Clinical mental health counseling is a healthcare profession that addresses a wide range of issues, including substance abuse, addiction, relational problems, stress management, and more serious conditions such as suicidal ideation and acute behavioral disorders. Practitioners may also assist with occupational growth in neurodivergent populations and behavioral and educational development. Clinical mental health counselors include psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health technicians, marriage counselors, social workers, and family therapists.
Clinical mental health counseling is a therapeutic process in which licensed professionals help their clients address and manage emotional, psychological, and behavioral challenges. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), those issues can include personal problems or issues of a behavioral, emotional, marital, vocational, rehabilitative, educational, or life-stage nature. Clinical mental health counselors use talk therapy, assessment, and the development of effective management strategies to promote well-being, enhance coping skills, and facilitate personal growth.
To become a certified clinical mental health counselor, the National Board for Certified Counselors requires individuals to have education in areas such as the diagnostic process, psychopharmacology, treatment planning, mental examinations, and psychosocial evaluations. Clinical mental health counseling requires a masters degree for practice, and programs must meet the standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) .
Clinical mental health counselors work in a variety of settings, including private practice, community mental health centers, hospitals, schools, and government agencies. They may deal with mental health issues, client concerns regarding career or education choices, and the ways people relate to one another. Counselors may also find themselves dealing with healthcare or insurance providers, or updating families, probation officers, police, or the courts on changes in a clients status.
In summary, clinical mental health counseling is a healthcare profession that addresses a wide range of issues and uses talk therapy, assessment, and the development of effective management strategies to promote well-being, enhance coping skills, and facilitate personal growth. Clinical mental health counselors work in a variety of settings and require a masters degree for practice.
