Can You Work in the Field of Mental Health Counseling When Youre Not the Definition of Perfect Mental Health?
Question by Mint: Can you work in the field of mental health counseling when youre not the definition of perfect mental health?
I know with substance abuse counselers, people who have had addictions and are sober for at least 2 years can become counselors and often they get hired alot because they know what its like.
I am not mentally unstable, but i do have anxiety, im paranoid and a hypochondriac, and i constantly worry that i could be crazy. I know alot of people worry about that though, and the point is I can function fine in everyday life. So if I’m not the definition of perfect mental stability, but I am just fine with functioning and my life, so can I be one?
Like if youve ever received counseling, they wouldnt hold that against you when becomming a mental health counselor yourself right?
Best answer:
Answer by Kate
You can definitely be a mental health counselor even if you have mental health issues yourself, as long as your struggles are under control. In fact, many people become therapists BECAUSE they have had or are living with a chronic mental health disorder. You could even say that their struggles make them better therapists, because they do understand where the patient is coming from because of their own personal experience, just like you pointed out with substance abuse counselors who had previous struggles with addiction.
As long as you have your anxiety under control and it doesn’t inhibit your every day life, there is no reason why you can’t become a counselor. You can use your trials to help someone else going through the same thing, and that is a beautiful gift to give someone in need. They will definitely not hold that against you, and that kind of experience of struggle and triumph is something that can actually weigh in your favor when you have to write essays and sit interviews for graduate school. They will ask you why you want to be a counselor, what drives you towards the profession, and that’s when you can stand up and say, “I have personal experience with mental illness and I have overcome it, which is why I know I will be a good counselor.”
Best of luck in the future!
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