Mental Health Counselor
The job outlook for a substance abuse counselor far exceeds that of nearly all other careers between 2016 and 2026. This counseling field is expected to grow by up to 23% during this time. This exceptional growth can be attributed to the trends of more substance abuse counselors in schools, more rehabilitation sentencing, more employer support, and the opioid crisis. The number of substance abuse counselors has already grown by roughly 30,000 jobs since 2012. These jobs are often considered highly fulfilling and in the top 50 of overall best jobs in the US and top 25 for the best health profession jobs.
An often-overlooked aspect of substance abuse counselors is the significant ways by which they positively impact society. These professionals are directly related to community improvements in several ways, including lower crime rates, fewer hospitalizations and accidents, safer roads, and less domestic violence. And these mental health professionals help to improve the lives of dozens of people through just one client, from family members to children. If you want to make a lasting, positive impact on the lives of thousands of people over the course of your career, you might just want to become a substance abuse counselor.
Job Duties
The job duties of a substance abuse counselor will vary based on the employer and state. It is important to note that a counselor of this type will not be permitted to give psychological therapy or to prescribe medications. You will act as a mentor and an advocate for your clients to help them reach understanding of the reasons they have become dependent on drugs or alcohol. You might also help them find employment, help them establish support networks, create life improvement plans, and work with the family members who have been affected. The overall goal of this type of counselor is to help the client become self-sufficient without the use of drugs or alcohol.
Evaluate the physical and mental health of a client.
Identify situations and behavior that are counterintuitive to recovery.
Provide a safe and nurturing counseling environment.
Work with family members to help them with coping strategies to deal with the problems of their loved ones.
Actively listen.
Create a plan of action.
Develop a support network.
Make referrals for clients to alternative resources, tools, and services.
Places You Can Work
The type of employers seeking substance abuse counselors will vary. You could work anywhere from a private clinic to a public school, interacting with kids. This position typically requires a minimum of 40 hours per week. In some instances, you might work more. It is important that you establish boundaries in this job, or you may experience burn-out and not have the work-life balance that is essential to the health of your own relationships. Also, keep in mind that you will be helping some individuals who are dealing with very complex, difficult, and draining problems, not just with their addiction, but with the effects it has on their family, work life, and children. You must have a highly strong emotional and physical core to be able to help these people without being negatively affected yourself.
Employee Assistance Programs
Employee assistance programs are often provided by progressive employers to aid in the mental health of their employees. Many companies believe that the mental health of employees is essential to the success of their business and the overall happiness of their customers. As such, employers will pay to have their employees seek counseling for their personal problems, including alcohol and drug abuse.
Hospitals
Laws and medical policies are changing to require hospitals to keep mental health professionals on staff, including substance abuse counselors. Hospitals, like many medical professions today, are grasping the overall importance of mental health. You might be able to work in a hospital, clinic, community non-profit, or state-funded program center. As greater emphasis is placed on mental health, there is more need for mental health counselors of all sorts.
Methadone Clinics
A methadone clinic is designated for treating individuals with an opioid addiction through the administration of methadone. These highly specialized clinics also offer a range of support programs for patients, such as regular meetings with a substance abuse counselor. Because these clinics are government regulated, you will have to meet more stringent standards than with some other employers.
School Districts
School districts recognize the need for mental health professionals more than ever given the state of public schools in the country. A substance abuse counselor in a school works with at-risk youth who are abusing drugs and alcohol or those who are or might be considering it. The idea behind this program is not to replace the traditional school counselor but rather act as a preventative measure to prevent crime, and as a way to provide at-risk students a more promising path to success in life. This is also done at school so that families are not burdened with the time or money required to seek treatment outside of school.
Treatment Centers
Drug and alcohol treatment centers are traditionally one of the largest employers of substance abuse counselors. These types of positions require one-on-one counseling and group discussions. The more reputable the treatment center the more education and training you will likely require. It is possible to work at a small center to gain experience as you complete higher education.
What is Your Career Choice Salary Earning Potential?
A substance abuse counselor is a type of mental health counselor who treats patients suffering from drug or alcohol dependency. They may also treat individuals who are concerned they are abusing drugs and alcohol in a way that might lead to addiction. These mental health professionals will work with both the chemically dependent client and their family to find coping strategies and plans of action to foster success for everyone. Family involvement can be an important part of the recovery and healing process. Substance abuse counselors are increasingly in demand and they are expected to continue to be so through 2026. People who enjoy helping others and have patience often make ideal substance abuse counselors.
