Mental health providers are in high demand right now, and we need more representation in the field. As our culture continues to increase discussions around mental health and simultaneously decrease the stigma around it, we will see an even bigger need for therapists. We are seeing a shift in accepting that mental health and mental illness exist on a spectrum and we all experience symptoms to some degree.
Addressing our mental health, no matter the severity of the issue, will likely become more prevalent. Perhaps in the future, medical insurance will also see the value in counseling as part of overall wellness and prevention for more severe health issues, increasing the demand for more sources of support. I have always gravitated toward wanting to be my own boss for more choice in my work. Many in the field are intimidated about the process of building and maintaining a business, partially because there isn't an emphasis in school on how to do this.
Some say it's difficult for them to take money or figure out billing, but if private practice interests you, practice what you preach. I always had an idea of what I wanted to do, but I wanted to make sure I had experience within various settings and populations before I set up a private practice. After graduation, I was hired by my internship site and I continued to work with substance dependence disorder at an intensive outpatient program.
I used this time to learn the ins and outs of a therapy practice what works and what doesn't , network, collaborate with providers, and strengthen my skills to help prepare me for a private practice.
I have always been interested in working in the eating disorder field, but it can be difficult to get into because there aren't as many clinics or programs focused on it. I jumped at the opportunity to work at an inpatient eating disorder unit when one opened up. Several peers at the program had private practices on the side and started to guide me on how they were able to do this.
With their guidance and support, I started on a small scale to get a feel for it. You may think you want to work with a certain population or level of care, but when you get there you might not like it at all; that's okay, it's just information. When I relocated out of state, I decided to start with a group practice. This can be a great option for people just starting out or for those who don't want to work in an office alone.
This work is already somewhat isolating, so working with peers can be a great way to prevent burnout. Collaborating and peer consultation is so important in our work, and I find group practices are a great way to stay connected and be supported. They are set up in a variety of ways, and it's up to the clinicians to decide what's in their best interest at the time -- or if a solo practice is a better fit.
Pros: This can be incredibly rewarding and meaningful work. I find myself challenged, inspired, and learning something new every day. I often think about how lucky I am to get to hear and witness so many stories, triumphs, and lessons learned. There are times I even learn something about myself I wouldn't have otherwise thought of.
I am grateful to be chosen as someone's safe place to process, share, and grow. Cons: We're humans and can feel a lot of different emotions when it comes to our clients and what they're going through. It can be difficult to see someone you care for go through incredibly painful experiences, even though you know it's human to go through challenges and experience painful emotions.
We get to see a side of our clients that not everyone gets to see, including the clients themselves. It can be hard when the client doesn't yet see how incredible they are and how much they matter.
If only we had magic wands sometimes. This may be an unpopular and often unspoken opinion, but it is important that we start to look at how we can change the realities of becoming a licensed therapist. We don't always practice what we preach or take care of our own as we should.
We can do better. The advice given to me was to get a challenging internship and get as much experience and supervision as you can. Not only will you become more skilled and build your confidence, but you will also learn what you gravitate to and what fills your bucket. Most people go into this field wanting to help others, and in order for us to do that, we have to be sure we're taking care of ourselves. Ideally, we will find a job that fits our preferences, supports self-care, respects boundaries, and is something we enjoy doing.
You matter! Your needs are important. Listen to your gut. You won't be as effective a therapist if you aren't living in line with your values. We tend to be people pleasers and have a hard time saying "no. If this position isn't a good fit for you, it's okay to change. Consider what you'd recommend to a client in this position. In this section, you will discover the resources needed to advance your career in counseling. These resources include influential books, scientific journals, and academic publications.
Members connect through topical interest networks and geographic engagement programs. The association also facilitates leadership symposiums and research-oriented conferences. Additional resources include online training courses, minority fellowship programs, and job connections. American Counseling Association : ACA is the world's largest professional organization for counselors.
The association operates a vast knowledge center that provides information on professional competencies, ethical standards, and licensure requirements.
Members access continuing education classes and webinars through a professional development center. American Psychological Association : A leading professional and research organization for the psychological sciences, APA serves over , members and delivers comprehensive academic guidance, helping students plan their undergraduate and graduate education.
The association provides in-depth career support, including job listings and internship opportunities with partner organizations. APA also offers professional development tools and support for early career psychologists.
They can also stay current on emerging trends and challenges in the field by accessing ASCA's vast catalog of publications. The association delivers a full suite of professional development resources, including a webinar series, site-based training classes, and specialist training programs. American Society of Addiction Medicine : ASAM serves more than 6, physicians, clinicians, and related professionals in the addiction medicine field. The society advocates for governmental change and establishes definitions for addiction and treatment services.
Members benefit from clinical resources and fellowship programs. They can also access certification guidance and online learning tools. ASAM operates a career center that provides job listings and job search tips.
