May 19, 2022 – Even before the COVID pandemic, America was facing a shortage of mental health care workers and psychologists, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, to help meet the needs of minority and marginalized communities.

During Mental Health Awareness Month, along with recognizing the many ways mental health can adversely affect our lives, let’s also make a point to talk about the solution:  recruiting more providers to expedite treatment.

Our health and mental health care systems fundamentally require adequate staffing to deliver services.  But pandemic burnout and illness have prompted many providers to leave their respective professions.  In this job seekers’ market, however, there remain many opportunities and rewards for a career in mental health.

As an educator, my job is to prepare students for success and connect them with good-paying careers through various academic programs.  When it comes to psychology, everyone loves being an armchair therapist, but the real world of mental health services is so much deeper, challenging, and more rewarding than just doling out friendly advice. It can also be difficult and traumatizing.  It’s by no means for the faint of heart.

Not all mental health and psychology careers require the stereotypical patient couch in a dark, old-school doctor’s office.  These days, different levels of certification, undergraduate and postgraduate education, can mean a promising career in which you can make a difference in the world.  Various opportunities exist in the mental health and psychology field, from community social work and leading support groups to working with educators on school counseling to hospital settings, courtroom forensics, law enforcement, corrections, and juvenile mobile crisis units.

With any degree or certification, an up-and-coming professional can apply their knowledge to various needs with just a slightly different focus.  For example, one graduate turned her dream of marriage counseling and family therapy into a life-changing experience for her and the mothers of premature babies.  She helps them bond with their child, who has spent its earliest months in neonatal intensive care.

Telehealth is a silver lining of COVID, enabling mental health practitioners to see more clients regularly, reach those who are incapacitated or inaccessible or use the extra flexibility and time to clear their waiting lists of patients.  It has expanded the way that therapy is delivered given our new reality.  It’s also helped provide better outcomes through continuity of care since patients can now remain with a therapist they like rather than seeking out a new provider if they move or change jobs.

Mental health work also provides a stimulating challenge, with days as varied as the patients a practitioner sees.  Personality types who usually succeed in psychology careers genuinely care about people and can balance multiple points of view.  People who are reflective, wise, honest, and genuine will also succeed instead of those who are inauthentic.

To provide care and educate those who impact the patient, such as in complex family counseling, a therapist must be aware of cultural differences and how their personal experiences and bias may affect their assumptions about a patient’s problems, especially in diverse markets.

One of the hardest things to do is choose a fulfilling career.  But even if you’re choosing all over again, the mental health field can be where you might ultimately find your greatest satisfaction.

BY: Tilokie Depoo, Ph.D. is Chancellor of Albizu University’s Miami Campus, a leader in undergraduate and graduate psychology programs. 

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