Research Summary. We analyzed 4,088 mental health counselor resumes to determine which ones land the most jobs. Below you'll find examples of resumes that can help you get an interview (and a job offer) from companies like Newport News Behavioral Health Center and South Metro Human Services - Now RADIAS Health. Here are the key facts about mental health counselor resumes to help you get the job:

  • The average mental health counselor resume is 446 words long
  • The average mental health counselor resume is 1.0 pages long based on 450 words per page.
  • Social work is the most common skill found on a mental health counselor resume. It appears on 16.6% of resumes.
After learning about how to write a professional mental health counselor resume, you can make sure your resume checks all the boxes with our resume builder.

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Mental Health Counselor Resume Example

Choose From 10+ Customizable Mental Health Counselor Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Mental Health Counselor templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Mental Health Counselor resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Mental Health Counselor Resume
Mental Health Counselor Resume
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Mental Health Counselor Resume
Mental Health Counselor Resume
Mental Health Counselor Resume
Mental Health Counselor Resume

What Should Be Included In A Mental Health Counselor Resume

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1. Add Contact Information To Your Mental Health Counselor Resume

Your name should be the biggest text on the page and be at or near the top of the document.

Your address doesn't need to include your street name or house number - listing your city and state works just fine.

Your email address should be professional, but not your current work email address. It's not a good look to use your work email for personal projects (job-searching).

Your social media can be included if you have a fully-fledged LinkedIn page or another social media page that showcases your relevant skill set.

Mental Health Counselor Resume Contact Information Example #1

Hank Rutherford Hill

St. Arlen, Texas | 333-111-2222 | hank.hill@gmail.com

Do you want to know more?
How To Write The Perfect Resume Header
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2. Add Your Relevant Education To The Resume

Your resume's education section should include:

  • The name of your school
  • The date you graduated (Month, Year or Year are both appropriate)
  • The name of your degree
If you graduated more than 15 years ago, you should consider dropping your graduation date to avoid age discrimination.

Optional subsections for your education section include:

  • Academic awards (Dean's List, Latin honors, etc. )
  • GPA (if you're a recent graduate and your GPA was 3.5+)
  • Extra certifications
  • Academic projects (thesis, dissertation, etc.)

Other tips to consider when writing your education section include:

  • If you're a recent graduate, you might opt to place your education section above your experience section
  • The more work experience you get, the shorter your education section should be
  • List your education in reverse chronological order, with your most recent and high-ranking degrees first
  • If you haven't graduated yet, you can include "Expected graduation date" to the entry for that school

Mental Health Counselor Resume Relevant Education Example #1

Master's Degree In Psychology 2014 - 2016

Pennsylvania State University Main, PA

Mental Health Counselor Resume Relevant Education Example #2

Master's Degree In Psychology 2014 - 2016

University of Central Florida Orlando, FL

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3. Next, Create A Mental Health Counselor Skills Section On Your Resume

Your resume's skills section should include the most important keywords from the job description, as long as you actually have those skills. If you haven't started your job search yet, you can look over resumes to get an idea of what skills are the most important.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing your resume's skills section:

  • Include 6-12 skills, in bullet point form
  • List mostly hard skills; soft skills are hard to test
  • Emphasize the skills that are most important for the job
Hard skills are generally more important to hiring managers because they relate to on-the-job knowledge and specific experience with a certain technology or process.

Soft skills are also valuable, as they're highly transferable and make you a great person to work alongside, but they're impossible to prove on a resume.

Example Of Mental Health Counselor Skills For Resume

  • Patient Care Skills

    Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

  • CPR Skills

    Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

  • Community Resources Skills

    Community resources are a set of resources that are used in the day to day life of people which improves their lifestyle in some way. People, sites or houses, and population assistance can come under the services offered by community resources.

  • Mental Health Skills

    Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

  • Vital Signs Skills

    Vital signs are a set of values indicating different body systems' performance. They are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The four major vital signs used in medicine to assess a patient are body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure.

Top Skills for a Mental Health Counselor

Source: Zippia.com
  • Social Work, 16.6%
  • Patients, 16.0%
  • Crisis Intervention, 9.0%
  • Patient Care, 5.6%
  • Other Skills, 52.8%
Not sure which skills are really important?
3 Big Tips For Listing Skills On Your Resume
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4. List Your Mental Health Counselor Experience

The most important part of any resume is the experience section. Recruiters and hiring managers expect to see your experience listed in reverse chronological order, meaning that you should begin with your most recent experience and then work backwards.

Don't just list your job duties below each job entry. Instead, make sure most of your bullet points discuss impressive achievements from your past positions. Whenever you can, use numbers to contextualize your accomplishments for the hiring manager reading your resume.

