How to be Mental Health Counselor?

Mental health counselor is the professional who diagnoses, prevent and treat mental health disorder. The modern hectic world has led to increasing of mental health disorders among the population.

The counselor has sought off a profession in the upcoming years. They practice similar professions as psychologists and treat disorders like anxiety, eating, PTSD, ADHD. In this article, you will find the steps that need to be taken to become a mental health counselor.

Certification

The eligibility criteria to become a counselor differ from state to state. Some states only ask for a graduate degree while some ask for a master’s degree. A Specialized degree is required for the professional who works directly with patients. Practitioners need to clear the state exam to get registered.

A Master’s degree is required in most cases, One can progress their career further by pursuing a doctoral degree and having more experience. You can specialize in certain fields such as addiction, behavioral disorder, depression etc.

Internship

The internship provides practical experience to the candidates about the field. They intern under already practicing professionals in a clinic or a hospital to learn how to handle a patient, how to communicate. Internships are part of the curriculum at dome universities Generally 2,000- 3,000 hours of internship is required to become eligible for graduation.

These hours often get finished in the period of 2 years. Depending on the type of internship, some of them are paid while others are generally unpaid. One should make an inquiry before they agree to it.

license

License to practice as mental health counselor is issued by the concerned state subject to the eligibility and the exam. Each state has its own exam for granting the license.

Jobs

Landing a job is a totally difficult ball game, Your specialization and internship experience need to match the profile of the opening. Networking is a key part of getting a job, Seek help from your supervisor seeks references from them. You can use the connection from your internship to find an opening. LinkedIn can be used to explore and find an opening.

Conclusion

Being a mental health counselor could be a very fulfilling job, You get to help people belonging to the different background with issues in their life. You get to help them resolve these issues and help them

a productive member of society. The profession commands respect in society and the demand for mental health profession’s is only going to increase.