Becoming a Therapist Later in Life: Hear From Pepperdine Alumna Sahar Davachi, AMFT, PCC

What does a career transition into being a therapist look like? From an established career in marketing to fulfilling her dream of guiding others through substance abuse and trauma, Sahar Davachi, AMFT, PCC, is now living her purpose. Learn more below about why Davachi chose to become a therapist, life at Pepperdine as a graduate student, and advice for fellow career transitioners.

After a career in marketing and at a staffing agency, Davachi decided to follow her calling to become a therapist. 

Davachi: “When I graduated from college ten years ago, I went into digital marketing, and I loved it. I did that for about five years, maybe a little bit longer. I ended up becoming a senior manager at the agency I worked at. I realized that something I really enjoyed about that role was helping others. I was helping my team with their work, but since I was a manager, I wanted to be there for them personally as well. I would hear about their life and the struggles and what they’re going through, and I really enjoyed helping them.

After that, I went to work for my mom’s staffing agency. She wanted to retire in the next couple of years, and she asked my brother and me if either of us wanted to work there and take over the company. I thought to myself, ‘This seems like a good business thing to do’. I went and started working with her. I quickly realized that staffing probably wasn’t for me, but I wanted to see what was there.

After a year, I told myself, ‘I don’t think I’m going to end up taking over this company’. I needed to pivot, and I started to think about what I actually enjoy doing. I always had it in the back of my mind that I maybe wanted to be a therapist. I decided to go back to school and get my master’s. It was one of those things where if someone had asked me ‘If you could follow your dreams and really do something completely different than what you’ve been doing?’ it was definitely one of the things.

Also, I struggled with anxiety ever since I was super, super little. I obviously didn’t have the word for that—I didn’t know it was anxiety, but I knew that I had that. Later on, I was diagnosed with panic disorder, and I have learned to work through all these things. I really wanted to help other people work through those things as well.”

Pepperdine’s reputation was not something new for Davachi. The great reviews Pepperdine had for its online MFT program, including the flexibility of online classes while she was working, were a deciding factor.

Davachi: “I’ve known of Pepperdine since I was a kid; I randomly went to volleyball camp there growing up.  I did some research online, and honestly, I saw that they’ve had a really good online program. The online aspect of things was one of my biggest deciding factors. Pepperdine had great reviews, too. I looked at some things in San Diego, but those were all in person, and since I was working, that wouldn’t have been possible. It was easy to have a job and also go to school with Pepperdine.”

For Davachi, Pepperdine’s courses and professors helped her feel more comfortable when it came time to serve clients during her internship.

Davachi: “It’s definitely twofold: the coursework was very helpful, and I had some really great professors. I had a couple classes that were just super helpful. I ended up getting my internship at a rehab, so my substance use class was super helpful, and I loved that teacher. I took a diagnoses class where you go over the whole DSM, and I absolutely loved that class. That really helped as well, because of where I worked. It wasn’t just working with people who had anxiety or depression; we worked with a lot of people. I worked at a substance abuse rehab, primarily for the LGBT population, but we also had people who were not in that population as well.”

For Davachi, her work with clients who are struggling with substance abuse and addiction fulfills her. In addition, she finds helping others with anxiety, trauma, and depression meaningful.

Davachi: “I find substance use and trauma work really interesting. I’ve only worked with adults 18 and over; I haven’t worked with kids, which I don’t think I would love. I really enjoy working with adults going through trauma, substance use, anxiety, and life changes—people trying to figure out who they are. I think that it’s nice to work with people with anxiety because then I can give them all the things that have helped me.

As far as substance use, I feel it’s so prevalent. Nowadays, addiction is everywhere, in a lot of different ways. People might be addicted to food, technology, or other things. So I was thinking working with people with addiction is very interesting.”

Planning and calculating how many hours are needed are some of the best ways to prepare for an internship, according to Davachi.