To become a licensed substance abuse counselor, your educational and training requirements will vary from state to state. Most people will complete degree programs at accredited colleges and universities. Some states might only require a certificate; whereas, other states will require a degree. All potential counselors will require a certain number of supervised hours with clients, to pass an exam, and to clear child abuse and felony background checks. Majors for this career can also vary, however, most people choose an undergraduate degree in psychology and specialize in substance abuse as a minor when it is available. You might also have to complete the National Counselor Exam to become officially licensed in addiction and substance abuse within your state.
Some employers will hire former addicts without any formal education or training. These individuals are expected to have been clean and sober for a number of years, usually two or more. Those who employ these types of substance abuse counselors believe that the real-life struggle of someone who has overcome their problems can be highly beneficial to those who are currently abusing alcohol or drugs. Employment for these individuals is highly limited but you can always take accredited online courses to complete certifications and degrees while you work.
You will require a number of hard and soft skills to be a success as a substance abuse counselor and it can be helpful to have certain natural or experience-based characteristics. Your hard skills will be the right education, certifications, and job experiences. If you have not completed your supervised training, you are less likely to be hired. Individuals who are able to manage stress well, have superior social skills, possess the ability to maintain appropriate boundaries, and have experience with recovery are likely to perform well as a counselor. And the soft skills that help mental health professionals excel in this field are highly specific, such as confidence, a desire to help, empathy, and listening skills.
The growth of this profession is directly related to current social issues. The opioid addiction crisis continues to be a significant strain despite states working to implement prevention and treatment programs. Jails and prisons are overcrowded, influencing a move by judges to sentence more criminals to drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation rather than to jail or prison. Another trend is happening among employers; some are more likely to send their employees to treatment rather than to terminate them, particularly for those who can do video sessions rather than miss work. Schools are also taking a more proactive role dealing with alcohol and drug abuse in teens and even children who are raised by drug and alcohol abusers. All of these trends are leading to significant growth in the substance abuse counseling field.
A mental health counselor is an expert that uses a variety of psychiatric therapy methods and techniques to help individuals experiencing psychological distress. In the United States, approximately one in four adults are experiencing mental disorders at any kind of provided time, and also research programs that near to 50% of adults will certainly contend with at least one mental disorder during their lifetime. The occurrence of mental illness highlights the need and require for qualified professionals to diagnose, treat, and avoid mental health issues. The societal prices of mental health issues are growing progressively high too. Researches reveal that the economic burden of major depressive condition (MDD) is around $210.5 billion a year.
All people encounter different psychological obstacles at different factors in life, as well as sometimes people require the aid of an expert to handle these difficulties. It can sometimes be confusing to establish what kind of aid is required, particularly because there are many various sorts of specialists that focus on treating mental health issues. You could discover expert mental health counselors working in a wide variety of setups consisting of:
Mental health clinics
Social service agencies
Government agencies
Counselors might additionally aid people experiencing social difficulties, emotional troubles, dependencies and substance abuse, despair, self-confidence concerns, and also marital difficulties. Some mental health counselors select to work with certain populaces such as children, the senior, or university student.
Some of the jobs that a mental health counselor might tackle regularly consist of: Assessing and also detecting clients experiencing signs of psychological distress Providing psychotherapy to clients Talking to clients about their experiences, emotions, as well as thoughts Conducting group sessions with families Working with customers to set goals, develop a treatment plan, as well as gain understanding via treatment Working with clients to recognize situations, habits, and also thoughts that hinder their wellness as well as recovery Examining social concerns that might influence a customers mental wellness, including peer stress, bullying, substance usage, bias, job anxiety, economic difficulties, and also health issues Referring customers to other health professionals in addition to other sources in the community such as various other social services, work solutions, and assistance groups Counseling has a tendency to see individual requirements within a humanistic context. As opposed to focusing on disorder, counselors usually see troubles as arising from regular reactions to developing adjustments or as trouble handling certain life stages. Therefore, counselors might focus on individual development by assisting you find out the abilities and also coping abilities you need to handle such life modifications and stages efficiently.
