Career Plan
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Career Plan: Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Heydis T. Diaz
Florida International University
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Career Plan: Licensed Mental Health Counselor
For many years I was perfectly content with my job as a healthcare professional, and
even thought of it as a career path that was worth following. Most of my colleagues had
Baccalaureate degrees in healthcare administration or psychology, but my years of experience
were enough to help me move up in the field. Slowly, an inescapable feeling of restlessness built
to the surface, a feeling I now attribute to lack of purpose. In my current profession, I often
encounter people in distress, people who are ill or caring for ill family members, people who
struggle to balance physical, financial, and psychological burdens. I’ve always felt a desire to
help them deal with their struggles, and eventually found my purpose in that desire. I am now
pursuing a career in clinical mental health counseling by first earning my bachelor’s in
psychology, and then master’s in professional counseling psychology.
My current major has proven very interesting, aside from the social impacts that its
practice will eventually have on the daily lives of others. Particularly, courses in personality
theory, psychopathology, and psychotherapy have been immensely interesting. Additionally,
courses heavy on statistics such as research methods and psychological testing have also been
challenging and thought-provoking. Even the most challenging course, behavior analysis, was
rewarding.
Current Job Salary Discussion
Pursuing a career change at this stage in my life was not motivated by financial gain, but
rather by a calling. Eventually, I hope to work in an environment where direct contact with
clients will help them rediscover or build the strength to deal with their life stressors
appropriately, improving their quality of life. Ideally, I’d like to work for community outreach
centers that service disadvantaged populations. Unsurprisingly, salaries for my aspired career are
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not very high. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019), the average national salary for
marriage and family counselors is $50,000 a year. In Miami, the average yearly salary for
licensed mental health counselors is below the national average, at $49,000 (Pay Scale, 2020).
Salaries vary greatly by years of experience and specialty. Nationally, the lowest ten percent
earns under $31,850 a year, while the highest ten percent earns $82,240 a year (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 2019). Additionally, wages also fluctuate from state to state and even amongst cities
within the same state. For example, Miami’s top earners in the field net $72,000, while Tampa’s
top earners clear $101,000 a year (Pay Scale, 2020). By comparison, licensed mental health
counselors (LMHC) in New York, NY, average $48,000 yearly, and LMHCs in San Diego, CA,
average $53,000 a year (Pay Scale, 2020).
Graduate School or Marketability
In order to practice as a LMHC, I must take the GRE, be accepted to and complete a
master’s program in professional counseling psychology, complete 1500 hours of direct client
contact as a MHC intern, pass several post-graduation courses, and then sit for the National
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHE) (Florida International University,
2020). The required graduate degree typically takes two years to complete, and the clinical hours
of intern experience must be completed in a minimum of two years. In order to improve my
marketability while in the lengthy process that precedes licensure, I plan on attending relevant
conferences where I may learn and broaden my network, and also hope that I’ll be able to
transfer my current employment to a mental health facility. The cost of graduate school varies
greatly by institution. At FIU, the approximate total cost of the program is $28,560 (Florida
International University, 2020). Albizu University offers a masters in mental health counseling at
an approximate cost of $39,752 (Albizu University, 2020). Other private institutions have
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prohibitive program costs, such as Nova Southeastern University’s $55,000 MS in counseling
(Nova Southeastern University, 2020). Given the expected yearly salary, I aim to gain
acceptance at FIU or Albizu University. FIU’s program in professional counseling psychology is
my first choice not only because of the cost and quality, but also because students graduate with
1,000 clinical hours under their belt, making the goal of licensure attainable a year sooner than in
comparable programs.
Parallel Plan Discussion
If some unforeseen life event prevents me from ever becoming a clinical mental health
counselor, I’d focus on a career that would still fulfill my purpose of assisting people in need.
Licensed clinical social workers serve the public in similar ways, and would thus be my next
choice in career path. However, assignment instructions recommend that we look outside of our
current major for alternate career paths. I feel that nursing would also fulfil my desire to live a
purposeful life that enriches or improves the lives of others. None of my upper division
psychology courses are applicable to nursing, but having a double bachelor’s can assist me in
securing a nursing position at a mental health facility. Fortunately, my associates in science
degree had a pre-nursing concentration, so I would not need to take the nursing school
prerequisites. I would still have to take the entrance examinations, HESI or TEAS, in order to
apply. It would take two to three years to obtain a BSN, an endeavor I’d be willing to take on if
graduate school acceptance becomes unattainable. The cost of a BS ranges from program to
program. The most affordable local program is available at Miami Dade College for $16,237
(Miami Dade College, 2020). Private institutions offer nursing degrees at a much higher cost, for
example, NSU’s 81 credit program runs for approximately $65,000 (Nova Southeastern
University, 2020). Salaries for nurses with a BSN are considerably higher than salaries for
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LMHCs. National average yearly salaries range from $50,800 to $106,500, with a median of
$71,730 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019). Locally, annual wages in Miami range from $48,200
to $83,500, but are much higher in other areas of the country such as San Diego, where they
range from $59,800 to $112,00 (Pay Scale, 2020). Compiling a resume for entry level nursing
positions would still include my relevant healthcare experience and direct patient contact, it
would just reflect a different degree.
"I declare that this assignment is my own work and that I have correctly acknowledged the work
of others. This assignment is in accordance with University and School guidance on good
academic conduct (and how to avoid plagiarism and other assessment irregularities)."
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Resume
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References
Albizu University. (2020). Master of science in psychology (M.S.) major in mental health
counseling. Retrieved February 1, 2020, from
http://www.albizu.edu/Academics/Degrees-in-Psychology/Major-in-Mental-Health-
Counseling-MS
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. (2019, September 4). Occupational
outlook handbook: Marriage and family therapists. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-
and-social-service/marriage-and-family-therapists.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. (2019, September 4). Occupational
outlook handbook: Registered nurses. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-
nurses.htm
Florida International University. (2020). Department of Psychology: Getting licensed. Retrieved
February 1, 2020, from https://psychology.fiu.edu/academics/degrees-and-programs/MS-
Professional-Counseling-Psychology/getting-licensed/index.html
Florida International University. (2020). Office of finance and administration. Retrieved
February 1, 2020, from http://finance.fiu.edu/controller/UG_Calculator.htm
Miami Dade College. (2020). Academics. Retrieved February 1, 2020, from
https://www.mdc.edu/bsn/
Nova Southeastern University. (2020). Master of science (M.S.) in counseling program: College
of psychology. Retrieved February 1, 2020, from
https://psychology.nova.edu/graduate/csi/index.html
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Nova Southeastern University. (2020). Entry bachelors of science in nursing program: BSN
degree: Nova southeastern university. Retrieved February 1, 2020, from
https://nursing.nova.edu/entry-bs-in-nursing-program/index.html
Pay Scale. (n.d.). Average licensed mental health counselor salary in Miami, Florida. Retrieved
February 1, 2020, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/
Job=Licensed_Mental_Health_Counselor/Salary/5be5d110/Miami-FL