What is a Mental Health Counselor?
The study of mental health counseling is ideal for those interested in studying how to manage and overcome various emotional and behavioral disorders. Many colleges and universities in Mississippi offer this major, with graduates generally qualified to pursue engaging and impactful career opportunities.
Mental health counselors advise people on a range of issues using psychotherapy and various psychological treatment services. They may provide support to single persons, couples, families, and/or groups. In order to help their patients manage various mental health conditions, these professionals regularly help process through complicated emotions and behavioral patterns. Mental health counselors may also offer guidance and various therapeutic practices.
While capable to assisting with numerous emotional and behavioral conditions, they commonly diagnose and treat the following: anxiety, depression, mood disorders, personality disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, behavioral addictions and psychoses.
It’s important to realize that mental health counselors are not psychologists or psychiatrists. This means they are generally not capable of prescribing medications. Most mental health counselors have the knowledge and skills needed to treat patients of all ages and demographics. Some professionals in the field do, however, opt to specialize in the treatment of certain groups more than others. Possible examples include children, adolescents, the elderly, disabled individuals, or military personnel.
While counseling licensure in Mississippi is standardized across the state, expectations can vary by job. In most cases, however, mental health counselors are responsible for performing client evaluations and treatment readiness assessments, as well as managing resulting treatment plans. It’s also common for these professionals to collaborate with support groups, out-patient clinics, and healthcare providers by making patient referrals.
Prospective professionals should consider this field carefully before enrolling in academic programs. Clinical mental health counseling can be emotionally challenging, especially when working with particularly trouble patients facing exceptionally difficult situations. While providing successful treatments can be highly rewarding, the work can also be stressful and/or draining. Additionally, some jobs require professionals to take on large workloads and irregular hours.
Online Mental Health Counseling Education in Mississippi
Prospective students should realize, however, that not all higher education institutions have programs in mental health counseling at every academic level. General counseling is a common major, but the mental health specialization may require attending certain schools and/or pursing more advanced degrees. Those interested in the field may also want to give preference to colleges and universities located in Mississippi. These institutions will offer the most geographically relevant instruction and ensure enrollees are prepared to meet state licensure guidelines.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is expected to increase by 22% from 2021 to 2031. This is much faster than the average for all occupations and will result in an additional 43,600 new job openings throughout the nation each year. Employment for social workers and other community and social services specialists is also expected to increase by 12%, which will result in additional entry-level jobs available to counseling graduates.
The educational services, healthcare, and social assistance industry is the third largest in Mississippi. It accounts for $10 billion in revenue each year. As of May 2022, the state had 1,930 of these professionals employed locally, with an annual mean wage of $45,570. Graduates may also qualify for work in many community and social service occupations. As of May 2022, Mississippi employed 15,860 workers in this field, with an annual mean wage of $42,680. It is important to realize that both wage estimates are comparable to the state’s annual mean wage for all occupations, which was $45,180 in 2022.
Students interested in earning a degree in this field can attend various counseling programs in the state of Mississippi. Options include Mississippi College, Mississippi State University, Jackson State University, Mississippi University for Women, the University of Southern Mississippi, etc. Whether you attend a school in your local community or elsewhere in the state, you can gain a counselor education from various graduate programs offering options from a comprehensive school counseling program and training in many counseling techniques to fully preparing you for private practice.
Many colleges and universities in Mississippi offer degrees in counseling and other related subjects. In most cases, students will be able to choose from options at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. While it’s fairly easy to find employment in the field, it is important to realize that the opportunities available are greatly impacted by the type of degree earned. Those who complete more advanced programs generally receive preference for more prestigious and well-paying occupations.
Online Associates (AS)
Associate degrees in mental health counseling are more uncommon than other academic options. Those interested in studying at this level will likely have greater success pursuing other related areas of study. Possible alternatives include general counseling, mental health, human services, behavioral science, social science, and psychology.
Degrees of this kind generally consist of 60 credit hours of coursework that take full-time students approximately two years to complete. As undergraduate programs, they are typically comprised of both general liberal arts and major-specific class requirements. Every curriculum is different, but those enrolled should anticipate receiving a broad introduction to the field.
It’s important to realize that this type of degree does not meet the minimum requirements of counselor education for licensure in Mississippi. It can, however, lead to a variety of entry-level jobs in community and social service. Alternatively, graduates can use the knowledge and skills obtained to pursue further education by enrolling in bachelor’s degree programs.
Online Bachelors (BS)
Bachelor’s degrees in mental health counseling are also uncommon. Other related major areas of study are more readily available, however. As a result, students regularly pursue programs in counseling, mental health, human services, behavioral science, social science, and psychology. Notably, some institutions do offer mental health counseling as a concentration.
Degrees of this kind generally consist of 120 credit hours of coursework that take full-time students approximately four years to complete. As undergraduate programs, they are typically comprised of both general liberal arts and major-specific class requirements. Every curriculum is different, but students can expect to study various behavioral health and counseling theories.
It’s important to realize that this type of degree also does not meet the minimum requirements of counselor education for licensure in Mississippi. It can, however, lead to various entry-level community and social service occupations. Alternatively, graduates are often well-prepared for enrollment in master’s degree programs.
Online Masters (MS)
Master’s degrees in mental health counseling generally range from 30 to 45 credit hours of coursework that take full-time students approximately two to three years to complete. Curriculums vary, but students can typically expect to study lifespan development, attachment theory, group dynamics, interviewing techniques, counseling theories, diagnostic practices, and ethics. It’s also common for those enrolled to participate in supervised counseling experiences, which provide hands-on experience in the field.
Notably, this type of degree does meet the minimum requirements for counseling licensure in Mississippi. Alternatively, graduates may be able to seek employment in other counseling or community and social service occupations. Completing graduate school often leads to more job opportunities and higher pay. Counseling students can also choose specializations when earning this advanced degree in clinical mental health counseling, school counseling or school psychology, couple and family counseling, regular and vocational rehabilitation counseling, educational psychology, college counseling, and other related educational programs that allow you to work in private counseling practice.
Online Doctorate (PhD)
A PhD or doctorate in clinical mental health counseling may consist of between 60 and 120 credit hours that can take full-time students up to seven years to complete. You can earn a PhD in clinical mental health counseling no matter what your specialty has been up to now: school counseling, rehabilitation counseling, etc. Program specifics vary but most are designed to provide highly advanced instruction in specialized topics. Students can also typically expect to study both qualitative and quantitative research methods, which are likely to be used during dissertation preparation.
This type of degree exceeds the education requirements for counseling licensure in Mississippi. In addition to pursuing professional counseling positions in the state, graduates may apply for work in other clinical settings or as secondary education instructors.