Association for Behavioral Analysis International : Established in , ABAI advances the teaching, philosophy, science, and application of behavioral analysis. The association connects professionals through local chapters and online special interest groups.
ABAI provides accreditation for academic programs and supports students throughout their undergraduate and graduate programs. Members can apply for open positions and network with employers through a career portal. The association also delivers online courses and curates a library of research publications. The association also offers information and resources for career entry, skill development, certification guidance, and mentorship programs for early career professionals.
National Commission for Health Education Credentialing : NCHEC establishes professional standards for health education specialists and strengthens the workforce through training and certification. The commission operates two voluntary credentialing programs: certified education specialist and master certified health education specialist.
Members can access exam preparation materials and apply for scholarships. NCHEC also provides continuing education opportunities that help health educators maintain their certification. Society of Addiction Psychology : A division of APA, SoAP supports clinical practitioners, researchers, and educators working within the broad spectrum of addictive behaviors. The society offers in-depth information on assessment and treatment, evidence-based practices on addiction, and the opioid crisis.
Students and early career psychologists benefit from research grants and credentialing scholarships. Members can connect through group email lists and annual conventions. The administration offers diverse practitioner training in areas such as suicide prevention, eating disorders, and substance abuse. Addiction Treatment - Yale University : In this introductory class, seven instructors from various disciplines teach students how to identify substance abuse risk and gauge the severity of an individual's drug use.
Students also learn to oversee treatment plans and help their patients access external treatment services. The course takes 14 hours to complete. Upon completion, learners obtain a shareable certificate. Autism Spectrum Disorder - University of California, Davis : Students who take this course delve into the fundamentals of ASD, including diagnosis methodologies and primary impairment areas. The class also examines the U. Integrative Health and Medicine Specialization - University of Minnesota Twin Cities : By completing this four-course specialization, students can jumpstart their integrative health and counseling career.
Covered topics include herbal medicine, clinical use of essential oils, and evidence-based therapeutic techniques. Students also learn how to use imagery interventions to manage a patient's symptoms and hasten healing.
Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families, and Small Groups - University of Michigan : This course is ideal for counseling professionals who want to transition into careers as licensed social workers.
The course emphasizes multiculturalism and diversity within a social justice framework. Students explore all four stages of social work practice intervention and learn how to evaluate a client's strengths and weaknesses relative to core characteristics like age, gender, and family structure. Counselors can also access wellness and career advancement resources. Readers can also learn about the behaviors of addictions and substance abuse counselors. The journal accepts submissions and maintains a jobs board through the Wiley Job Network.
Content includes research, theories, and practices across 18 counseling specialty areas and professional settings. The open-access format allows users to read and download articles on topics such as mental health personal growth initiatives and training strategies for at-risk youth.
The journal covers topics related to theory, research, practice, and professional guidelines. Recent articles cover topics such as counseling adults with sensory processing disorder, meaning-making in suicide loss support groups, and using neuroscience-informed cognitive-behavior therapy.
AMHCA members enjoy free online access. Patient Education and Counseling : Published by the International Association for Communication in Healthcare, this interdisciplinary journal provides a forum for educators, researchers, and practitioners.
Readers can learn about applied and fundamental research findings, as well as organizational issues related to patient care delivery. The publication accepts submissions of up to 4, words and prefers works with empirical research. The Professional Counselor : The official journal of the National Board for Certified Counselors, this open-access publication showcases research and commentary on pertinent topics in the counseling profession and related areas.
Readers can access peer-reviewed articles about strengthening the behavioral health workforce and training counselors to work with families of incarcerated individuals. They hold sessions with youth to determine the cause of an issue and create effective treatment plans. Youth counselors need to work with families to create a support system outside of the office. These professionals can have individual or group sessions with certain ages of children.
Requirements: Youth counselors typically need at least a master's degree and licensure to practice, though requirements may vary by state. Primary duties: Health counselors help change clients' unhealthy behaviors by setting nutrition goals to accomplish, discovering why they have their current habits, educate them on health and wellness, monitor their sleep patterns, weight and food cravings and motivate clients to change the way they think.
Requirements: Health counselors must complete a bachelor's degree program in nutrition, healthcare or counseling. They must supplement these programs with courses in psychology, nutrition, health, fitness and behavioral science.
Some states may require a master's degree in addition. Many employers also prefer a health counselor certification from an appropriate training program. Primary duties: A substance abuse counselor works with patients to help them recover from using alcohol, drugs or other substances. They may evaluate a patient's progress, help with crisis management, work with their family to provide group counseling, teach them coping strategies, test patients for drug or alcohol use and collaborate with social workers or doctors.
Requirements: Substance abuse counselors need a bachelor's degree in counseling or psychology. These programs may cover topics such as human development, psychopharmacology and counseling techniques. Also, most states require state licensure to practice.
