With an increasing number of people struggling with mental health disorders, choosing a career in this field is more important than ever. Fortunately, there are many meaningful and rewarding career paths in mental health that allow you to make a positive difference - no matter what schedule, salary expectations, and education prospects suit you best. 

In this guide, we’ll look at some of the best careers you could undertake in the mental health sector to help you decide on your next step. 

Psychologist or Therapist 

Psychologists and therapists are both specialized in helping individuals address psychological issues. While psychologists generally focus on understanding how a person's mind works, therapists provide emotional support and help people find positive coping strategies for stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems. 

With more than one in five US adults struggling with mental illnesses, choosing this career can certainly help you make an impact in your community. Additionally, if you are interested in a specific field, this path allows you to specialize in different niches, such as marriage and family therapy.

Travel Nurse (Mental Health Focus)

Travel nurses who specialize in mental health provide care and support to people who are facing mental health challenges. Travel nurses will work in a variety of settings, including hospitals and clinics as well as prisons and remote communities.

What’s more, travel nurses have the opportunity to work all around the world, with a chance of helping people struggling with depression, addiction, and other mental health issues. 

This career path is not only rewarding, but it is also relatively accessible to anyone looking to help others. By completing a training course and signing up with a travel nursing agency, you can take advantage of the immense growth of this sector while fulfilling your career goals. 

Mental Health Counselor 

If you want to help others with their mental health, consider becoming a mental health counselor. You can work one-on-one with people struggling with psychological issues like anxiety and depression and help them make informed decisions about their mental well-being. 

This job also allows for consultation or family sessions so that the patient’s loved ones can better understand how to support them through mental health challenges, such as addiction recovery.

Given the fact that affordability remains one of the barriers that stop people from getting the mental health care they need, you could make an even greater impact by offering pro bono mental health counseling services. 

Social or Charity Worker

Becoming a social worker or charity worker is a great way to help people with their mental health. If you have a background in psychology and strong interpersonal communication skills, then this line of work could be right for you. 

You can make meaningful connections with those in need and help and assistance wherever possible. This career choice also allows you to launch initiatives that can better the community as a whole, such as organizing support groups. 

Art Therapist

An art therapist provides an outlet for clients experiencing mental health challenges to express themselves in a non-verbal way. These specialized therapists use the creative process to aid their clients’ healing processes, unlock feelings, increase self-awareness, and build better coping strategies. 

Lifelong learning also promotes mental well-being and helps aging patients retain their cognitive functions sharp. 

Mental Health Coach or Wellbeing Officer

A mental health coach will guide individuals toward creating strategies to move past obstacles standing in their way and equip them with tools to manage stress better. Likewise, a well-being officer supports community development programs focusing on socializing mental health initiatives.

Mental health coaches and well-being officers tend to work as part of broader organizations or businesses to support mental health in the workplace or within teams.

Psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor with specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. They can provide medication, psychotherapy, or other treatments to their patients based on individual needs.

Although becoming a psychiatrist may involve a lengthy education path, this can be a rewarding and profitable career in the long term - and it is one that allows you to take on different roles in the mental health industry seamlessly!

Mental Health Educator

Teaching, training, and public speaking are key roles for mental health educators. Some of the projects you’ll overlook as an educator include hosting workshops, creating support materials, or delivering one-on-one sessions to help individuals manage their mental health.