What kind of training do mental health counselors require? Several begin by gaining a bachelor's degree in a human services area such as psychology, sociology, or community service. While having a history in social scientific research is optimal, individuals with undergraduate degrees in other areas can additionally enter the field of counseling. This often needs completing a number of standard requirement programs prior to gaining admission to a certified masters level program.
The minimal needs for a certified mental health counselor are a masters degree in counseling as well as at the very least 2 to 3 years of monitored practice under a qualified specialist.
States commonly call for a minimum of 2,000 to 3,000 hrs of monitored practice before obtaining licensure; however, it is necessary to contact your states accrediting board to read more concerning certain requirements. Constantly be sure to check the standards in the state where you prepare to study as well as practice.
While this means that you will certainly need to continue enrolling throughout your profession, it also allows you to remain existing as well as explore new details and also techniques to better hone your abilities as a counselor.
For those with a stress and anxiety disorder, the requirement for a mental health counselor is obvious. There are lots of benefits to utilizing a mental health counselor.
The initial advantage is that counselors are typically called for to offer counseling services free of charge. Free counseling permits an individual to get some sort of therapy without having to fork over a great deal of money.
The second benefit is that the capacity to be able to receive mental health counseling is a fundamental human right. This suggests that not everyone can pay for counseling services.
With some of the cost of mental health treatments at centers and health centers, some individuals simply can not manage to go into counseling. Nevertheless, the mental health counselor states that any person can make use of the services.
For those who have an anxiousness disorder, they might not have the ability to get counseling as a result of their condition. If this holds true, then it is required to recognize that they are entitled to have counseling services offered to them.
Nobody is bound to receive treatment or counseling, but most all individuals are bound to make a plan of treatment. By making a plan of therapy, this is allowing others to complete the treatment that might be needed.
This is why the mental health counselor interpretation states that any individual can enter and also receive the same services as any person else. This is excellent news for those that suffer from anxiety problems, but likewise excellent information for every person.
The word counselor does not mean that they are professionals or teachers. It indicates that a person who gives the advantages of counseling services free of charge. Those who want to seek the solutions of a mental health counselor must look for solutions with different organizations that offer counseling solutions.
A meaning for the services that a counselor provides is a thesaurus definition of the solutions offered by counselors. These consist of face to face therapy, team therapy, comprehensive treatment, communication skills as well as problem addressing, insight treatment, meaningful writing, living abilities training, personal security as well as much more.
Any person that struggles with mental problems will certainly gain from seeing a mental health counselor. The advantages are numerous, but if someone experiences a stress and anxiety condition, the advantages are also higher.
Such solutions help give people with the support required to return on track and also attain optimum health. As long as a person seeks these solutions, there is no factor to fear their advantages and possible advantages.
Advantages are readily available, nevertheless, everybody must look for the aid that they require. By seeking the help of a mental health counselor, people are giving something that no person can eliminate from them.
A lot of mental health specialists in the U.S. run in outpatient and property therapy facilities, particular as well as family solutions, and likewise local governments. They are enlightened in a variety of corrective approaches made use of to attend to issues, containing depression, stress and anxiety, dependency and likewise chemical abuse, suicidal impulses, anxiety, difficulties with self-worth, and also pain. They also help with jobs in addition to occupation worries, academic choices, troubles associated with mental illness along with psychological wellness, and also members of the family, parenting, marital, or other link troubles.
A mental health therapist (MHC), or therapist, is an individual that works together with people and additional groups to promote ideal psychology in addition to emotional health. Such people might assist people handle issues associated with dependency as well as additional product abuse; house, parenting, as well as also marriage problems; stress administration; self-worth; and likewise growing. The USA Bureau of Labor Stats distinguishes "Mental Health Counselors" from "Social Workers", "Psychiatrists", as well as "Psychologists".
In some territories throughout the USA, specialists, marriage as well as likewise home specialists, and also psycho specialists have practically the exact same definitions: evaluating as well as also treating mental and also behavior problems. In spite of such interpretations, several mental health specialists reject the clinical variation (which thinks that clients are "disordered") on behalf of more comprehensive viewpoints, such as those that arise from systems psychology.