Davachi: “I’m a planner and forward thinker, so I think that helped me. Maybe this was just my experience, but it’s not as scary as I thought it would be. For an internship, I would ask:

Pepperdine’s classes and the practical experiences Davachi had working with clients and forming her identity as a therapist are some of the most poignant lessons.

Davachi: “I learned a lot at my internship. I had all of the technical tools that I needed from those classes that I had mentioned. It was great to have, but when it comes down to it, you might not remember every single thing when you’re with a client. I feel like I really learned how to build rapport with clients. To me, that was the most important thing, and then also finding out what kind of therapist I am going to be. Am I going to crack jokes? Am I going to be serious? Am I going to disclose things about myself? I feel that was a huge conversation in all my classes—how much do you disclose about yourself? Being in a room with people made me start to realize the kind of therapist I’m going to be.”

For Davachi, the preparation she received via her classes and professors gave her the confidence as a therapist.

Davachi: “It wasn’t just fluff work. There were times where I felt that things may have been repetitive, but I felt really prepared after graduating. I feel confident going into the room as a therapist, knowing that I graduated from Pepperdine and I learned great skills.

Those professors that I had were really important. I still remember so many things that the professor would say in class, and I’ll reference that. My law and ethics class really helped, too. I had a great time in that class. I’m now studying for the law and ethics exam, and I feel I retained almost all of that information.”

Being clear about (and following) your career aspirations beforehand is key. Also, expecting a degree of unpredictability during career transitions can prepare one for challenges ahead.

Davachi: “I would say a couple things. One, follow your dreams because I do think that that’s important. You should enjoy what you’re doing. I’m big on quality of life. I think a lot of people are unhappy in their jobs and just stick with it. On the other hand, know that you are starting over, so there might be some instability. That’s okay, and these are things that you’re going to have to work through. I think a lot of times we expect predictability; we really want it, but when you’re doing the transition, the last thing that you’re going to have is predictability.”

Maintaining boundaries and acknowledging her limitations as a therapist helps Davachi from experiencing burnout at work.

Davachi: “I think I am blessed with the fact that I can somehow keep work at work, and go home without it. Don’t get me wrong. I still sometimes think about clients after work, but I don’t let it get me down.

The biggest thing that I had to teach myself is that I’m not here to save people. I think that’s really important because, especially with addiction, I can’t be the one that gets you out of your addiction. I’ll give you the tools. I’m going to be here for you, and we’re going to work through so much, but people need to want these things for themselves. It’s something that I’ve realized—after a couple months of working— that I’m here to help people, not fix them. If I took all of that on for myself, it would be such a hard journey, and I wouldn’t be able to do this for long.”

Davachi’s practicum and internship experience made her realize that she chose the right path for her career transition, and made the challenging aspects of the program worth it.

Davachi: “I think what made it worth it was really enjoying my practicum site and internship. Going through a couple of years of school, while I wasn’t making money for therapy or seeing clients for my first year and a half, was a little challenging, because I was taking courses and I wasn’t ready to do my practicum yet. I feel that I wanted to get to the point, if you will. Once I actually got there and got to start my practicum and had that, ‘Okay, yes, this is what I want to do’ moment, I was really happy. I think that made it all worth it.”

Davachi’s story is proof that becoming a therapist later in life doesn’t mean starting from scratch without direction—it means bringing years of professional and personal experience into a career that finally fits. For those considering a similar therapist career path, her advice rings true: get clear on your “why,” expect some instability along the way, and trust that the discomfort of starting over is part of the process.

If you’re weighing going back to school to become a therapist, Pepperdine’s online MFT program offers the flexibility working professionals need to make that leap without putting their careers on pause. And if you’re still exploring what this kind of career change might look like—whether you’re drawn to counseling, psychology, or something in between—resources like counselor vs. psychologist, what MFT actually means, and how to become a counselor are great places to start.

Created by the online Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology program from Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology.