Mental Health Counselorsresume guide.
Counsel and advise individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health, with an emphasis on prevention. A strong Mental Health Counselors resume shows active listening, social perceptiveness and speaking, and names the tools you have worked with, such as Microsoft Access, Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office software.
See a sample Mental Health Counselors resumeAnnotated against this guide · 3 templates↓This guide, on a real page.
A Mental Health Counselors resume built in ResumeXRays, annotated against the data below. Flip the pages, try a template, then make it yours.
- 1Say how you deliver care.Telehealth is now a normal part of counseling, and clinics want to know you can work both ways. A weekly client count and the in-person and video split answer that in one line.
- 2Show progress with the scales you use.Clinics and accreditors increasingly expect measurement-based care. A PHQ-9 drop shows the guide's task of guiding clients to deal with their problems actually worked.
- 3Show how you handle risk."Assess patients for risk of suicide attempts" is one of this guide's highest-rated tasks. Name the tool you use and what you do when someone screens positive.
- 4Put paperwork in numbers too.Keeping progress notes and state-mandated records is a core task here. Note timeliness and a clean audit show you are reliable with records and confidentiality.
- 5Write out your license in full.Postings use titles like LMHC and LPC, and the name changes by state. Give the full license name, the state board that issued it and that it is active. If your state has joined the Counseling Compact, say so.
- 6Keep education to one line.Nearly everyone in this field holds a master's degree, so the degree and school are all you need. Your license and results do the rest.
Sample resume. The candidate is fictional; the layout and templates are real.
01Also called
O*NET02Skills employers expect
O*NETImportance is how much the skill matters to the job; level is how much of it the job demands. Both are worth naming on the resume, in this order.
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Very high | Advanced |
| Social Perceptiveness | Very high | Advanced |
| Speaking | Very high | Advanced |
| Reading Comprehension | Very high | Advanced |
| Writing | Very high | Advanced |
| Critical Thinking | Very high | Advanced |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Very high | Advanced |
| Service Orientation | High | Advanced |
| Active Learning | High | Advanced |
| Complex Problem Solving | High | Advanced |
03Knowledge areas
O*NET- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Education and Training
- Administrative
- Telecommunications
- Administration and Management
- Philosophy and Theology
04Common responsibilities
O*NETOrdered by importance. Each one is a bullet waiting for a result and a number.
- Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
- Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, helping them to develop insight into themselves or their relationships.
- Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
- Assess patients for risk of suicide attempts.
- Fill out and maintain client-related paperwork, including federal- and state-mandated forms, client diagnostic records, and progress notes.
- Perform crisis interventions to help ensure the safety of the patients and others.
- Guide clients in the development of skills or strategies for dealing with their problems.
- Perform crisis interventions with clients.
- Prepare and maintain all required treatment records and reports.
- Develop and implement treatment plans based on clinical experience and knowledge.
05Software and tools
O*NET20 tools across 12 categories. The six largest categories are below; Hot marks a hot technology, In demand a tool employers ask for most often.
- Oracle PeopleSoftHot
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Management information systems MIS
- Web browser softwareIn demand
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Netscape Navigator
- Statistical softwareIn demand
- Test interpretation software
- Microsoft AccessHotIn demand
- Database software
- Microsoft OutlookHotIn demand
- Email software
- Patient electronic medical record EMR software
- Client information database systems
- Scheduling software
- Microsoft Office softwareHotIn demand
- Microsoft PowerPointHotIn demand
- Google Classroom
- Microsoft ExcelHotIn demand
- Microsoft WordHotIn demand
06Education and preparation
O*NET07Putting it on your resume
ResumeXRays guidanceLead with what you built. For a Job Zone 5 role, hiring managers and parsers both look for outcomes before credentials. Put two or three results at the top of each job entry, with the scale or effect stated plainly.
Name the tools exactly. This occupation is heavy on named software. A skills section that says "Microsoft Access, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint" matches more job descriptions than a general phrase. Use the spelling employers use.
Show social perceptiveness and speaking, not just active listening. Social perceptiveness and speaking rank close to active listening for this occupation. One bullet per role that shows a decision, a tradeoff or a result covers them.
Run your resume through the free scan →See your fitbefore youhit apply.
Drop your resume and see what a parser flags before you send it. Free, no card.
Analyze your resume free →$0 to start · No card · Free plan forever