Is Getting a Job as a Mental Health Counselor Easy
If you've a strong sense of compassion, enjoy helping people, and are willing to learn and grow by facing new challenges, you may enjoy the role of a mental health counselor. In general, a mental health counselor is a person who helps people manage or overcome psychological and emotional disorders and problems with their families and relationships. As a mental health counselor, you may deal with individuals, families, groups, and communities as you help them overcome their cognitive, behavioral, or emotional issues and improve their mental well-being.
A career as a mental health counselor brings a lot of potential benefits with it. One of the remarkable rewards of being a mental health counselor is the gratification and fulfillment you get by helping people and improving their quality of life. Other than potential meaningfulness, a role as a mental health counselor offers you high earning potential, flexible schedules, and an opportunity to work with new people every day. Not only this, but the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a growth rate of about 22 percent for mental health counselor employment, which is significantly faster than the average for all occupations.
Many aspiring mental health counselors hold a bachelor's degree in a human services field such as psychology, sociology, or social work. However, earning a master's degree in counseling or a related field may help burnish your resume. Further, you may specialize in areas such as trauma, addiction, or youth services. The licensing and certification guidelines vary state by state. As a mental health counselor, you may work in various family services, outpatient mental health, substance abuse centers, hospitals, government schools, or a private practice. Typically your hours will include frequent one-on-one patient contact. Other hours may consist of time leading group counseling, meeting with supervisors and peers, and reviewing notes. What's more, once you get experience under your belt, you may start your own private therapy practice to earn an even better living.
What Does a Mental Health Counselor Do
Mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists help people manage and overcome mental and emotional disorders and problems with their family and other relationships. They listen to clients and ask questions to help the clients understand their problems and develop strategies to improve their lives.
Learn more about what a Mental Health Counselor doesHow To Become a Mental Health Counselor
Mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists are typically required to have a master's degree and a license to practice.
Education
To become a mental health counselor or a marriage and family therapist, applicants typically need a master's degree in psychology, clinical mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, or a related mental health field. A bachelor's degree in most fields is acceptable to enter a master's program.
Counseling programs prepare students to recognize symptoms of mental and emotional disorders and to use effective counseling strategies. Marriage and family therapy programs teach students about how marriages, families, and relationships function and how these relationships can affect mental and emotional disorders.
Many employers prefer to hire counselors who have graduated from programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs.
Training
Candidates gain hands-on experience through postdegree supervised clinical work, sometimes referred to as an internship or residency. In training, they learn to provide family therapy, group therapy, psychotherapy, and other therapeutic interventions, under the supervision of a licensed counselor.
Licenses
All states require mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists to be licensed in the state in which they practice. Licensure requires a master's degree and 2,000 to 4,000 hours of postdegree supervised clinical experience, sometimes referred to as an internship or residency. In addition, counselors and therapists must pass a state-recognized exam and complete annual continuing education classes.
Contact information for state boards regulating mental health counselors is available through the National Board for Certified Counselors.
Contact and licensing information for marriage and family therapists is available through the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards.
Important Qualities
Compassion. Counselors and therapists often work with people who are dealing with stressful and difficult situations, so they must be compassionate and empathize with their clients.
Interpersonal skills. Being able to work with different types of people is essential for counselors and therapists. They spend most of their time working directly with clients and other professionals and must be able to encourage good relationships.
Listening skills. Good listening skills are essential for mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists, both of whom need to give their full attention to their clients to understand their problems, values, and goals.
Organizational skills. Good organizational skills are especially important for counselors and therapists in private practice, who must keep track of payments and work with insurance companies.
Speaking skills. Mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists need to be able to communicate with clients effectively. They must express ideas and information in a way that clients can understand easily.
Top
Mental Health Counselor
Jobs Near You
Mental Health Counselor Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of therapist you might progress to a role such as case manager eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title director of social services.
Average Salary for a Mental Health Counselor
Mental Health Counselors
in America make an average salary of
$49,471
per year or
$24
per hour. The top 10 percent makes over
$70,000
per year, while the bottom 10 percent under
$34,000
per year.
Average
Mental Health Counselor
Salary
$49,471 Yearly
What Am I Worth?
Mental Health Counselor Education
Top Colleges for Mental Health Counselors
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
8. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
9. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Top Skills For a Mental Health Counselor
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 17.5% of mental health counselors listed crisis intervention on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and emotional skills are important as well.
- Crisis Intervention , 17.5%
- Mental Health , 13.1%
- Treatment Plans , 10.0%
- Group Therapy , 8.0%
- Patient Care , 6.7%
- Other Skills , 44.7%
Mental Health Counselor Demographics
Mental Health Counselor Gender Distribution
Female
Male
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among mental health counselors, 68.6% of them are women, while 31.4% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among mental health counselors is White, which makes up 71.2% of all mental health counselors.
- The most common foreign language among mental health counselors is Spanish at 63.3%.
Online Courses For Mental Health Counselor That You May Like
Advertising Disclosure The courses listed below are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the course, we may receive a commission.
Addiction & Mental Health (Dual Diagnosis) Integrative 12hrs
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions: Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health - Integrative Holistic Approach...
Managing mental health issues in the workplace
Learn how to support your own mental health and wellbeing and that of your staff...
Addiction & Mental Health - Chemically Speaking Two (2hrs)
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions - Understand Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health. How to help people...
Best States For a Mental Health Counselor
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a mental health counselor. The best states for people in this position are Washington, Nevada, Arizona, and Idaho. Mental health counselors make the most in Washington with an average salary of $58,089. Whereas in Nevada and Arizona, they would average $57,395 and $55,995, respectively. While mental health counselors would only make an average of $55,832 in Idaho, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
How Do Mental Health Counselor Rate Their Jobs?
What do you like the most about working as Mental Health Counselor?
The (working) clients will always be the best part of this job. There are certain individuals who you can feel want to learn more about their conditions and to adopt healthier thinking patterns or lifestyles. Show More
What do you NOT like?
The insane amount of paperwork, the insurance/agency politics, the high expectations, the low amount of support. Burnout is very concerning for a profession where people in the frontline are the ones trying to make a difference. Individuals who work in this field need to have an incentive to keep pushing. I'm sorry but a kind heart and good intentions are not enough to sustain this type of career. Show More
Top Mental Health Counselor Employers
Mental Health Counselor Videos
Mental Health Counselor, Career Video from drkit.org
Mental Health Counselor (university setting), Career Video from drkit.org
Damon Cobble Mental Health Counselor | American Graduate | KET
Becoming a Mental Health Counselor FAQs
How to become a mental health counselor without a degree?
You cannot become a mental health counselor without a degree. Mental health counselors, psychologists, and marriage or family therapists all require some sort of education in psychology or a related field. Other positions can be entered into without a degree, including:
Mental Health Counselor vs Therapist
A mental health counselor is a psychological professional who tends to offer short-term care to patients, while a therapist is a psychological professional who tends to offer long-term care to patients.
Search For Mental Health Counselor Jobs
Source: https://www.zippia.com/mental-health-counselor-jobs/
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