The therapeutic relationship is at the heart of good counseling work. Working face-to-face with another human being is how change begins. Mental health counselors work with individuals, families, and sometimes groups of clients. Counselors use therapy sessions to learn about their clients, listen to them, teach them new things, and help decrease their symptoms. These sessions are done on an outpatient basis.

Counselors do other things for their clients as well. They communicate with other professionals such as doctors, probation officers, caseworkers, and other therapists. Counselors are also responsible for writing session notes, filling out insurance information, crisis intervention, and on-call duties.

The average salary range for a licensed mental health counselor is $23,500-$38,000. This largely depends on whether a counselor works at a private practice office or an agency. Private practice offices rely on insurance claims and private payments for their income. Income can fluctuate in a private practice office as client attendance varies.

Agencies usually have multiple funding sources and provide raises with additional work duties. In a community agency or government office, counselors are usually salaried. This makes the paychecks predictable. However, salaried counselors must often meet quotas or direct service hour expectations.

At a private practice office, counselors generally have fewer meetings or extra responsibilities. A counselor can spend most of their office time doing therapy with clients and have a flexible schedule. Unfortunately, this also leaves fewer opportunities to connect with fellow coworkers.

At an agency or large facility, counselors may be expected to perform other tasks or committee work that does not relate to direct time with clients. This allows counselors to get to know other mental health and support staff in their office. Private practice and community agencies each have advantages and disadvantages. Counselors often find it valuable to experience each setting sometime in their career.

Many counselors make their practice specialized in some way. Some find a niche they enjoy for many years. Others move through two or three specialties over their career. This can happen because of a job change, life events, or even struggles in their practice. Continued education courses give counselors the opportunity to learn more about a niche population or cluster of disorders that interests them.

It serves all four branches of the military and Public Health Service. Uniformed students receive their usual pay and benefits. Medical students have a seven year obligation to serve after graduation. Only military nurses are accepted in the post-graduate nursing programs for Master’s degree or PhD completion. Some civilians who are employed by the federal government may be eligible for admission and receive their full salary while attending.

The university specializes in the extraordinary requirements of deployed troops. For that reason the school is year-round and the medical education contains an added 7700 hours of military needs training. Other programs are available with an emphasis on research into uniquely military clinical findings (post-traumatic stress, etc.). In 2006 a new program was initiated studying radiation biology.

For information about the opportunities, see them on-line

Want to go to the medical or graduate school of your choice? If it is in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, clinical psychology or nurse anesthesia there’s a scholarship waiting for you.

The most extensive scholarship plan is the F. Edward Hebert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program. Not only is this a free ride for tuition, but also comes with a monthly stipend, books, non-expendable equipment, and promotions. To qualify, students must have already be enrolled or received a letter of acceptance from a program in the United States or Puerto Rico, qualify for commissioned officer status in the Army Reserve, be a United States citizen, and maintain full-time student. What you owe them is full-time status and dedicated effort to get good grades, 45 days active duty for training, commission as a second lieutenant and its obligations post-graduation. Your first year of training after school is performed on active duty at an Army medical center.

To start the application procedure you will need the following:

• Letter of Acceptance to a Professional School (Four year scholarships only)
• Dean’s Letter stating that you are currently enrolled in the Medical School and are in good standing with a projected graduation date (For 2nd, 3rd & 4th year medical students).
• 3 to 6 Letters of Recommendation (You must provide your Army Counselor/Recruiter with the names, address and telephone number of these individuals). Committee Letter can count as all three (3) for 4 year scholarships only
• Copy of MCAT / DAT / VCAT / OAT / GRE results (which ever applies)
• Proof of Birth / Citizenship: Copy of Birth Certificate / Passport / Naturalization Cert.
• Official Transcripts from ALL Undergraduate and Graduate Schools attending or have attended.

A physical examination is also required. Your free physical exam will be provided.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: To get started now contact your Army Health Care Recruiter