5 Fulfilling Careers in Mental Health
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After decades of fighting skeptics and stigma, mental health is finally getting the attention and awareness it deserves. With them, a new generation of passionate mental health advocates and psychology majors are looking for ways to help the cause. Thankfully, there are plenty of rewarding career paths to consider if you want a career that focuses on mental health.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to go to medical school to make a difference in the realm of mental health. Whether you want to specialize in therapy or simply motivate others to be a better version of themselves, there’s a fulfilling, mental health-focused job out there for you. Here are five of them to explore.
1. Psychiatrist
The top-of-mind career for anyone going into mental health as a profession is psychiatry. Psychiatrists are doctors who specialize in performing mental health assessments and diagnosing their patients with conditions like clinical depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and more. Then, they provide a treatment plan, whether prescription medication or talk therapy will be better for the patient.
To become a psychiatrist, you need a bachelor’s degree in a related field (typically psychology) and then head to medical school. Then, you go on a psychiatry residency and take the board certification exam to be a licensed psychiatrist. Due to the hard work you need to put in to become a psychiatrist, it’s one of the most high-paying jobs in the mental health industry.
2. Psychologist
The main difference between psychiatrists and psychologists is that the former are doctors who can diagnose conditions and prescribe medicine, while the latter are not. Instead, psychologists study human behavior and mental processes. They can provide therapy but can also work for research institutions and businesses that need insights into the human mind.
That said, the path to becoming a psychologist is also long. After getting a bachelor’s degree, you must go to graduate school and obtain a doctorate degree (either a PhD or PsyD) in psychology before getting licensed.
3. Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
If you’re a registered nurse and want to focus on mental health, consider becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP). These advanced practice nurses are trained to provide holistic care, specifically to those with mental illness. Like psychiatrists, they can also diagnose and treat mental health conditions.
Psychiatric nursing has many perks, like reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and empowering people to become the best versions of themselves while caring for them. To become a psychiatric nurse, one must finish a PMHNP program. There are also convenient, reputable online psychiatric nurse practitioner programs you can work on remotely.
4. School Counselor
According to the World Health Organization, one in seven children and teens experience some kind of mental health issue. That’s why it’s important to have mental health providers in schools in the form of counselors.
School counselors help shape young minds and boost their self-confidence through mental health programs. They’re typically also available for students to talk to about anything, from problems with bullies to getting into their dream college. To become a school counselor, you typically need a master’s degree, an internship, and to pass your state’s licensure exams.
5. Life Coach
Life coaches specialize in helping clients grow mentally and emotionally, whether in their careers, relationships, or hobbies. While they’re not licensed medical providers and don’t diagnose mental health conditions, they’re essential for people who need an extra push to succeed and meet their goals, especially when their minds tell them they can’t. Their days are filled with motivational one-on-one counseling sessions and goal-setting meetings with clients.
There’s no formal training required to be a life coach, but it’s always ideal to have some sort of education about mental health and human behavior, like a degree in psychology.
Endnote
The mental health field isn’t just for doctors. It’s for anyone who wants to lend a hand in supporting people through challenges and helping them get the treatment they need. Whether you want to be a psychiatrist diagnosing medical conditions, a psychiatric nurse providing holistic care to patients, or a life coach empowering people from all walks of life, there’s a profession in mental health for you. If you’re sure helping people and raising awareness for mental health is what you want to do for a living, take the necessary steps to turn your passion into a promising, fulfilling career today.