This location asks for the majority of the precise same social and communication abilities as counseling. Accredited specialists can share their understanding by training in postsecondary institutions. The graph listed below details a few of these occupation choices. These addiction-related specializeds see experts collaborating with a part of people that need specific attention. Bachelor's, Master's These therapists frequently begin as mental health counselors and also after that carve out a particular specific niche in assisting family members.
The states that pay the greatest possible earnings include Utah, Alaska, Nevada, Oregon, as well as New Coat. These states boast normal incomes differing from $60,120-$ 67,410. It is no coincidence that a few of one of the most country states pay much more for counselors. Backwoods commonly battle employees' mental health facilities. When picking where to practice, therapists should additionally consider components, such as the licensing procedure as well as the high quality of life they desire.
Counseling Approaches
Behavioral Approach
Behavioral therapy could be characterized as an outside-in approach. That is, most therapeutic approaches focus on a person's inner motivations, desires, and neuroses as a means of seeking wholeness and happiness. These other approaches seek to heal inner wounds to change outer behaviors and external outcomes. For example, if they are continually procrastinating their tasks, a counselor might look to deeper problems stemming from an autocratic father who instilled deep anxiety around performance.
Behavioral therapy, on the other hand, teaches clients to change their behaviors as a way to find inner happiness. Thus, the procrastinating patient might try new ways to reward herself for completing tasks in a timely fashion.
B.F. Skinner pioneered this approach, and his followers were so enamored of it that they would eschew any reference to the unconscious mind. Rather, they thought that human problems could be resolved by supplying the proper reinforcements for positive or desirable behaviors. Therapists often ask clients to monitor their behaviors and take detailed notes on their activities. They then work together to discover new activities that provide the sorts of rewards most needed by the client. When a client needs to learn new skills, they might role-play these new things with the therapist.
Humanistic Approach
This approach is often attributed to the work of Carl Rogers, a post-Freudian psychotherapist who founded his psychological thinking on the idea that human beings are fundamentally good. His emphasis on a person's positive traits is counter to many other approaches which see the human personality as a conglomeration of neuroses, sexual deviance, and childhood trauma. This approach can thus be helpful if a client is struggling with low self-esteem since it seeks to emphasize positive attributes rather than analyze them as a system of problems.
Humanistic sessions seek to uncover a client's positive inner strengths as well as their outer abilities and positive behaviors. Counselors have used the humanistic approach to treat a wide range of disorders, including depression, anxiety, addiction, schizophrenia, and all sorts of relationship difficulties.
Humanistic sessions also posit the counselor as an equal to the client. Their status is one of facilitator to the client rather than a dominating psychological authority. They seek to provide an atmosphere of acceptance and caring in an attempt to allow the client to trust them and the psychological process.
Psychoanalytic Approach
Sigmund Freud pioneered psychoanalysis in the early 20th century. His theory was that humans are motivated and often hindered by their unconscious minds. His theory of development played a huge role in the idea that adults are governed by influences experienced during childhood.
In a psychoanalytic session, patients might be asked to respond to a series of prompts with the first word that comes to mind. This word-association method is thought to help unlock the unconscious mind by easing the restrictions we place on thought when we are trying to portray a certain persona. This approach also becomes highly individualized since every client is sure to have special associations with certain words and thus idiosyncratic responses to the counselor's prompts.
This approach thus requires a great deal of trust and intimacy in the counselor-client relationship. Clients must be able to let their guard down enough so that they can explore their inner lives on a very deep level. The insights clients gain through this approach have unlocked great personal potential and have healed deep personal wounds and relationships.
Cognitive Approach
Cognitive therapy deals with the ways that we process and cope with information, thoughts, and feelings. This therapeutic approach focuses on a client's thinking as a way to address other problems. Clients learn to change the thoughts which might be excessively self-deprecating, or which tend to exaggerate problems. Rather than merely replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, clients learn to see problems through a realistic lens.
This sort of approach has proven effective for a wide range of problems. Since it relies on specific cognitive tools, if a client begins to backslide into their old patterns of thought and feeling, they can return to the methods learned from their counselor. Once a patient starts framing issues in a more rational framework, they are likely to find them far more manageable.
One very attractive feature of cognitive therapy is that studies have shown that it is as effective against depression as antidepressant medications. Since cognitive therapy has neither side effects nor the need for a prescription, this approach might be preferred for many who find themselves overwhelmed and depressed.