Have you been considering becoming a mental health counselor? In this video tip I’m going to share with you the first of 3 very important tips that can usher you in to a very successful Mental Health counseling career.
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Licensure in the Mental Health Counseling field requires a Master’s degree. But, quite frankly nearly anyone can get an advanced degree in counseling…and further, because it is such a sought after degree, individuals with an MA in counseling are a dime a dozen…if you are thinking about pursuing counseling as a first or second or even third career here are the things you need to know…
- One website published the average annual salary for Licensed mental health counselors at about $45,000/year.
Good luck finding a full time job, with benefits as a licensed mental health counselor that pays $45K…there certainly are jobs out there that pay that and even more, but they are few and far between, which brings me to our first tip on how to have a successful mental health counseling career.
If you are planning to enter the field of mental health counseling or you are getting ready to graduate with your degree…You need to begin NOW setting yourself apart as someone who is exceptional in the field…this begins with developing your character, work ethic, knowledge base etc….
First and foremost…
Get yourself into counseling. After all, how can you know if this is what you want to do, if you have never sat in the client’s chair. Just because you like to give advice and your friends tell you you are a good listener, there is much more to counseling than that. Many people think this is a very romanticized career, but an exceptional counselor has exceptional skills and one of the first places to begin developing those skills is actually by experiencing what it is like to be a client.
Experiencing counseling for yourself is an invaluable experience…
- You will learn fast what to do and what not to do.
- Being in the client seat requires…
- Humility and teachability
- An acknowledgement that you need to grow as a person and are willing to receive help – this will help you become a humble servent helper to others – someone who corroborates with their clients, rather than sits in the seat of knowledge looking down on clients.
- Working through your own stuff. No matter how big or small will begin to help you develop the cognitive and introspection skills and insight required to be a successful counselor.
I hope you give some thought to this tip for becoming not just any mental health therapist, but a very successful mental health therapist.
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