How to become a mental health counselor without a degree?

You cannot become a mental health counselor without a degree. Mental health counselors, psychologists, and marriage or family therapists all require some sort of education in psychology or a related field. Other positions can be entered into without a degree, including...

Mental Health Counselor vs Therapist

A mental health counselor is a psychological professional who tends to offer short-term care to patients, while a therapist is a psychological professional who tends to offer long-term care to patients.

What is a mental health counselor and how to become one

Q: What are the pros and cons of being a mental health counselor?

The pros and cons of being a mental health counselor relate to getting to help clients, flexible work schedules, and stress. Here are the top pros and cons of being a mental health counselor:

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Virginia Schwindt,

Christopher Todd Belser Ph.D.

A mental health counselor provides support and guidance to individuals, couples, families, or groups dealing with mental health issues. They assess, diagnose, and treat mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, addiction, and trauma. Mental health counselors use cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, and evidence-based techniques to help clients manage symptoms and improve their well-being. They work in hospitals, clinics, schools, and private practices. Mental health counselors also collaborate with other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care.

What general advice would you give to a mental health counselor?

Virginia Schwindt

MSW Field Director/Associate Professor, Union University

Take the licensing test as soon as you are able to, and be open to where you work. It is great to want a specific population or employer, but being open to other experiences may be where God wants you to be. Don't limit yourself because, as a social worker, you can do so many different things.

ScoreMental Health CounselorUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $49,471

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.4

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.38%

Asian 3.23%

Black or African American 11.28%

Hispanic or Latino 12.21%

Unknown 5.91%

White 67.00%

Gender

female 68.64%

male 31.36%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

8.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.9

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a mental health counselor?

Pros

Varied and interesting work
Flexible scheduling options
Growing demand for mental health services
Good salary potential
Chance to work independently or as part of a team

Cons

Heavy workload and long hours
Challenging and complex patient cases
Limited career progression opportunities
Coping with the impact of funding cuts on services
Dealing with the stigma associated with mental health issues

Key steps to become a mental health counselor

Explore mental health counselor education requirements

Most common mental health counselor degrees

Bachelor's

57.6 %

Master's

30.6 %

Associate

6.8 %

Start to develop specific mental health counselor skills

Skills	Percentages
Social Work	16.56%
Patients	15.97%
Crisis Intervention	8.98%
Patient Care	5.64%
Mental Health Issues	4.77%

Complete relevant mental health counselor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New mental health counselors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a mental health counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real mental health counselor resumes.

Research mental health counselor duties and responsibilities

Provide clinical consultation to consumers and clients regarding manage care services and other benefits available to them through their EAP programs.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Certify in CPI (crisis intervention technique).
Assist with crisis intervention, (CPI) maintains treatment activities.

Prepare your mental health counselor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your mental health counselor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a mental health counselor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable mental health counselor resume templates

Build a professional mental health counselor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your mental health counselor resume.

Apply for mental health counselor jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a mental health counselor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do mental health counselors rate their job?

2/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Mental health counselor reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022

Pros

Working collaboratively with clients to help them understand themselves and experience their authentic selves. Learning from my clients.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022

Pros

Making a difference in someone's life. Seeing positive changes.

2.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

The (working) clients will always be the best part of this job. There are certain individuals who you can feel want to learn more about their conditions and to adopt healthier thinking patterns or lifestyles.

Cons

The insane amount of paperwork, the insurance/agency politics, the high expectations, the low amount of support. Burnout is very concerning for a profession where people in the frontline are the ones trying to make a difference. Individuals who work in this field need to have an incentive to keep pushing. I’m sorry but a kind heart and good intentions are not enough to sustain this type of career.

What is a mental health counselor and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a mental health counselor?

What are the pros and cons of being a mental health counselor?

Mental health counselor career paths

Key steps to become a mental health counselor

Explore mental health counselor education requirements

Most common mental health counselor degrees

Start to develop specific mental health counselor skills

Complete relevant mental health counselor training and internships

Research mental health counselor duties and responsibilities

Prepare your mental health counselor resume

Choose from 10+ customizable mental health counselor resume templates

Apply for mental health counselor jobs

How did you land your first mental health counselor job

Average mental health counselor salary

How do mental health counselors rate their job?

Mental health counselor reviews

Mental health counselor FAQs

How to become a mental health counselor without a degree?

Mental Health Counselor vs Therapist

What are the pros and cons of being a mental health counselor?

Search for mental health counselor jobs

Mental health counselor jobs by state