Learn about a career in counseling

Mental health counselors guide people who are dealing with issues that affect mental health and well-being. Many counselors use a “wellness” model that emphasizes and encourages customer strengths to gain overall access to work.

Let’s have a look at what do counselors do?

Workplace, Mental Health Counseling: Work with Individuals, groups, and communities to improve mental health.

Encourage customers to discuss their feelings and experiences.

Investigate issues such as substance abuse, aging, harassment, anger management, occupation, depression, relationships, stress, and suicide

Working with Family

Helping Customers Define Goals, Plan Actions, and Gain Insights

Develop Treatment Processes

Develop Customers for Psychologists and Other Services Referral

Take an overall (mental and physical) approach to mental health care

STEPS TO BECOMING A COUNSELOR:

Becoming a licensed clinical professional counselor is an ideal career path for individuals who want to help their customers overcome substance abuse, mental illness, and other struggle-related obstacles. A licensed counselor interviews a military visitor, observes abnormal behavior, conducts assessments to determine behavioral characteristics and develops an effective treatment plan to control the visitor’s problems. Those interested in providing support services for mental health problems can use the following step-by-step guide to become a licensed counselor.

GET A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN YOUR RELEVANT FIELD:

Getting a bachelor’s degree is the fundamental step, students can go for a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in psychology and you can also go for pursuing a bachelor of social work (BSW).

Whichever variant you choose, the curriculum of your program must teach you to understand human development, psychological disorders, and social issues related to mental health.

THEN GO FOR A MASTER’S DEGREE IN COUNSELING

After getting your bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree is a must that too from a program accredited by the

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. These programs deepen your understanding of best practices in the field while requiring you to pursue contact/clinical hours in a counseling office. Many graduate students choose Master of Arts or Master of Science in counseling, but those who want to work in academic settings choose a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in counseling.

RECEIVE NATIONAL COUNSELING CERTIFICATION

After receiving the master’s degree, the next step is to receive national certification as a professional counselor by taking the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE), which is administered by the Center for Credentialing and Education. Affiliated with the National Board of Certified

Counselors (NBCC), the examination has been designed to assess individuals` knowledge of counseling theories and application techniques to ensure competency in the field for practice.

Receive National Counseling Certification

OBTAIN STATE LICENSING TO PRACTICE

Now, you are ready to receive the get into practice as a licensed clinical professional counselor. The American Association of State Counseling Boards indicates that obtaining a counseling license typically requires an official college transcript, documentation of supervised clinical practice, letters of recommendation, and a current resume.

IS THIS A GOOD FIELD?

Employment for mental health counselors are getting higher day by day due to the rising demand for counseling services that treat prevalent psychological problems. Therefore, this profession is in demand and you can get started on the path toward gaining professional licensure for practice. With a firm understanding and practice of counseling intervention techniques to implement treatment plans, you can achieve licensure as a licensed clinical professional counselor to begin making a difference in the lives of others.

THE CAREER OF A LICENSED CLINICAL PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR:

You can choose a variety of paths, you just need to review that your skills match the job description, but they should also conduct further research to find positions that fit their interests.

THE SALARY OF A LICENSED CLINICAL PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR:

The salary depends on several factors, including degree level, amount of experience, location, and type of employer. The more checkboxes you meet, the more you can earn.