Career Change - NEED YOUR HELP

I am currently a computer programmer but am considering getting a masters degree to change my career to counseling. I have some questions for any counselors that could help me:
- I'm planning on getting a master's degree from Liberty University (liberty.edu). If anyone is familiar with it do you recommend it? If not, what would you recommend and why. I live in Michigan.
- One conern I have is how different counseling is from computer programming as far as transferable skills. I'd like to know what I can offer in an interview as skills I already have.
- Being I'm now 37 what can I expect as the prospects of finding an entry level position in counseling once I graduate in about 4 years? Will I still have a chance.
- Could you give me an idea of what an average day is like for you? What you do other than just counseling a patient.
Any other advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated!

Why do you want to switch professions? Also do you have a mental illness?

If you want to be a counselor to understand your own mental illness, you'd probably want to go with some informal classes on mental illness (maybe through NAMI) and keep your day job.

If you want to be an actual doctor/therapist/counselor (and pursue that career chain) I should let you know that if you're mentally ill it's very unlikely you'll get past counselor or even be respected in any way by the people on the job hierarchy. If you're interested in modern mental health medicine and are serious about it, then your midlife career change might be optimal. But I'd need to know more about your reasons for making this change.

My reason is not due to a mental illness. My current carrer as a computer programmer has been unfulfilling. After evaluating several career options and taking career tests Teaching and Counseling appear to be the most favorable with Counseling the highest. The ability to help others is what has been lacking in my career and I feel I need to offer through my career.

Does this provide enough information for you to answer my questions from my first post? If not, what additional information do you need?

Also, if you could provide me with what your background as a counselor has been that may be helpful as well.

Thank you for your time.
Victor

Victor, I feel compelled to reply because I started studying computer science after school but ended up hating it. So, I left the course with just months left to graduation and I'm now just a few months away from getting a degree in Industrial Biology. This is what I really like studying in life and I've done so well since my comp. science days. I already have a higher cert in Applied Biology, an ordinary degree in Biosciences, and I won student of the year last year.

Don't let anyone tread on your dreams dude. Recognise what your dream is, work out how you can achieve it, and then go out and get it!

Kevin

Kevin,
Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your understanding and advise. I'm also very glad you found and are doing what makes you happy. I hope to find the same thing - I'm not yet at the point of being certain psychology is the correct direction but more sure than I have been.
Thanks again!
Victor

Does anyone else have advice regarding the career questions I've listed at the beginning of this thread?

Thanks in advance!
Victor

Hi again Victor,

Firstly, I don't think that you should worry at all about your age. I mean, does it really matter if you end-up having to take an entry-level position four years from now? Most likely, this scenario wouldn't arise, however, and I think that you'd be offered a higher-up position.

That said, you asked what you can offer in an interview as skills that you already have. Well, firstly, the mere fact that you have a degree is a sign that you are intelligent, and that's a good foundation to start from. Secondly, the fact that you are a programmer indicates that you have a logical mind, are good at maths, and has the ability to FOCUS. Focus, of course, is paramount in psychology. Let's face it, if you're going to stare at a computer screen all day, you need to have focus; just as you do when you are listening to a patient talk about their problem.

Kevin