How To Become A Health And Wellness Counselor: Skills And Requirements

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If you are interested in helping others improve their physical and mental well-being, you may suit a career as a health and wellness counselor.

Broadly, these counselors educate communities and counsel clients on healthy practices. They may work in public-facing positions, such as health education specialists, or in private practice as mental health and wellness therapists.

Read on to learn more about how to become a wellness counselor.

Health and wellness therapists help clients form healthy habits. Some counselors incorporate wellness principles into a holistic therapy approach, examining how nutrition, physical activity and stress management impact health.

Prospective health and wellness counselors may also pursue work as health education specialists. These professionals work in healthcare, nonprofit organizations or public health offices, creating educational materials, planning events, and developing and analyzing outreach programs.

Health education specialists provide individual or group guidance, such as company training programs, and inform people about regular cancer screenings, vaccinations or Medicare enrollment. They also develop community education materials, such as brochures, in the interest of public health education.

Similarly, health and wellness counselors can work in community health, where they use data to identify and advocate for community needs, policy changes and better community health resources. They may also perform basic health screenings, offer referrals or even provide client transportation.

Health and wellness counselors’ income is largely based on work setting and education. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that mental health counselors made a median annual wage of $49,710 as of May 2022. According to Payscale, wellness coaches make approximately $48,900 annually on average.

Health and wellness counselors may earn more in roles such as health education specialist, for example. These professionals made a median annual wage of $59,990 as of May 2022, according to the BLS.

The highest-paid health education specialists—with an average wage of $128,650—work in merchant wholesalers and nondurable goods.

Career growth for health and wellness counselors and related fields is promising. According to the BLS, demand for health education specialists should grow by 8% from 2021 to 2031.

The increase in demand can be partly attributed to governments and hospitals seeking different approaches to healthcare. Wellness counselors help clients maintain their health and prevent more serious diseases and medical procedures.

Becoming a licensed professional counselor takes several years of education. The field of counseling consists of numerous specializations based on population type or therapy technique. Even health and wellness counselors can further specialize their careers.

Each counseling speciality has individual licensing and professional certification requirements. Wellness counselors incorporate physical health into their practice. Other types of counseling include:

The steps to become a health and wellness counselor depend on your career goals. To provide counseling as a mental health and wellness therapist, you must meet state-specific requirements for a counseling license, often including graduate-level education and certification.

You need at least a four-year bachelor’s degree to become a health and wellness counselor. To practice as a licensed counselor, however, you’ll need a master’s in mental health and wellness counseling or a related field, which takes another one to two years.

Graduate degrees must be accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Accreditation makes it easier to earn your counseling certification later on, and the state may require it.

To qualify for licensure as a health and wellness counselor, you’ll need to complete required professional experience. Requirements vary by state but typically include 2,000 to 4,000 supervised clinical experience hours.

Prospective therapists can complete these hours through a combination of one-on-one counseling, group therapy, crisis phone services and other forms of therapy under licensed therapist supervision.

Gaining state licensure and board certification qualifies health and wellness counselors for independent practice in most states. Health and wellness counselors can pursue a general counselor license and a health-specific certification.

To become a licensed professional counselor, you must pass a state-recognized exam. Requirements vary by state, but every state requires passing scores on one of two exams administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors: the National Counselor Exam (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exams (NCMHCE)

Certifications vouch for a professional’s skill level, leading to more job prospects and higher pay. Consider pursuing professional certification as a health and wellness counselor.

National Certified Counselor (NCC). The NCC certification verifies that counselors meet national counseling standards and requires counselors to take either the NCE or the NCMHCE.

Requirements to sit for the exam include:

Postgraduate work experience requirements may decrease depending on prior education. Recertification occurs every five years through continued education.

Certified Wellness Practitioner (CWP). For a focus in wellness, consider earning the CWP certification through the National Wellness Institute. This certification is suited for professionals in counseling, health promotion, public health and more.

To sit for the CWP exam, applicants must meet minimum educational and professional experience requirements:

The exam costs $350, including the application fee. Recertification occurs every five years and requires continued education.

As a client-facing career, health and wellness counselors must have strong interpersonal skills applicable in many work settings.

