Mental Health Counselor Resume


To land your target mental health counselor job, you need a resume that highlights your most relevant skills and experience. Below you’ll find a mental health counselor resume sample and expert writing tips that show you the way to making a standout job application.
This template is effective, but there are other types of resume templates available on the internet too.
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Mental Health Counselor Resume Template
Copy-paste Mental Health Counselor Resume (Text Format)
FIRST AND LAST NAME
Email: your.email@email.com
Phone: (123) 456-7891
Address: Street, City, State
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourprofile
Resume Summary
Compassionate mental health professional with 5+ years of experience providing counseling, coaching, and mentoring to diverse populations in one-on-one and couple settings. Skilled in conducting diagnostic evaluations of patients suffering from alcohol addiction, mood disorders, and family trauma to encourage long-term patient recovery.
Professional Experience
Thriveworks, Valley, AL | April 2019–Present
Mental Health Counselor
- Educate 30+ weekly adolescent clients on life skills, problem-solving strategies, and how to interact with other peer groups
- Developed comprehensive treatment plans after conducting therapy meetings with individuals and couples to improve interpersonal behaviors and reduce their mental stress
- Directed 4 monthly community meetings to better understand the needs of the patients and help the facility create a more friendly environment for all members
- Performed specialized clinical evaluations, conducted group sessions on self-help, and implemented new techniques to ensure clients’ integration within their communities
Bluepipes, Greenville, AL | March 2018–March 2019
Mental Health Therapist
- Organized daily activities for a group of 65 patients and provided progress updates to mental health workers, senior counselors, and program directors
- Provided individual, group, and family counseling to 15–20 weekly clients, and updated clinical records with treatment plans, progress notes, and termination summaries
- Facilitated group meetings with victims of domestic violence while maintaining a regular caseload comprised of walk-ins, agency referrals, and individual counseling sessions
Veterans Health Administration, Columbus, GA | July 2017–February 2018
Staff Psychologist
- Outlined appropriate treatment plans and long-term psychological services for veterans and their dependents
- Provided round-the-clock on-call crisis intervention, assessment, and consultation services for 35 veterans
- Performed psychological assessments and drafted reports to describe patients’ backgrounds, test results, and conclusions
Education
University of South Alabama, Baton Rouge, LA | May 2017
Bachelor of Arts in Clinical Psychology
Honors: summa cum laude (GPA: 3.9/4.0)
Additional Skills
- MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) Outlook
- Counseling, crisis intervention, treatment planning, communication, behavioral therapy, attention to detail
Average mental health counselor salaries in the US
The following table includes information from O*NET Resource Center by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. The data is presented based on the top states in the United States.
Average mental health counselor annual salaries by state
State | Salary / Year |
---|---|
New York | $59,740 |
California | $58,080 |
Texas | $52,190 |
Florida | $52,260 |
Pennsylvania | $50,450 |
Illinois | $57,500 |
Ohio | $50,580 |
Georgia | $48,290 |
North Carolina | $51,790 |
Michigan | $56,160 |
National Average | $54,035 |
Pros and cons of being a mental health counselor
If you’re not yet sure if a career as a mental health counselor is right for you, take a look at this video where Allyssa Powers discusses the pros and cons of the job:
How to write a mental health counselor resume
A mental health counselor is a professional who helps people manage and overcome mental health problems and issues. They provide counseling, therapy, and support to their clients, helping them develop healthy coping mechanisms and improve their quality of life.
Mental health counselors must have a deep understanding of mental health issues, as well as the ability to listen attentively and provide support. They must also be able to create a safe and welcoming environment for their clients by being respectful of their feelings and beliefs.
To get interviewed (and eventually hired) for your desired counseling role, you’ll need to make a mental health counselor resume highlighting your job-specific skills and experience. Here’s how:
1. Target a specific mental health counselor job description
When you make a resume for a mental health counselor job, use keywords from the job ad to:
- help your resume stand out to the hiring manager
- show that you’re a good fit for the job
- indicate that you’re genuinely interested in the role
In addition to keywords, you should also include information that’s relevant to the job in your resume’s education section and work experience section.
Here’s an example of a mental health counselor resume bullet point tailored to a job description that emphasizes adolescent patient education:
- Educate over 30 weekly adolescent clients on life skills, problem-solving strategies, and how to interact with other peer groups
By customizing your resume to the job opportunity, you’ll increase your chances of getting an interview.
2. Write an attention-grabbing summary for your mental health counselor resume
The 3–4 sentence summary at the top of your mental health counselor resume is often the most difficult part to write. You need to write your resume summary in a way that grabs the employer’s attention from the very beginning so they’ll keep reading your resume.
To write an attention-grabbing resume summary as a mental health counselor, focus on your ability to connect with clients and help them overcome challenges. So highlight your:
- counseling experience
- education in psychology or counseling
- relevant certifications or licenses
- unique skills that make you especially well-suited for the job
Your resume summary should be concise and easy to read. Avoid overly technical or flowery language — just stick to the facts and let your qualifications speak for themselves, like in this example:

3. Showcase your mental health counselor skills
It’s important to showcase your hard and soft skills on your resume for mental health counselor work:
- hard skills are the specific, job-related abilities you’ve acquired through education or experience, such as record-keeping, conducting therapy sessions, and administering tests
- soft skills are the interpersonal skills that enable you to interact effectively with others, like active listening, empathy, and conflict resolution
Following a well-organized resume format can help emphasize your skills
Dr. Supatra Tovar, Clinical Psychologist, explains the key role soft skills play in providing effective treatment:
Handling sensitive aspects of patient care, particularly in difficult situations, requires a combination of empathy, clear communication, and maintaining professional boundaries. I always strive to create a safe and supportive environment where patients feel heard and respected. It’s essential to approach each situation with compassion, but also to remain objective so that I can provide the best possible care. — Dr. Supatra Tovar
Here are more examples of skills that you can describe on your mental health counselor resume to impress employers:
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving skills
- Relationship building
- Motivation
- Patience
- Compassion
- Respect for diversity
- Cultural awareness
- Boundary setting
- Professionalism
- Organizational skills
- Time management skills
- Stress management
- Crisis intervention
- Bereavement counseling
- Communication skills
By showcasing your hard and soft skills on your resume, you’ll give potential employers a better understanding of your qualifications for the job.

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