Types of Mental Health Professionals

The field of medicine is very vast. Each and every organ or part of the body ailments require a professional to treat it. Likewise, our mind, in other words, our mental health too requires help at some point of time. The help of different types of mental health professionals are required to treat mental illnesses.

These mental disorders may arise due to stress, hereditary factors, aging, post traumatic stress disorder, any form of physical, mental or sexual abuse, and several other factors. The list of mental health professions is very broad and covers a group of professionals who are expert in their respective fields.

If you wish to be a part of the medical field, and have good people skills, then becoming a mental health professional is the career for you. Let's have a look at the different types of metal health professionals in the following paragraphs.

A doctor would go into the details of the symptoms and find out the causes of illness in a patient. Similarly one needs to learn all about a profession and understand whether the job description as well as the salary earned matches their personal aspirations.

There are many different types of mental health professionals in the United States. One of the high paying jobs in the medical field is to become a mental health professional. The mental health professional jobs discussed ahead will help you learn the career choices that you can make and enter the field of medicine.

Psychiatrists are Doctors of Medicine (M.D.s) or Doctors of Osteopathy (D.O.s). These doctors spend about four years after medical school in training to specialize in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are given licenses to practice, write prescriptions, and monitor medications.

They are given certificates from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology after they pass the National Boards. A psychiatrist can work in a hospital, medical center, or school. He can even set up his private practice and offer his services to other organizations.

Psychologist is the one who has studied psychotherapy. These professionals have earned a degree of PsyD, EdD, PhD. A few study further and earn degrees like MA or MS. A psychologist helps treat and counsel on various issues like personality disorders, behavioral problems, relationship issues, etc.

A psychologist can work in hospitals, schools, community centers, jails, industries, law enforcement agencies, etc. They may even have their private practices.

These mental health therapists include psychologist, family therapists, psychiatric nurses, social workers, etc. A psychotherapist tends to focus on the thoughts, feelings, experiences of an individual that define a person.

Psychiatric nurses or mental health nurses are professional nurses who are registered nurses (RN). These nurses study further and earn a Bachelor's in Nursing degree as well as Master's in Nursing degree. A few bright ones study more and earn a doctoral degree in nursing like D.N.Sc or Ph.D. These psychiatric nurses earn their license from the state.

The amount of experience and the level of their degree helps determine the services they can provide to a patient. These nurses under the guidance of a licensed medical doctor can provide psychotherapy as well as carry out mental health assessment.

A licensed professional counselor (LPC), like a psychotherapist is a broad term used to describe professionals who provide counseling. These people may have a license or a certificate. It is one of the types of mental health professionals who offer their services in the diagnosis and counseling of an individual, family, group therapy, etc.

They are also known as mental health counselors or professional counselors. These professionals have a master's degree (M.A) in psychology, counseling, etc. They are certified from the National Academy of Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselors and given licenses from the state.

One of the most lucrative mental health professional jobs is to become marriage and family therapists. These therapists have a Bachelor's or Master's degree and hundreds of hours of direct clinical interaction. They are given licenses according to different state rules.

These therapists help people focus on their problems and reach a mutual solution. They help fight depression, cope up with spouse conflicts, parent child problems, etc.

An art therapist is a professional with a degree in art therapy. This therapy helps people express their feelings through different forms of art like paintings, music, sculptures, etc. Art therapy helps one fight depression, addiction, trauma, etc.

Addiction therapists are professionals who help people overcome their addictions like alcohol addictions, gambling, drug addictions, smoking, etc. Most of the time addiction therapists conduct their sessions in groups and help people overcome their fears and negativity. Sometimes they may also counsel family members of an addict who are also affected by her/his addictions.

Social workers are an important part of medical jobs. They have a Bachelor's degree in BA, BS, BSW or master's degree in M.A, MSW or MSSW. A few study ahead and earn a doctoral in DSW or Ph.D. These licensed social workers help counsel people with mental illnesses, domestic abuse, cancer, long-term illnesses, etc. They carry out social work and help out people who need monetary as well as social help.

It is very important that one understands the various mental health professional jobs clearly before choosing one as a career path. One needs to study a lot and earn degrees in order to qualify as a mental health professional. Choose yours wisely as someone else's life may depend on your diagnosis, judgment and therapy.