What Options Are Available For a Career in Mental Health?

Mental health professionals are in-demand in multiple countries as increasing numbers of people seek help. As awareness and advocacy for mental illness rise, more individuals, couples and families are taking action and seeking counseling and other forms of mental health care.

If you’re passionate about bettering people’s overall mental health and well-being as well as helping them find healthy coping mechanisms for a variety of issues such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, substance abuse and more, you might be the right candidate for a career in mental health. Mental health professions come in many forms, but they all have one thing in common: they are compassionate, empathetic, good listeners, and well-informed on the issues that cause people to seek help.

Mental health professionals need to seek formal education. Fortunately, this can be done online these days, so you can fit studying in around other commitments. Commencing your online Masters in Mental Health Counseling will open up so many doors, but it’s up to you to choose which one you walk through!

Mental Health Counsellor

Providing a safe, confidential, judgment-free space for those battling mental health issues to talk openly about their issues can be a lifesaver. Even just getting their thoughts out of their head and into the open can bring relief. Some people just want to be heard, and you can be the one who hears them.

Talking through what is troubling them, offering logical and gentle advice when needed, and being a supportive presence is the role of a counselor.

Family and Relationship Therapist

Instead of working with individuals, you may prefer to work with groups, managing conflicts, creating honesty between people, instilling trust, building communication and respect, and generally reducing sources of tension and discord. You may be working with families or with couples or even with a group of unrelated people who live or work together.

Family and relationship counseling is about building happier, stronger families. No family is perfect, but after a successful period of counseling, your clients will be better equipped to deal with emotions, conflicts, and tension within their relationships, as well as be able to more openly express themselves and honestly communicate.

Substance Abuse Counselor

Many people battling substance abuse or misuse don’t get the help they need because of the stigma and taboo around addiction. They need an understanding and well-informed professional to lean on as they recover.

Providing patients with support, education, and healthy coping mechanisms will help them address their issues and achieve and maintain sobriety. An open and supportive professional like you may be just the thing someone needs to turn their life around.

School Counselor

If you enjoy being around young people and want the privilege of helping to shape the next generation, you may thrive in a school counseling position. Working with kids and teenagers can involve helping them through a variety of issues such as problems at home, bullying, and mental health issues.

Helping young people achieve their personal goals and experience happiness regardless of adversity and crisis is a rewarding position that can positively affect some of our most vulnerable citizens. Guiding young people through difficult and emotional times will stay with them through to adulthood.

Grief Counsellor

Grief is a complicated process. Many are familiar with the stages of grief, but not everyone has a deeper understanding. Grief is not linear and it doesn’t disappear after we’ve completed each stage. If someone is in the dark depths of unending grief, they may seek counseling. A compassionate and educated counselor can be the guiding light in such a dark time.

Forensic Psychologist

In simple terms, forensic psychologists apply psychology to the law. There is quite an overlap between criminal activity and mental illness, and well-informed, educated mental health professionals are needed to fill in the gaps in courtroom proceedings. If you have knowledge in both the legal and mental health fields, you may find success in the role of a forensic psychologist, where your knowledge would be put to use helping individuals and organizations navigate the sometimes complex and overwhelming legal and criminal justice systems. Assessing the mental status of criminals and writing reports discussing criminal responsibility would be part of your day-to-day tasks, as well as giving informed answers to questions arising in judicial proceedings.