What Does a Mental Health Counselor Do?

Experiencing mental health challenges is much more common than you might think. Did you know that 26% of adults in the United States are diagnosed with some type of mental health disorder each year? These statistics suggest that challenges such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse are more common than you might think.

For those experiencing mental health challenges, finding the right support system is crucial to learning how to manage what you’re experiencing and go about daily life in a healthy and productive way. One of the best ways anyone can do that is by finding support from a mental health counselor.

Whether you’re searching for mental health counselors in California, Texas, Pennsylvania, or Florida, here you can learn more to find out exactly what the work entails and what to expect during your session.

What Can Mental Health Counselors Help With?

Generally speaking, your mental health counselor will work to help you identify triggers, cope with negative emotions that result from those triggers, and minimize symptoms to help increase your quality of life. Mental health counselors in California employ various psychotherapy techniques in order to support their clients in developing skills and techniques to manage their illnesses. Counselors will often specialize in treatment for certain areas including but not limited to the following: anxiety, substance abuse, depression, bipolar disorder, eating, disorders, personality disorders, and dementia.

Understanding the Titles

In order to become a licensed mental health practitioner, there is an educational master’s requirement as well as a practicum requirement for counselors. Mental health counselors normally differ from psychologists in that they focus more on wellness and talk therapy, whereas psychologists are more likely to have a Ph.D. in psychology and gear therapy towards the treatment of specific problems. A psychiatrist differs from the two in that this role is geared towards assessing and diagnosing mental health disorders along with prescribing proper medication for treatment.

What to Expect During Your Session

During your first counseling session, you can expect your mental health counselor to explore what your day-to-day life looks like and learn how your mental health challenges are impacting you. Your counselor will also likely explore some goals with you to learn more about what you hope to get out of counseling, and questions to find out more about what different therapeutic techniques might be most effective.

Contact us today for a mental health counselor in California!

If you’re searching for mental health counselors in California or any other state across the country, we have a perfect solution for you. At ACT Teletherapy, we connect our clients with trained mental health professionals who will work with you to provide support, regardless of the mental health challenge you’re experiencing.

Learn more about how our remote teletherapy services work and give us a call today!