A person who is considering a career as a counselor may wonder, “What does a mental health counselor do?” A mental health counselor differs from a family therapist, marriage counselor or general therapist in several ways. These people focus on mental health disorders including schizophrenia, addiction and suicidal behaviors.
Diagnose Mental Health Disorders
Mental health counselors assess people with mental health problems and diagnose mental health disorders. In order to do this, they may conduct interviews or perform assessments on the patient. They analyze the test results, interpret them and form a diagnosis. In many cases, the mental health counselor works together with a psychiatrist, addiction medicine physician, mental health nurse and other healthcare professionals. The team effort may be required in order to diagnose complex or co-morbid mental health conditions.
Treat Mental Health Disorders
Mental health counselors also treat mental health disorders. They may be the coordinator of the patient’s treatment plan. They may also assess the treatment plan on a regular basis in order to see if it is working in the patient’s best interest. Mental health counselors typically provide the therapy and counseling portions of the person’s treatment plan. If the counselor suspects that the patient’s symptoms are breaking through or worsening, they may meet with the psychiatrist in order to suggest a dose change in medication or another type of medication to treat the patient’s symptoms. Mental health counselors use a variety of therapeutic approaches in their therapy sessions. They offer both individual and group counseling to people with mental health disorders. Some of them may offer counseling to the family members of people with a mental health disorder.
Provide Crisis Management Services
According to Chron, another service provided by a mental health counselor is crisis management. A mental health counselor who works in a hospital may help a person who is admitted into the emergency room with a mental health crisis, such as a panic attack or a suicide attempt. They may also offer emergency evening, overnight, weekend or holiday services for a person whose regular counselor is not available. Crisis management services also include providing treatment to a person who is threatening harm against others, refuses their medication or has an escalation of symptoms that used to be under control.
Counsel People with Substance Use and Alcohol Abuse Disorders
A mental health counselor also counsels people with substance use and alcohol abuse disorders. This may be done in concert with a detox process and an inpatient stay at an addiction treatment center. These counseling services may also be provided after a person has completed a stay at a rehabilitation center for alcohol or drug addiction. In addition to counseling people with substance use disorders, mental health counselors may provide therapy for people with other types of addictions. They offer counseling for gambling, shopping and similar addictive behaviors that impact a person’s life and relationships.
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Mental health counselors serve people of all ages and from all backgrounds. They provide direct patient care in order to help a person manage their mental health disorder. Understanding the answer to the question of, “What does a mental health counselor do?” could help a person make an informed decision about their career path and decide if this is the right course for them.