How to Find Mental Health Jobs and Build a Career in Ireland

Are you keen to start a career in mental health in Ireland but are unsure what roles you should pursue? Have a desire to help others with their mental health, but want to know what skills and abilities you’ll need to do so?

In this article, we’ll go through some of the most exciting career paths you can take and explain how you can become qualified in these areas.

A career in mental health can be rewarding and can allow you to make a positive impact on others. Roles in this area can be highly varied, with some requiring specialist, long-term training, whilst others can be achieved through short courses and apprenticeships. 

Mental health is a complicated and wide-ranging topic, and it can affect people’s lives in many different ways. Those struggling with their mental health may interact with people in different roles, with each person being able to offer them support in different ways.

The range of mental health issues means that different levels of qualification and expertise are needed to give people the help they need. However, all roles are united by a sincere desire to give those struggling with mental health the support they need to live their day-to-day lives. 

But what are some of the key career paths in mental health, and what are the qualifications that are needed for the major roles in this area? Read on to find out some of the most common career paths in mental health and get an understanding of the skills and qualifications needed to succeed in these areas.

A career in counselling is a great option for those who want to listen to others and help them work through personal issues and improve their mental health. Although counsellors aren’t just limited to discussing mental health, speaking to patients about mental health will be a common occurrence. 

If you want to become a practising Counsellor in Ireland, taking an accredited or recognised Counselling course can give you the foundation of knowledge you’ll need to practise counselling as a full-time professional. You can choose to specialise with courses by enrolling on a Diploma in Youth Development and Counselling course or similar courses that allow you to target specific areas of counselling. Counsellors may work on a freelance basis or work for a charity, health provider or private company. 

Although courses like this can cover many of the core areas of counselling, it can be beneficial to take additional Mental Health courses or courses in Psychology. This can allow you to give specialist counselling services to those struggling with mental health issues or who are affected by mental illness.

When thinking about a career as a life coach, you may ask yourself questions like, ‘what is a Life Coach?’ and ‘what does a Life Coach do on a day-to-day basis’? A career as a Life Coach is similar to that of a counsellor, but a key difference is that Life Coaches will help clients to set goals to achieve in their personal and professional lives. Life coaching can be a rewarding career and can give you an opportunity to improve your client’s wellbeing and mental health.

You’ll see multiple clients a day and work with them to help them achieve their goals. Life Coaches aren’t expected to be experts in every field but instead use tried and tested methods to help others find the potential within themselves and apply life coaching strategies in their personal and professional lives.

When practising as a Life Coach in Ireland, you’ll typically need to have undergone training or completed a Life Coaching course. This will make it easier to find work as a freelancer (full-time or part-time), or within a life coaching company, as clients and employers will be confident that you have the skills and necessary knowledge needed to succeed in your career as a Life Coach. 

Taking Mental Health courses or courses in Psychology can also give you a greater understanding and ability to help those who may be struggling with their mental health or have specific needs relating to a mental illness. Although courses in this area aren’t always required to become a Life Coach, extra knowledge in this area is ideal for those who are keen to particularly help those with mental health needs during their career as a Life Coach. 

Working as a Mental Health Nurse is a rewarding career, and those working in this role have the opportunity to improve mental health outcomes for patients in a direct way. Day-to-day, you’ll follow a structure similar to that of a typical nurse, with different responsibilities that relate to the mental health of patients. Your main goal will be to give mental health support and mental health care to patients.

In Ireland, you’ll need to complete a higher education course in Mental Health nursing and register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland before looking for vacancies for adult Mental Health Nurse jobs in Ireland. Having prior knowledge through Psychology courses or a background in that area can be helpful, especially if you’re keen to branch out into psychiatric nursing.

If you’ve already taken Nursing courses and are qualified in this area, you can convert to become a mental health course by taking Mental Health courses. It’s important to check beforehand which certifications or qualifications you’ll need depending on your prior knowledge. 

Being a Psychologist can sometimes be similar to roles such as a Counsellor or a Mental Health Nurse. However, a key difference is that you’ll be working with those that have either been diagnosed with mental disorders or are being assessed to determine whether they have a mental disorder. 

You’ll be working with patients to help them manage mental issues they may be facing and try to ascertain how a patient is feeling and what can be done in order to help them from a medical perspective. You’ll play an important role in delivering high-quality mental health services to patients who are in need.

You’ll first need to be qualified in psychology at a higher educational level, either through a degree or through Psychology courses. You can choose to specialise in particular areas, by gaining a Certificate in Adolescent Psychological Development or a Certificate in Adolescent Psychological Development.

Taking additional courses in Mental Health or taking on a relevant postgraduate degree can help you get the skills you need to find work as a Psychologist.