Mental Health Counselor Careers

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

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

• Educational, career and school counseling
• Rehabilitation counseling
• Substance abuse counseling
• Marriage and family counseling

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

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 counselors earned a median annual salary of $38,150, according to a 2010 survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. They also noted that the highest earnings are reported by counselors who are self-employed in well-established practices. The highest 10 percent earned more than $63,630 annually.

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.