A mental health clinician is a therapist who specializes in the prevention and treatment of emotional issues. Clients of the clinician may require assistance with self-esteem, stress management, addiction, or substance abuse issues. Interpersonal relationships, such as those with a spouse or child, are another area in which a mental health clinician can assist people. A mental health clinician may also assess a person’s risk of attempting suicide and recommend treatment based on the results of the assessment.
Clients, not patients, are the people who mental health clinicians assist. Clinicians may conduct an interview and observe the client, as well as administer simple tests, to determine the nature of the client’s problems. They then encourage the client to express his feelings and discuss what is going on in his life in order to help him understand his own actions. Counseling may not be limited to a single person. A clinician may also need to speak with and work with a client’s family members, as their influence on the person’s recovery or overall mental health may be significant.
In addition to conducting interviews, mental health clinicians keep confidential client files and paperwork. This could include government-mandated forms, diagnostic records, or notes on the client’s progress. It may also be necessary to keep track of the client’s medications and how he uses or misuses them.
A mental health clinician may need to attend courses or seminars to learn about new developments in counseling techniques because mental health is a constantly evolving science. Reading professional literature or mental health counseling journals is another way to learn. Communication with other social service agents can also be used to gather information about the community’s mental health needs.
Clinicians develop treatments for individual clients based on mental health theories. Mental health clinicians may hold a master’s degree in mental health counseling or a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Classes in how the brain works, developmental psychology, how people learn, and what drives their behavior are all required for these degrees. Students learn how medications interact with the brain to relieve symptoms of mental illness and how to test for such illnesses while in college.
People who work as mental health clinicians enjoy interacting with people and assisting them, both individually and in groups. Being able to balance caring for others with caring for oneself is a skill that many counselors possess. The ability to listen objectively and without prejudice is another useful skill.