As mental health therapists and professionals, what are the most fulfilling and rewarding parts of the job?

"Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life." This idea by Wayne Dyer echoes the experiences of people who have found meaning and purpose in their chosen job or profession. 

What a wonderful feeling it must be to be able to say that your job does not really feel like a job anymore because it has become an extension of who you are and your passion!

Generally, people in professions that contribute to lives and the community, often called helping professionals, find great satisfaction in their work. These include people in social work, public health, healthcare, education, justice, counseling, psychology and mental health professions. 

Mental health therapists and professionals making lives better

Crisis counselors. These are mental health professionals who help people experiencing immediate distress. They can work onsite or at home through crisis hotlines or organizations offering online services. 

Psychologists or psychiatrists. These are mental health professionals who have knowledge about and are able to communicate the whys behind human behavior, emotions and thoughts. They are trained in skills that make them good at observing, assessing, and creating treatment plans to help clients with their mental health. 

Psychologists have a bachelor’s degree and psychiatrists need to have a doctoral degree. In addition, psychiatrists are professionally licensed to provide clinical services, such as prescribing medications. 

Therapists or Clinical Mental Health Counselors. These are people who can help clients deal with issues like trauma, negative childhood experiences, addiction, and other mental health issues through goal setting, and talk therapy. Under these are licensed marriage and family therapists, social workers, etc. 

In general, mental health therapists and professionals make a positive change in people’s lives by: 

• Working with them to understand the client’s issues
• Teaching healthy coping skills
• Working with clients setting up personal goals and action steps to reach goals
• Teaching ways to create healthy relationships 

Aside from the job satisfaction from helping clients, mental health professionals are paid well in an industry that is projected to grow further in the coming years. Average salaries range from $71,000 to $94,000. For those in private practice, earnings can reach up to $200,000.

Many in the mental health industry taking care of clients say that their work has ceased to just be a job. It has become a source of meaning and purpose in life. There is a sense of fulfillment in their emotional and mental healing. 

The hard work and the use of one’s skills and knowledge through time results in positive change in a client’s life. The joy of the job comes with knowing that you were part of that process. 

There is also fulfillment in learning more and becoming a better mental health therapist over time. The field of psychology is as complex as  human behavior is, and when you get to expand your horizons and knowledge, the more skilled and helpful you become. 

Lastly, mental health professionals are motivated into becoming healthier themselves in order to be more effective as therapists. Therapists need to learn to live a healthy life themselves, including learning to make priorities, boundaries and balance. Even mental health professionals are people with issues too, so by working in the mental health industry, they get to practice what they preach. 

Working as a mental health therapist and professional can be incredibly rewarding! So explore how you can be part of a group of people who have amazing opportunities and who can produce amazing results in people’s lives!  

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