Mental Health Counselors

Career Overview

Counsel and advise individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health, with an emphasis on prevention. May help individuals deal with a broad range of mental health issues, such as those associated with addictions and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; or aging.

Also Known As

• Clinician
• Counselor
• Mental Health Counselor
• Mental Health Therapist

Alternate Job Titles

• Behavior Analyst
• Behavioral Health Clinician
• Behavioral Health Consultant
• Behavioral Health Counselor
• Behavioral Health Therapist
• Bereavement Counselor
• BSS (Behavior Support Specialist)
• Case Manager
• Clinical Counselor
• Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CMHC)
• Clinician
• Corrections Caseworker
• Counselor
• Direct Care Counselor
• EAP Consultant (Employee Assistance Program Consultant)

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
• Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, helping them to develop insight into themselves or their relationships.
• Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
• Perform crisis interventions to help ensure the safety of the patients and others.
• Fill out and maintain client-related paperwork, including federal- and state-mandated forms, client diagnostic records, and progress notes.
• Assess patients for risk of suicide attempts.
• Perform crisis interventions with clients.

Emerging Responsibilities

As this field evolves, you may also:

• Guide clients in the development of skills or strategies for dealing with their problems and coping with triggering factors.
• Respond to client communications by monitoring voicemail and email, returning phone calls, and making follow-up calls for missed appointments.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Therapy and Counseling
• Psychology
• Customer and Personal Service
• English Language
• Sociology and Anthropology
• Education and Training
• Administrative

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

1. Active Listening
2. Social Perceptiveness
3. Speaking
4. Reading Comprehension
5. Writing
6. Critical Thinking
7. Judgment and Decision Making
8. Service Orientation
9. Active Learning
10. Monitoring

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Problem Sensitivity
• Deductive Reasoning
• Speech Recognition
• Written Comprehension
• Inductive Reasoning
• Speech Clarity
• Written Expression
• Information Ordering

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Empathy
• Cooperation
• Sincerity
• Dependability
• Stress Tolerance

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Relationships
• Achievement
• Independence
• Recognition
• Working Conditions

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Master's Degree

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months

Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
• Oracle PeopleSoft

Tools & Equipment

• Desktop computers
• Digital medical thermometers
• Flatbed scanners
• Notebook computers
• Personal computers
• Sphygmomanometers

Work Environment

• E-Mail
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Spend Time Sitting
• Contact With Others
• Freedom to Make Decisions

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.