Tony42

Hello, I'm looking for some general advice on applications, letters of recommendation, etc. I graduated about 5 years ago with a Bachelor's degree in English Lit, during which I focused mostly on creative writing. After a few years regretting that choice's limitations, some wandering, lots of strange jobs, and a few personal crises, my own experiences in therapy have helped me to realize that I want to pursue a Master's in Counseling or Social Work, with an eye toward working as a mental health counselor. I understand that most programs in this field accept students who do not have a Bachelor's in a directly related field, but I'm wondering what I should focus on in order to be a competitive applicant. I've gotten pretty good at selling my Bachelor's degree as having imbued me with powerful critical thinking skills, and have gotten a few jobs on the basis of my writing ability, but I'm new to the grad school thing and I'm not sure how to sell what feels to me like a career change. I think I can use my personal experiences with therapy to make a pretty compelling case in a personal statement for why I want to take this path and why I would be right for it. But one thing I'm really unsure about is letters of recommendation. I didn't take any psychology classes in undergrad, and most of the professors and instructors that jump out in my mind as people who would happily write me a letter are creative writing instructors, and I'm not sure how relevant their letters would seem to the programs I'm applying for. Any advice on how to frame myself as a competitive candidate (and especially who I might consider asking for letters of recommendation) would be much appreciated! Thanks!