Primary duties: A grief counselor helps clients go through the five stages of grief, recognize which one they are currently in, comforts clients experiencing the loss of a loved one, working with families or friends to process the client's feelings, having the patience to let clients discuss all their feelings, create methods to help the client handle their feelings and develop goals the client can work towards.
Requirements: Grief counselors need a Ph. Primary duties: A behavioral therapist helps clients recognize and improve certain behaviors. They identify needs and create treatment plans to assist clients to manage their actions outside of the office.
Behavioral therapists could use a wide range of techniques to help clients depending on the condition and its severity.
They may also help clients with relaxation strategies, meditation techniques and personal reflection. Requirements: A behavioral therapist needs at least a master's degree to practice. She just finished her first year as a doctoral student in the counselor education and supervision program at Old Dominion University in Virginia — with a tuition stipend. There are ways to teach without having to research and publish. One option is to teach as an adjunct. Conducting workshops is another way to teach others.
Instead, he discovered that he could teach other counseling professionals how to improve their own skills and businesses through workshops. He has taught mediation skills for business and industry, and now he teaches workshops on how to start and build successful private practices. Hodges has noticed some universities are hiring clinical professors, which is a faculty position that focuses more on teaching and supervision. One of his colleagues at Niagara University was hired to oversee clinical placements and teach part time.
Hodges predicts there will be more options for clinical-type faculty in other university counseling programs in the future. Should I get some work experience either before or during my doctoral program? Preston thinks there is some value in having clinical experience before getting a doctoral degree.
When Hodges was in graduate school, he wanted to get as much practical experience as he could. He did internships while also working at agencies and career centers. Then, when he started his doctoral program, he worked part time at an agency during the school year and full time during the summer. This experience allows him to speak from a real-life knowledge base, not just a theoretical one, when he teaches. Students appreciate the practical examples he provides, he says. They say those experiences can help counseling students determine whether a doctoral degree is the right path to pursue.
Hodges believes that is a good plan. Then, they can teach part time in a counseling program and decide what the next steps for their career should be. Dasenbrook thinks that counselor educators should be licensed in the field in which they are teaching, and Preston says that some universities prefer employing educators who are licensed.
Having practical experience in the settings they are teaching about allows educators to discuss real-world examples, which benefits students who want to become clinical counselors, she adds.
Being licensed also provides counselor educators with more diverse career options, Preston continues. Even with a doctoral degree, they need a license to practice independently; otherwise, they can see clients only under supervision, she points out. Of course, having practical experience is not required to make someone a better professor.
Preston says she has had plenty of professors without clinical experience who were wonderful teachers because they found other ways to increase their clinical knowledge, such as interviewing clinicians in the field and regularly attending trainings and conferences. Trying to juggle multiple professional roles at once can be challenging. For their own well-being, counselors must establish boundaries, and if they have too much on their plates, they have to be willing to let something go, Perry says.
Counselors should take on new projects in small doses to avoid overwhelming themselves, Perry continues. For example, if a clinician is working full time in an agency, they could choose to teach just one class on the side, or a full-time professor could start by taking on only a limited number of clients to see how that goes.
Hodges knows the struggle of shouldering too many roles at once. During his doctoral program, he was a teaching assistant for both the psychology and counseling departments, plus he worked part time in an agency off campus. He was driving an hour each way to work at an agency that he loved while also teaching, writing, researching and serving on journal boards.
So, he made the decision to adjust his career plan. In his career, he has served as director of a university counseling center and as the clinical director of a county mental health clinic. After getting some clinical experience, counselors often move up the career ladder to management and administrative positions.
In these positions, counselors can find themselves negotiating with unions and outside agencies such as family services, jails or hospitals. And they often have to interact with vice presidents and CEOs of organizations. When Hodges ran a clinic in rural eastern Oregon, he had to interact with the state hospital, testify in court, handle frustrated county deputies, oversee prison contracts and deal with a counselor who had an inappropriate relationship with an inmate.
Hodges is thankful for one supervisor who pushed him to develop those skills by posing hypothetical situations. One time, the supervisor asked Hodges to write a correction plan for how to handle a therapist who was not doing a good job at work. The exercise forced Hodges to consider how he would help the employee improve their job performance, how much time he would give the employee to get better, and what reasons he would recommend for retaining or firing them.
Is private practice a viable option? How do I learn the business side of it? Counselors have the clinical skill set needed to open a private practice, he emphasizes. The problem often lies with the business aspect — marketing and billing, for example. Workshops, trainings and college classes are also great ways to learn these skills. As an undergraduate, Perry got a concentration in business, but if she were to do it all over again, she says, she would minor in business or double major in business and a study field related to counseling.
It is important for us to brand ourselves and look at things from a business perspective to monetize our gifts and talents effectively.
0コメント