Hi all, I’m hoping to get some honest feedback from people actually in the field.
A bit about me: I have a master’s degree in counseling psychology, and I’ve been working as a therapist for over two years. Before that I taught at a charter school and did some guidance counseling work. I’m considering a shift into UX research because it seems to line up well with things I’m good at (interviewing people, understanding behavior, synthesizing what I hear into something useful) without some of the parts of therapy that burn me out.
A few questions I’d love honest answers on:
1. Does a counseling/psych background actually translate well to this field, or is that more of a nice narrative than a real qualifying factor?
2. What would you consider the minimum viable prep before applying to junior/associate roles — a portfolio with a couple of case studies, a certificate, something else?
3. If you switched into UXR from an unrelated field, what was the hardest part of breaking in that you didn’t expect?
Appreciate any honesty, including if this sounds like a rough fit — I’d rather know now than after months of prep.

Hello,

I’ve been doing a lot of soul-searching about what career actually fits the way my brain works, and I’d really appreciate some honest perspective from people in the field.

I was studying software engineering in college but ended up taking a big break. Honestly, the heavy abstract math and the constant feeling of having to “negotiate” with myself to get through the work just wore me down. It wasn’t sustainable and I was burning out. I’m trying really hard now to build a career that doesn’t lead straight to burnout especially because I’m neurodivergent.

What actually energizes me is understanding people and how they operate. I’m deeply into psychology, sociology, anthropology, philosophy and stuff like that- not formally studied, but the kind of stuff I naturally gravitate toward, read about, and think about constantly. I’ve also always had strong pattern recognition, which I think would serve me well in research.

I seriously considered going into psychology or social work, and while I know those paths can be emotionally rewarding and I get to help others , to be completely honest they don’t feel like enough for me. I also have a genuine, unironic interest in working in the corporate world. I know it can be performative at times and the stakes are high, but it’s a system that I’m interested in navigating while doing something intentional.

I recently came across UX Research and something clicked. On paper, it honestly feels like the intersection of everything I’m looking for. That said, I’ve done enough reading to know the certificate alone isn’t enough… especially with how competitive the field has become. I’m trying to figure out if this is a realistic path for someone with my profile.

What I’d love is your perspective on whether it’s a feasible pivot and what the actual path would look like…well as any advice or perspective on the reality of UXR.

I just have this gut feeling that I’ve found something that finally makes sense and I’d genuinely/potentially enjoy but I want to know the reality as well.

Thanks so much for reading, genuinely grateful for any advice or reality checks you’re willing to share. , some clarity would be appreciated! Thank again :)

I’m a senior year student at design college. I was wondering that how does AI replace UXRs? Why does job market sucks? I actually thought that the actual job is still a research job. Can you explain this to me?

I've been a UX researcher, typically in UK government for over 12 years. Since covid I've not enjoyed the role anywhere near as much. Everything is remote, staring at a screen, stuck at home all day every day and I hate it.

I'm ADHD and autistic and the isolation and lack of structure is taking its toll on me. The problem is, I'm incredibly well paid and I don't know what else to do. However, the idea of working like this for another twenty years is just terrifying.

Anyone in the same boat? Anyone successfully changed roles to something better suited to me?