Mental Health Counselor
Duties and Responsibilities: Mental Counselors give guidance to people, couples, families and groups who are having issues that affect their mental health and themselves. On the job, mental health counselors:
- work with people, groups and communities to improve mental health.
- Take a mind and body approach to mental health care
- Encourage
- patients to discuss emotions and experiences
- Develop therapeutic processes
- Examine issues including substance abuse, aging,anger management, bullying, depression, careers,relationships,LGBTQ issues,self-image,stress and suicide
- Help clients define goals,plan action, and gain insight
- Work with families
Salary: $29,919 - $53,307
Education: You need to earn an undergraduate degree in counseling, psychology, sociology or social work. Your masters degree will possibly take one or two years to complete. Most states require that mental health counselors complete two years of post graduate supervised work. Counselors must pass a state exam and complete annual education courses.
Demand or Need for this profession: The employment of mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists is to grow 19 percent from 2014 to 2024, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.
Reflection: No I would not like to become a mental health counselor because I’m not in the path of the job. Yes the job description is wonderful because you would be helping many people and families but that isn’t the type of job I’m looking for.
