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Mental Health Counseling

Learn about the the broad range of counseling needs serviced by mental health counselors

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Mental Health Counselor Career Highlights

mental health counselor

Approximately 25 percent of North Americans suffer from diagnosable mental health issues each year. With the increasing awareness of the related social, political and economic impacts of these problems, there is a greater need for professional mental health counselors.

Additionally, most mental health counseling is recognized by health care insurance providers, driving the demand for more qualified professionals.

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Mental Health Counseling Approach

Mental health counselors take a holistic approach, in that it examines a person's external environmental and societal influences, while also monitoring inner emotional, physical and behavioral health.

Mental health counseling is a broad term used to encompass the general counseling field. One generally becomes a mental health counselor (MHC) before specializing in a chosen field.

After earning a master's degree in mental health counseling, most people choose to get licensed or certified in a specialty such as:

See Counseling Licenses for a full description of the various types of counseling licenses.

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Mental health counselors work with individuals, groups and communities on a variety of mental health issues:

  • Addiction / substance abuse
  • Aging
  • Anger management
  • Career issues
  • Depression
  • Marital and relationship problems
  • Self image
  • Stress
  • Suicide

Mental health counselors strive to educate and support people in their own personal development.

Mental Health Counselor Salary

Mental health counselors earned a median annual salary of $36,000, according to a 2007 survey by Bureau of Labor and Statistics. The highest earnings are reported by counselors who are self-employed in well-established practices. The highest 10 percent earned more than $61,960 annually.

Developing a private counseling practice usually takes up to 5 years after licensure.

Mental Health Counseling Degrees

In order to become a mental health counselor, you will need to obtain an MA, MS or MSW. Most are two-year master's degree programs. You will also need to complete an internship during school, working directly with people.

Although state licensing requirements vary, a period of supervised, post-graduate work experience is customary. Check licensing requirements in your state.

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