Mental Health Counselors
Work with individuals to prevent mental health problems and improve their mental health.
Quick Facts
Wages: |
Data not available
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Outlook: |
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Education: |
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On the Job: |
Typical Work Tasks
- Provide basic health care services.
- Refer clients to community or social service programs.
- Complete documentation required by programs or regulations.
- Develop working relationships with others to facilitate program activities.
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Job Title Examples: |
Case Manager
Therapist
Correctional Counselor
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This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Wages & Outlook
Typical Wages
Data not available
Employment
Where do Mental Health Counselors most often work?
Current Demand
No data available.
Future Demand
No data available.
On the Job
Mental Health Counselors help people to have improved mental and emotional health. They may focus on addiction, parenting, marital problems, self-esteem, managing stress, and other issues.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Provide basic health care services.
- Refer clients to community or social service programs.
- Complete documentation required by programs or regulations.
- Develop working relationships with others to facilitate program activities.
- Maintain client records.
- Write reports or evaluations.
- Maintain professional social services knowledge.
- Collect information about clients.
- Collect information about community health needs.
- Interview clients to gather information about their backgrounds, needs, or progress.
Typical Working Conditions
- The freedom to determine tasks, priorities, and goals.
- Frequent contact with others.
- Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
- Working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.
- Sitting.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- Working with a group or team.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Education & Credentials
Educational Requirements
Data not available
Work Experience and Training Requirements
Nationally, this career typically requires:
- There is no data on work experience requirements for this career.
- There is no data for on-the-job training requirements for this career.
Current Training Opportunities
Related Programs
Majors
Click on any of the Majors listed below to find out more about preparing for this
career.
Transfer Options
Enrolling in a community college can be a great place to start your four-year degree. While all 31 Minnesota State community colleges,
technical colleges and universities offer all or part of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum
(a 40-credit package of general education courses accepted for transfer to other state colleges and universities, the University of Minnesota,
and some private colleges and universities), not all two-year colleges offer degrees intended to transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree.
If you plan to transfer to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, it is important to know which degree path is right for you:
- Associate of Arts (AA) degrees offered at community colleges are designed to transfer into liberal arts four-year majors.
- Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees offered at community and technical colleges transfer into specific four-year majors and will likely require completing additional general education courses at a university.
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees offered at technical and community colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
- Diplomas and certificates offered at technical colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
Talk to a transfer specialist as early as possible to determine the best associate degree for your goals. Be sure to review your Degree Audit Report (DARS) each semester to best prepare for transfer. Get more help understanding transfer using the tools below.
Licenses
Licenses are knowledge and skill credentials that are legally required in some careers.
This occupation requires a license.
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
Unlicensed Mental Health Practitioners Requirements
Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:
- Child Development
- Computer Applications
- Cultural/Ethnic Studies
- English Composition
- Health Education
- Personal Finance
- Political Science
- Public Administration
- Public Speaking
- Safety and First Aid
- Sociology
- World Languages
In Minnesota, your school may have developed a Program of Study in this career area.
A Program of Study is an academic and career plan developed by your high school to help move you towards a career
and college path. A Program of Study can help you:
- Select high school classes that prepare you for college and getting a job
- Understand how the classes you're taking in high school lead to a career
- Identify extra-curricular activities that are related to your career interest
- See what classes at your school offer early college credit that will save you time and money towards your college expenses
- Graduate from high school prepared for your next step toward the career you choose
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Skills & Knowledge
Most Important Skills for Mental Health Counselors
- Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Persuading Others—Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Learning New Things—Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Writing—Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Mental Health Counselors
- Therapy and Counseling—Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
- Psychology—Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Sociology and Anthropology—Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
- English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Philosophy and Theology—Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
- Law and Government—Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
- Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
- Social—Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Investigative—Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Learn more about your interests. Take the MnCareers Interest Assessment.
Describe Your Skills
People who have worked in this career typically perform the following tasks.
These statements can help a prospective employer understand what you can do, on a resume or during an interview.
- Helping and caring for people.
- Creating and maintaining interpersonal relationships.
- Documenting or recording information.
- Keeping up-to-date with new knowledge.
- Working directly with the public.
- Collecting information from different sources.
- Resolving conflicts or negotiating with people.
- Thinking creatively.
Careers that Use Similar Skills
The following careers use skills, knowledge, and abilities that are similar to those used for Mental Health Counselors.
View more careers in the Human Services cluster
View more careers in the Counseling and Mental Health Services pathway
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
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Jobs
Real-time job data provided by Gartner TalentNeuron
Job Title Examples
Case Manager,
Therapist,
Correctional Counselor,
Clinical Supervisor,
Correctional Care and Treatment Worker,
Correctional Caseworker,
Corrections Caseworker,
Employee Assistance Program Counselor (EAP Counselor),
Mental Health Therapist
Where Do Mental Health Counselors Work?
Mental Health Counselors often work in the following industries.
Similar Careers
Below are careers that use skill sets that are similar to Mental Health Counselors.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.