If you’re still in high school and you’re thinking about pursuing a career in integrative mental healthcare, it’s time to schedule an appointment with your guidance counselor. Ask if you can add any courses that can help you prepare to study mental health in college. For instance, your high school may offer classes in introductory psychology, human development and social science.
At this point in your academic journey, it’s a good idea to explore job shadowing opportunities. Your guidance counselor can help you identify job shadowing opportunities in your area. By observing mental health professionals at work, you can get an insider’s look at the profession, and this can help you determine whether this is indeed the right career path for you.
As you begin looking ahead to college, you should research the licensure requirements for the state in which you plan to practice as a mental health counselor. Every state licensing board establishes their own licensing requirements for mental health professionals. By knowing these requirements ahead of time, you can be sure to choose degree programs that will enable you to meet them.
Future mental health counselors can expect to need a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as counseling or psychology. After graduation, you’ll need to earn a master’s degree, as well. Then, you’ll need to complete the supervised field hours required by your state licensing board, followed by acquiring licensure.
You may also decide to further enhance your career qualifications and professional knowledge by voluntarily earning a graduate certificate. Look for a graduate mental health certificate in integrated health. This can help you implement a strong integrated approach within your practice.
After high school, the first step in the process of becoming a mental health counselor who uses an integrative health approach is to earn an undergraduate degree. There is no rigid, universal bachelor’s degree requirement for aspiring mental health counselors. However, the degree you choose should be related to mental health.
For example, you could choose to major in psychology, counseling, behavioral health science or social work. Look for an accredited school that uses a curriculum that is aligned with standards established by a relevant professional organization. For instance, if you choose to major in psychology, look for a program with a curriculum that is aligned with the standards of the American Psychological Association (APA).
The topics you’ll study depend on your school and degree choice. In general, however, if you’re majoring in psychology you can expect to study topics such as the following:
- Introduction to the history of psychology and the fundamental functions of the brain, including perception, motivation, emotion, learning and sensory functions
- The nature and causal determinants of human behavior, with a study of theories such as Neo-Freudian, biological, psychodynamic, cognitive and behavioral
- The stages of development of children and adolescents, including their cognitive, biological and socioemotional processes
- The social, cultural and group factors that can influence individual behavior, with a look at aggression, cooperation, stereotypes, prejudices, social awareness and group roles
- Research methodologies and experimentation design, including theoretical and applied aspects
You will also likely have a capstone course during your senior year. Capstone courses are intended to showcase everything that you’ve learned up to that point. They are typically comprised of a research-and writing-intensive project under close faculty supervision.
Practical experience in the field is crucial for this career path. While you’re working toward your degree, it’s strongly recommended that you pursue internship opportunities at mental health clinics, addiction treatment centers and other relevant settings. Talk to the team at your school’s career services department for help finding local internship opportunities.
In order to acquire licensure as a counselor, you’ll need to earn a master’s degree. It’s not strictly necessary to earn a master’s degree in integrative health. You could earn any type of master’s degree in mental health counseling.
However, if you already know that you want to emphasize integrative health in your professional practice and you do have an integrative health degree available to you, this type of degree is certainly a good choice. Depending on the specific program and your enrollment schedule, it may take about two years of full-time study to complete a Master of Science in Mental Health and Wellness with an Emphasis in Integrated Health.
This type of degree will enable you to develop solid competencies in professional ethics and related laws, leadership skills within a mental health facility, emotional first aid and best practices in integrated healthcare. Some of the specific topics you are likely to study include the following:
- Cultural diversity and awareness in the mental health field, as well as professional ethics as they relate to client confidentiality and legal standards
- Research methodologies, evidence-based application of theories and proper documentation
- The integration of the mental health, healthcare and wellness fields, with a look at common mental health disorders, therapeutic approaches and community support services
- The design, development and implementation of community-based preventive programs, including funding, administration and evaluation
You may also be required to complete a capstone course for your master’s degree. If you’ve chosen a master’s degree that can lead to state licensure, it will likely encompass a certain number of practicum hours, or supervised field experience hours. You’ll be required to deliver mental health services to individuals and groups within an approved setting and under the close attention of your supervisor.
In order to obtain state licensure, you’ll need to meet your state’s requirement for supervised field hours or practicum hours. The requirements vary from one state to the next, but aspiring counselors can generally expect to need a few thousand supervised hours. Even if your master’s degree program did include practicum hours, you might need additional hours beyond those you’ve already earned.
Supervised field hours are an opportunity to put what you’ve learned into practice. It’s ideal to choose a work setting that will enable you to work with a wide range of patient populations, or to choose one that allows you to focus on your particular professional interests (e.g. chemical dependency or pediatric counseling). Pay close attention to the feedback your supervisor provides and actively work on incorporating that feedback into your counseling practice.
Once you meet the state requirements for licensure, you can apply to officially become a mental health counselor. Expect to submit extensive documentation, such as official transcripts and documentation of your supervised field hours.
You’ll also likely need to pass a criminal background check, and possibly complete a training course on identifying and reporting child abuse. Depending on your state, you may also need to pass an examination administered by your state licensing board.
Although you can acquire licensure without an additional credential, it can be a smart move to earn a graduate mental health certificate in addition to your master’s degree. A graduate certificate isn’t a degree. Rather, it’s an extra credential that demonstrates your in-depth mental health knowledge and your commitment to professional excellence.
Look for a graduate mental health certificate that focuses on integrated health. You will likely study concepts such as best practices when developing and implementing the integrated health model. You’ll also study the latest research and trends in integrated health concepts and delivery models, as well as their impact on patient outcomes.