Mental Health Counseling Careers and Career Resources

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, more than one in five American adults experience mental illness each year.¹

With the continually growing need for mental health professionals, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that, by 2034, this country will see a 17% increase in job openings—much higher than the national average—for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors.²

You can make a real difference. Gain the experience and expertise you need to advance, succeed and thrive in this vital profession. With William & Mary’s Online Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Counseling with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, you’ll be ready for a career that inspires you, fulfills your aspirations and changes lives.

To expand your skill set and heighten your career potential, choose William & Mary’s Military and Veterans Counseling (MVC) specialization. Expertise in military-focused counseling empowers you to help more people with more varied needs, in diverse opportunities that include:

1. Military and veterans counselor, working with active-duty military personnel, veterans and their families
2. Educational counselor for veterans, helping veterans navigate educational opportunities, including choosing courses, accessing resources and leveraging GI Bill benefits
3. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) counselor, helping individuals who have experienced trauma during their military service cope with the emotional and psychological effects of combat or other traumatic experiences
4. Rehabilitation counselor, helping veterans with disabilities, including physical and mental health challenges, to achieve maximum independence and improve their quality of life, possibly through assisting with vocational rehabilitation and community reintegration
5. Career counselor for veterans, helping veterans translate military skills into the civilian job market, explore career options and develop strategies for successful employment
6. Military family life counselor, providing adults and children on military installations with non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling
7. Military family life school counselor, providing all Child and Youth Behavioral (CYB) counseling services to military service members’ children of all ages and their families, on and off military installations

As a master’s student studying clinical mental health counseling at William & Mary, you have full access to these diverse career development resources:

• Cohen Career Center: Offers one-on-one advising, core competency workshops, resume reviews and networking events, career fairs, resume development resources and more to current W&M students and alumni
• Counselor Education Program Bulletin Board: Keeps you up to date on upcoming training and networking events, program outcomes and recent student accomplishments, and helps you identify opportunities to engage with peers and industry professionals
• American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA): An organization committed to positioning mental health counselors to meet their clients’ health care needs and advance within the profession; features a job board, events and more
• American Counseling Association (ACA): The world’s largest organization representing professional counselors; provides links to publications, continuing education, career resources and more for counselors