Essentials of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Profession

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 04:21:34 GMT

Essentials of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Profession

Book Being Reviewed:
Miller, J., & Otis, G. (2020). Essentials of the clinical mental health counseling profession. American Mental Health Counselors Association.

Reviewers:
Erik Messinger & Maddi Vaughters

Curricular Areas:
Consultation, Counselor Education, Helping Relationships/Counseling Theory

Subject Headings:
Career

Review:
Essentials of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Profession is an outstanding resource for both new and experienced counselors to gain a deeper understanding of the mental health community and foundational views of the clinical mental health counseling profession. Created by American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA), this book serves as resource that outlines not only the core values of the counseling profession; but also discusses the structure and ways the organization can assist and facilitate growth for clinical mental health counselors. Within this text lies the groundwork for students just starting in their graduate programs to help grow in their careers. For the more seasoned professional, this book offers a pathway to achieve various levels of professional development within AMHCA. The authors work to strategically deconstruct common myths and concerns about the certification and credentialing process, which can be overwhelming for many new professionals. While providing a detailed history of the profession, the authors show how AMHCA developed a foundation for the profession to flourish, thrive, and evolve for decades to come. The text emphasizes the distinction between licensed clinical mental health counselors and other helping professionals within the mental health field by focusing on licensure training and education. The authors also give particular attention to how clinical mental health counseling is pivotal to integrated healthcare. With the ever-evolving atmosphere of the healthcare setting, it is imperative that licensed clinical mental health counselors stay abreast of the latest developments in the field and how they impact future collaboration with the healthcare field. The impact of clinical mental health counseling is well-reviewed and exhibited through the authors’ comprehensive composition.

Overall, AMHCA presents an easy-to-read book that gives readers concrete information on the profession as well as how the association is devoted to furthering the advancement of counseling. This is achieved through delivering a well-structured flow of information, while providing knowledge and skills in an array of specialty areas within the profession. This collection of knowledge and resources is the perfect addition to any professional’s bookshelf as it provides many references bundled into one handy resource. As either a newly licensed professional or a seasoned counselor, this book serves as a navigational guide to working with clients both in-person and now via telehealth. The AMHCA Code of Ethics, which is provided in the appendix, details difficult situations such as proceeding with a termination when a client does not pay the session fees and how to ethically refer clients to more appropriate resources or higher levels of care when the current services have not been beneficial. Due to the pandemic, counseling has almost exclusively moved online to stay in compliance with current health guidelines. For those with minimal telehealth experience, this book is a helpful reference to address basic concerns and guidelines on telehealth to ensure all treatment remains ethical and beneficial to clients. As the counseling profession focuses on guiding others to information that nurtures growth and development, this book also facilitates professional growth for counselors of all developmental levels.