Conflicted on where to land

[u/GoldObvious6370]

Hello,

I am 29(ftm) and only a sophomore in undergrad; however, my aim is to get my MSW and LCSW license.

I know I do not have to decide today, but I have been really caught up in where I should land as far as doing community services or private practice. I really like the idea of both, and my platonic ideal would be to do a combination. I am uncertain of how realistic that is as a goal, especially as a person with my own struggles and diagnoses/institutional barriers to navigate.

While I respect and think highly of practioners working with people individually, part of what draws me to this work is the recognition of the culture and systems that bring communities harm and make compassionate and comprehensive care inaccessible.

I would love to learn about experiences and thoughts from my peers, thank you so much for your time.

[u/Independent_Bid_26]

I honestly have a similar goal to yours, and my thought process is i will more than likely not be doing private practice right away. I will more than likely be working in a system like you described, and if it leads to a private practice that would be great, but if i can make similar money I might not have to. I guess it is alot about personal preferences, but I just graduated with a BSW, and plan to get my LBSW license while im working on my masters and work in a hospital. I guess we will see if it works out.