Counselors should be direct and understanding with their clients. Similarly, health and wellness counselors are often responsible for public health education, so their programs, materials and public comments must be clear and concise.

Counselors may work in a collective or alongside doctors and psychiatrists to create treatment plans for clients. Strong interpersonal skills help counselors work cohesively in pursuit of a shared goal.

Counselors must prioritize making clients feel heard and build trust by actively listening to their clients. This is also necessary for logging and recalling clients’ session topics.

Above all, health and wellness counselors must be adaptable and adjust therapy approaches depending on the client. Each client or work week may look different for counselors, so adaptability is key for smooth transitions.

To become a licensed mental health and wellness counselor, you must have a master’s degree and thousands of hours of supervised professional experience. You must also pass a state-recognized exam.

Wellness counseling incorporates strategies to improve physical and mental well-being. These counselors may help their clients form goals around nutrition, physical activity or stress reduction.

Counselors and therapists share similar roles, and both professionals require licensure to practice. Therapists typically provide more long-term care to clients, whereas counselors may offer services to help clients work toward specific goals on a shorter-term basis.

Victim told Colorado Springs Police she ‘went numb’ when sexually assaulted by her counselor

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - An arrest affidavit of a licensed professional counselor outlines what led up to the victim, his patient, coming forward.

Colorado Springs Professional Counselor Jefferey Erickson was arrested on June 2 for sexually assaulting a client. The Colorado Springs Police Department believes she wasn’t the only one victimized.

According to the arrest affidavit, the victim went to Erickson for therapy in March 2022. She said their connection was “extremely strong” and he gained her trust.

Within two months, the relationship turned from professional to personal. Erickson and the victim started communicating on their personal numbers. The victim told police he began sending her flirtatious texts and pictures.

According to the court documents, the victim showed his first "flirtatious" message and video to someone else who said the video was "inappropriate and made her uncomfortable." Following that, Erickson began telling the victim they were "soulmates and best friends who would heal together."

After seven months of therapy sessions, the relationship turned sexual. Erickson started sending the victim explicit pictures and videos of himself and told her his “sexual fantasies.” The victim said she felt "ashamed" of this.

A month after the explicit pictures, the victim said the situation became "physical" after Erickson asked her to meet for a hike. During the hike, the affidavit states "he pushed her against a rock and kissed her on the mouth. He told her she brought out the 'primal' instincts in him."

According to the affidavit, the first sexual assault happened after that hike at his office. During that, she told investigators she began "crying and shaking" and he initially stopped but then after she stopped crying continued with the alleged assault. She then began to cry and shake again. Erickson allegedly told her to let the tears out because “it was good for the [redacted].”

When the victim threatened to tell people about the “affair,” Erickson accused her of “blackmailing him with her feelings." He also told her she was “helping him work through his childhood trauma.” He continued with his claims that they were “soulmates," but said "If anyone knew about their relationship, it would ruin his family, marriage, and career.

Communication between Erickson and the victim continued on and off until mid-February. The arrest affidavit said the victim decided to end contact with Erickson and met him one last time. During the meeting was when the second sexual assault allegedly happened. The victim describes “going numb” and said she “lost control of the situation.”

In an April phone call, the victim confronted Erickson, saying “It was his responsibility to protect her but instead he had sex with her.” Erickson replied, “It was 100% consensual on both ends.”

Erickson was arrested last week and charged with a class 4 felony of sexual assault on a client by a psychotherapist. The next day, Erickson was released from jail after posting his $15,000 bond.

13 Investigates went to Erickson's office to try and find him but the door was locked. He has not responded to our calls requesting comment. Someone in the building said he hadn’t seen Erickson since the week of his arrest.

Meanwhile, Erickson’s professional counselor license is still active. The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies couldn’t be reached about how his arrest will affect his license.

The Colorado Springs Police Department said Erickson and the victim deleted all sexual communication and it couldn’t be recovered by the agency’s forensic unit.

CSPD believes there are more victims and are asking anyone who was inappropriately contacted by Erickson to come forward with information. You can contact the Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000 or the Pikes Peak Area Crimes Stoppers at 719-634-STOP (7867).

Lighthouse Counseling, LLC