[Kate*]

Only you can make the final decision. Yes, this would give you time to work on yourself (and should emphasize that it's important.) Keep in mind that you will likely be confronted with things that trigger you too. A lot of times the content of social services programs will cover "triggering" topics and you'll have to get through them. You don't have to decide this immediately. If you're doubting whether you can make it in the field, regardless of why, don't immediately jump into a program. Look at the course requirements for some programs and see if you'll be able to handle it and talk to social workers (whether they know you or not), and see what the field really entails. If you get directed away, that's not always a bad thing. If I had listened when the counseling faculty suggested I wouldn't finish and they were trying to prevent disaster down the road, I'd be in a lot less debt and would've wasted a lot less time. I know they're different, but remember that if people who care have concerns, they aren't necessarily trying to squash a dream, they may be trying to keep you from getting into something that isn't going to work. There's a balance between pushing for what you want and accepting that sometimes it's not going to be a good idea.