Mental Health Resume Examples & Templates for 2025

More Mental Health Resume Examples

Our mental health resume examples show how to feature your counseling, crisis intervention, and patient care skills. Use these samples to create a resume that stands out for various mental health roles and showcases your dedication to helping others.

Advice for Writing Your Mental Health Resume

Explore our advice on how to write a resume for a mental health position and discover how to highlight your compassion, communication skills, and dedication to supporting well-being. Whether you’re an aspiring counselor or a seasoned therapist, these tips will help you craft a resume that stands out in the mental health field.

Write a strong professional summary

A professional summary on a resume serves as an introduction for hiring managers, providing a snapshot of your skills and accomplishments. You can decide whether to use a summary or a resume objective based on your experience level and career goals. 

A professional summary is typically three to four sentences long and highlights your experience, skills, and achievements. It is best suited for those with considerable work history in mental health, aiming to present their professional identity and value by summarizing accomplishments for potential employers.

On the other hand, a resume objective focuses on what you aim to contribute and is ideal for entry-level job seekers, career changers, or those with employment gaps. While summaries emphasize past accomplishments (“what I’ve accomplished”), objectives highlight future goals (“what I aim to contribute”).

Next, we’ll provide examples of both summaries and objectives tailored for various industries and levels of experience in mental health roles. See our library of resume examples for additional inspiration.

Mental health resume summary examples

Mental health resume objective examples

Include relevant certifications and training

Certifications and specialized training are especially important in mental health roles because they demonstrate your expertise, professionalism, and commitment to providing safe, effective care. These credentials show employers that you’ve been formally trained to handle sensitive situations, follow ethical standards, and support clients with compassion and skill.

They also ensure that you meet industry requirements and stay current with best practices. By listing certifications in a dedicated section on your resume, you make it easy for employers to quickly see that you are qualified and well-prepared for the role. Including these details can set you apart from candidates who may not have the same level of training or professional recognition. Here are a few examples:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• Certified Mental Health Counselor (CMHC)
• Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC)
• Trauma-Informed Care Certification
• Mental Health First Aid Certification

Having these certifications can boost your chances of landing a job in mental health. They show employers you’re ready to provide high-quality care. This makes you a strong applicant for roles where trust and expertise are key.

Example of a certifications section

Showcase your work experience

Showing relevant work experience on your resume is key to standing out for a mental health role. Employers want to see how your past roles have prepared you to handle responsibilities like supporting clients, managing treatment plans, or collaborating with healthcare teams.

Organize this section in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job. For each entry, include your job title, the employer’s name, location, and the dates you worked there. Use action-oriented language that clearly shows what you accomplished and how it made an impact.

When describing your responsibilities, focus on measurable results whenever possible. Instead of saying “provided therapy,” say something like “delivered weekly therapy sessions to 15+ clients, resulting in improved emotional well-being based on feedback surveys.”

Highlight core skills such as conducting assessments, crisis intervention, group facilitation, or maintaining detailed client records. Tailor these details to match the specific needs of the role you’re applying for.

Keep descriptions concise but informative by emphasizing tasks and outcomes that show your ability to support individuals facing mental health challenges. This approach demonstrates not just what you did but also how well you performed and contributed in previous roles. Using specific examples helps employers see how you’ll bring value to their team from day one.

5 mental health work history bullet points

• Implemented therapeutic interventions for over 100 clients, resulting in a 40% improvement in reported mental health outcomes.
• Led group therapy sessions for diverse client groups, increasing participant engagement by 25% through innovative session planning.
• Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to develop personalized treatment plans, improving patient satisfaction scores by 30%.
• Conducted comprehensive assessments and provided crisis intervention services, reducing emergency department visits by 15%.
• Trained and mentored junior staff and interns, improving team productivity and service delivery by 20%.

Match your resume with the job description

Tailoring resumes to job descriptions is key because it helps job seekers stand out and pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS). ATS scans for specific keywords from job postings, making it important for applicants to match their resumes with the job requirements.

An ATS-friendly resume includes relevant keywords and phrases that align with the applicant’s skills. By incorporating these terms, candidates increase their chances of getting noticed by hiring managers.

To identify keywords in job postings, look for skills, qualifications, and duties mentioned repeatedly. For instance, terms like “patient care,” “clinical assessments,” or “healthcare team collaboration” are often used. Use these exact phrases when you customize your resume to improve its effectiveness.

Incorporate these terms naturally by rewriting job descriptions. For example, change “Provide high-quality patient care” to “Delivered high-quality patient care to improve overall health outcomes.” This way, your resume remains genuine while being ATS-friendly. Targeted resumes improve compatibility with ATS systems and boost the likelihood of securing an interview.