It's okay if you can't include exact percentages or dollar figures. There's a big difference even between saying "Managed a team of engineers" and "Managed a team of 6 engineers over a 9-month project."

Most importantly, make sure that the experience you include is relevant to the job you're applying for. Use the job description to ensure that each bullet point on your resume is appropriate and helpful.

What Experience Really Stands Out On Mental Health Counselor Resumes?

Joanne Jodry

Program Director, Monmouth University

For new graduates, the reputation of the Professional Counseling program you graduate from and the networking you do help in job searches. It is also essential on your resume to convey that you understand the counseling profession and bring empathy and compassion along with your professional theoretical skills.Show more

Don't have any experience?
How To Show Your Experience On a Resume... Even When You Don't Have Any
Work History Example # 1
Mental Health Counselor
Private Practice
  • Worked as a Christian Counselor and later as LPC when licensing was final.
  • Provided communication and coordination with referral sources, including medication monitoring via physicians and coordination with other providers.
  • Supervised MFT Interns at University of California, San Diego, Dept.
  • Provided solution-focused, time-limited EAP counseling services to federal government employees and their families.
  • Developed mindfulness-based group programs for adolescents struggling with ADHD.
Work History Example # 2
Mental Health Counselor
Clifton Public Schools
  • Provided weekly character education lessons to students PK-5 covering topics on respect, citizenship, responsibility and caring.
  • Assisted with the development of IHPs and behavior plans as well as supervision of staff.
  • Required training and certifications for my current position include first aid, CPR, and Therapeutic Options, QMHP-A
  • Required training and certifications for my current position include first aid, CPR, and Therapeutic Options, QMHP-A.
  • Worked under supervision of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).
Work History Example # 3
Program Coordinator
UNIV OF RICHMOND
  • Coordinated cross-communication between emergency service vehicles and tow service trucks to customers requiring rapid assistance.
  • Performed confidential verification of customer income status according to government procedures.
  • Created PowerPoint presentations for program and career/business services available.
  • Developed college-level curricula, and ensured curricula meet the content criteria to maintain program accreditation by NAACLS.
  • Supervised and provided support to Habitat partner families.
Work History Example # 4
Mental Health Counselor
Youth Villages
  • Provided Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy to youth who experienced trauma that was driving negative behaviors.
  • Served as a Family Counselor under a Home-Based Counseling program provided intensive in-home counseling services to troubled children and their families.
  • Served as an in-home case manager/counselor for families with at-risk children ages 6-17.
  • Provided on-call availability around the clock during week day hours and rotated weekend on call services.
  • Provided In-home therapeutic intervention to children and families
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5. Highlight Your Mental Health Counselor Certifications On Resume

Certifications can be a powerful tool to show employers that you know your stuff. If you have any of these certifications, make sure to put them on your mental health counselor resume:

  1. Certified Professional Counselor
  2. National Certified Counselor (NCC)
  3. Mental Health
  4. Pastoral Counseling Certification
  5. Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC)
  6. Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC)
  7. Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC)
  8. Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor
  9. First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor
  10. Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC)

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6. Finally, Add a Mental Health Counselor Resume Summary Or Objective Statement

A resume summary statement is a 1-3 sentence spiel at the top of your resume that quickly summarizes who you are and what you have to offer. In this section, include your job title, years of experience (if it's 3+), and an impressive accomplishment, if you have space for it.

Remember to address skills and experiences that are emphasized in the job description.

Are you a recent grad?
Read our guide on how to write a resume summary statement

Five Key Resume Tips For Writing A Mental Health Counselor Resume:

1.
Relevant Experience
Make sure that the jobs, experience, and accolades that you include are relevant to the position you’re applying for.
2.
The Right Skills
This is a great time to run wild with those keywords from the job description. For example, if they’re looking for someone with experience in Mental Health Services, be sure to list it in your resume’s skills section.
3.
Quantifiable Achievements
Your workplace accomplishments tell the story of the unique value you bring to an organization. Stay away from dry descriptions of job duties. Use numbers to help contextualize your achievements..
4.
ATS-Friendly
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a piece of software employers use to collect, scan, organize, and rank applications. The key to getting your resume past ATS and into the hands of hiring managers is smart keyword usage.
5.
Impeccable Formatting
Formatting a resume so that it looks professional and attractive is important. With Zippia’s resume builder, you can put together a modern-looking resume in less than 10 minutes. Just choose a resume template that suits your style, answer some questions about your background, and you’ll have a resume that’ll pass muster with both the ATS and the hiring manager.
Not sure how to make a resume that stands out?
See sample resumes for the job you want
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