Author: Kathrine Corbett
Clinical mental health counseling is a practice in which licensed professionals assess and diagnose clients to identify mental health disorders. Once they have determined where a client is struggling, they create and implement evidence-based therapy strategies that help individuals overcome challenges and live a healthier, more fulfilling life.
It's a career path that is both rewarding and challenging. Cambridge College in Boston, MA offers a master’s in mental health counseling that prepares you to sit for the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE) and become licensed in the state of Massachusetts. Ultimately, anyone interested in providing individuals with counseling or therapy should thoroughly explore the field to determine if it's the right fit for them, both personally and professionally.
Understanding Clinical Mental Health Counseling
According to the American Counseling Association, counseling involves using therapy techniques to empower individuals or groups of people to improve their mental health and general well-being. Clinical mental health counseling requires licensed professionals to use standardized tools to assess and evaluate clients, helping them accurately diagnose individuals and develop evidence-based counseling treatment plans.
What Clinical Mental Health Counselors Do
The scope of practice and responsibilities for clinical mental health counselors may vary based on the clients they work with and the area in which they specialize. Some common job responsibilities of clinical mental health counselors include:
- Evaluating, assessing, and diagnosing clients
- Developing treatment goals and implementing evidence-based counseling strategies
- Documenting client progress and adjusting the treatment plan accordingly
- Equipping clients with the tools and resources needed for comprehensive improvement
Core Areas of Practice
Clinical mental health counselors work with clients across a broad spectrum of mental health and behavioral disorders, but some choose to specialize in specific areas of practice. According to the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), some core practice areas include:
- Counseling for trauma
- Substance use counseling
- School adjustment counseling
- Relationship and family counseling
Key Traits and Skills for Success
If you are considering a mental health counselor career, it’s important to explore the key traits and clinical counseling skills required for success in this dynamic field. Counselors are responsible for developing a professional, impactful therapeutic relationship with their clients, requiring them to have practical, technical, and interpersonal skills that help them forge connections.
These are some of the top clinical counseling skills:
Empathy and Active Listening
During counseling sessions, clinical mental health counselors often listen more than they talk. It is essential to develop active listening skills that help you maintain a strong connection with your client, such as making eye contact, reiterating what you heard, and asking clarifying questions without judgment. Empathy in counseling is essential, and counselors should work to validate their clients' feelings and eliminate any impression of judgment from the session.
Emotional Resilience and Patience
Working with individuals, couples, families, or groups who are navigating emotional trauma or dealing with substance use can be difficult. Counselors need to remain patient at all times, and they need to recognize that clients may not have a linear journey forward. Emotional resilience and patience can help counselors work more productively with their clients.
Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills
In many ways, counselors are problem-solvers who are constantly working to identify the root cause of an issue and develop an evidence-based strategy that will deliver the best possible results. Counselors often rely on standardized tools to assess clients and gather data, requiring them to have adept analytical skills.
Communication and Collaboration
Effective and empathetic communication rests at the core of the counseling profession. According to research published in the Translational Behavioral Medicine journal, top communication strategies for clinical mental health counselors include:
- Providing clients with clear information about their diagnosis and the rationale behind their treatment plan.
- Offering additional knowledge and insight when appropriate.
- Using strategic communication methods to share information with clients.
- Providing clients with advanced information, giving them time to prepare for adjustments in their counseling treatment plan.
Ability to Build Rapport
Clients have to be able to trust their counselors on a deep level, which means clinical mental health counselors must focus on rapport-building skills during their education and training. There are several counseling techniques that can help with this, including showcasing empathy, taking a respectful approach to conversations, and remaining genuine during counseling sessions.
Crisis Management Skills
The fact of the matter is, counselors will often work with clients during the darkest and most challenging days of their lives. As a result, they must have adept crisis management skills to ensure their clients receive the comprehensive care that they need. According to the Healthcare Providers Service Organization, these are the most important crisis management skills for clinical mental health counselors:
- Being aware of warning signs and triggers
- Having personal safety plans in place for each individual client
- Establishing clear and consistent boundaries
- Developing a system for handling emergencies, including creating an emergency contact plan
Cultural Competence and Self-Awareness
Licensed clinical mental health counselors work with a wide range of people in their practice, including those from different backgrounds, cultures, and belief systems. Counselors have to actively work to be aware of their own personal biases and eliminate them from their practice, particularly when it comes to providing trauma-informed care. Developing a strong sense of cultural competence can help counselors build trust and rapport with all of their clients, regardless of their backgrounds or experiences.
