. Helping patients or clients can make dealing with these realities much easier and remind you that your work is important.

3. Become Resilient

Helping others is rewarding, but it can take a toll on your mental health. It’s easy to neglect self-care when helping others but finding a balance can make you resilient and strong. Throughout your career, you naturally develop a thick skin, but that doesn’t always come with resilience.

After all, you can have a thick skin while still holding on to some negativity that sticks with you. That doesn’t have to be the case, however, especially if you set healthy boundaries. Separating work life from home life ensures you can help others without taking stress home.

The more you practice healthy boundaries and self-care, the more resilient you become. Confiding in peers, friends, and your own therapist can also make this much easier.

4. Gain Recognition

Most people don’t set out to help others for a living solely for the clout that comes with it. After all, you can get more clout and earn more money in other lines of work. However, you can enjoy some hard-earned recognition if you excel while helping others professionally.

Whether you’re a licensed social worker or a therapist, you’ll likely go through several phases in your career. Eventually, you can move up the ladder, get recognition, and move into more esteemed roles in your field. This takes time, but garnering a strong reputation for something as positive as helping others is worth every second.

Having your clients and peers recognize you for being good at something so positive is quite rewarding. Sure, it isn’t always easy, and the nature of the work can take a toll on you. However, earning respect for how well you’ve helped people versus how much money you’ve made for a company is invaluable.

5. See the Effect You Have on Others

Finally, the biggest benefit of helping others for a living is that you get to see the effect you have on others. Many people don’t necessarily get to see how their hard work pays off. Therapists and social workers get to witness gradual changes in their clients, and that’s rewarding.

Such change is also contagious, and helping your clients may also help those around them. You may not see that part, but you’ll at least know you played a role in helping improve someone’s life.

The Power of Helping Others is Unparalleled

Choosing a career centered around helping others is a big decision. As long as you manage your own mental and physical health, you can avoid many of the pitfalls that come with such a line of work. Separating work from home life can help ensure the positives outweigh the negatives.