According to the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s website “Mental health counselors work with individuals, families, and groups to address and treat mental and emotional disorders and to promote mental health. They are trained in a variety of therapeutic techniques used to address issues, including depression, addiction and substance abuse, suicidal impulses, stress, problems with self-esteem, and grief.”
In his classic textbook The World of the Counselor (2007) Ed Neukrug shows thatin essence a mental health counselor is one of many helping professions that include the likes of:
- School counselors
- College counselors
- Pastoral counselors
- Rehabilitation counselors
- Marriage, couple, and family counselors
- Art and creative therapists
- Psychoanalysis
- Psychiatrists
- Psychologists
What separates the mental health counselor from the other helping fields is the focus on brief and mid term counseling techniques aimed at helping a mixture of the clients that would see any of the above helping professionals.
How to Become a Mental Health Counselor?
To become a mental health counselor an individual typically has to obtain a masters degree in mental health counseling from a school that is CACREP accredited (Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs). The program generally requires 60 credits and includes coursework in:
- Professional orientation and ethical practices
- Social and cultural diversity
- Human growth and development
- Career development and career counseling skills
- Helping relationships and individual counseling skills
- Group work and group therapy skills
- Assessment and diagnosis of mental health disorders
- Research and evaluation of program and treatment plans
- Human sexuality
- Substance abuse counseling skills
- Family therapy skills
Additionally, masters students are generally required to complete 1,000 hours of supervised field work and an additional two years of supervised field work is generally required by many states prior to being licensed as a mental health counselor. Always check state requirements for licensing before pursuing a program in counseling as the requirements vary from state to state.
Most undergraduates that intend to pursue a masters in mental health counseling get their degree in psychology though some aim for social work or sociology.
Finally, Ed Neukrug also explains that most people that are involved in counseling as well as other helping professions possess the following personality qualities:
- Trusting
- Empathic
- Genuine
- Accepting
- Open Minded
- Intelligent
- Well Adjusted
- Competent
The people that possesses the above characteristics are capable of being of service to others in such a way so as to promote unconditional love, acceptance, and ultimately change within the lives of the people (adults, children, adolescents, groups) that they touch and come into contact with.
Additionally, people that elect to become mental health counselors are typically very resilient as they find themselves coming into contact with people that have much pain and suffering occurring within their lives. This pain and suffering, if the mental health counselor isn’t cognitive, can take a personal toll on them.
How can a Mental Health Counselor Help?
A mental health counselor can help with many issues that normal people experience as they go about their journey through life. Some of these issues include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Sexual Confusion and Concerns
- Career Confusion and Concerns
- Separation and Divorce
- Grief and Loss
- Parenting and Discipline Issues
- Family Conflicts
- Drug and Alcohol Abuse
- Physical, Emotional, Mental, Verbal, and Sexual Abuse
- Anger Management
- Social Anxiety and Social Skills
- Phobias
- Suicide and Suicidal Thoughts
- Other Abnormal Behaviors
- Those people that just need to talk with someone other than friends and family members
In fact, a mental health counselor that is in a private practice generally will indicate what they specialize in, though the majority of them are capable of listening to, offering insights, and helping to structure action plans with their clients.
Typical time spent with a mental health counselor is less than what one would spend with a psychologist, psychotherapist, or psychoanalyst, but more than the time that would be spent with a guidance or crisis counselor. Despite this, many mental health counselors find themselves at times doing guidance and crisis counseling depending on the client.
In summary, mental health counselors have personal and professional traits that allow them to help and assist a wide population of people with the mental and emotional concerns that are occurring within their life. By using mid length and short term therapy they help clients to explore their concerns, they provide insights into those concerns, and usually assist clients to formulate an action plan sometimes in conjunction with psychologist, psychiatrist, and other helping professionals.
Sources:
- The World of the Counselor by Ed Neukrug. Brooks/Cole, 2007.
- On Being a Therapist by Jeffrey A Kottler. John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2003.
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