Assessing Your Fit for the Field
For many, clinical mental health counseling is more than just a career path; it's a calling. As you begin to explore the mental health counselor career path and learn more about counseling graduate programs, you can assess your fit for the field by:
Considering Professional Readiness
The path to becoming a clinical mental health counselor looks different for many people. You should evaluate your professional experience and determine if you are ready to take this next step on your career path. Typically, counselors have a background in social work, education, or psychology. However, not having this background shouldn’t stop you from pursuing this career. Having a passion for helping others and experience building strong relationships in a variety of professional settings can help you overcome educational history.
Reflecting on Personal Motivation
Before you enroll in a counseling graduate program, explore your own reasons for why you want to enter this field. Counseling requires you to be present and support individuals who are going through difficult times. It's a field that requires motivation beyond income and career growth. You need to genuinely want to support others and enact change in their lives.
Exploring Real-World Experience
Before you can become licensed to practice as a clinical mental health counselor, you will likely need to complete a counseling graduate program and earn professional experience. A counseling practicum is one of the best ways to explore real-world experience and determine if this field is a good fit for you. This is one of the reasons why it is a required part of the educational pathway.
Educational Pathways to Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The educational pathways to clinical mental health counseling may vary based on the specialty area that you are most interested in, the state where you reside, and the state where you intend to practice. You’ll generally have to earn licensure, also known as becoming a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC). Being aware of the licensure requirements can help you choose a pathway that best supports your career goals. Look for a school and program that helps you navigate licensure and provides clear information about program accreditation and authorization.
Graduate Degrees and Licensure
Most licensure requirements state that candidates need to have a graduate-level education. In Massachusetts, clinical mental health counselors need to become licensed before they can practice or work post-graduation with proper supervision from a licensed counselor. The American Counseling Association states that LMHC licensure requirements include:
- Earning a master's degree in counseling from an accredited program
- Completing supervised clinical experience after graduating
- Passing the NCMHCE exam and any state-specific exams
Coursework and Skills Development
As you explore graduate programs in counseling, you should make sure that the required coursework aligns with your career goals. Choosing a skills-based degree program that focuses on your specialty area will best prepare you for a tailored career path.
Field Experience and Supervision
A counseling practicum can help you gain field experience and begin providing supervised counseling to clients. Through supportive and nurturing counseling supervision, you can gain confidence as you work closely with clients from a wide range of backgrounds.
Explore Clinical Mental Health Counseling Programs at Cambridge College
As you explore the mental health counselor career pathway, you will find that graduate programs in counseling help you develop the core competencies and technical skills required to provide your clients with intuitive and impactful services. Not to mention, to obtain LMHC licensure, you will typically need graduate-level education and counseling field experience.
At Cambridge College, we offer a variety of psychology and counseling programs that provide students with an in-depth look at the field of clinical mental health counseling:
- The Master of Education in Mental Health Counseling degree provides opportunities to complete the 75 hours of LMHC supervision required for licensure in Massachusetts and prepare you to pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE).
- The MEd in Mental Health Counseling in Puerto Rico prepares you to pass the Professional Counselor licensure exam in Puerto Rico, issued by the PR Department of Health, and offers personalized support for obtaining your license.
- The Master of Education in Mental Health and School Counseling and the Master of Education in School Adjustment and Mental Health Counseling degree programs are designed specifically for professionals who are interested in working with students in K-12 schools.
- In addition, we offer a Post-Master's Certificate in School Adjustment Counseling for Mental Health Counselors for master's-prepared counselors who want to specialize in this niche area.
Request more information about our clinical mental health counseling graduate programs at Cambridge College, and begin preparing for your career today.