Hello,
I haven’t posted on here since I used another account and was in high school. It’s good to be back!
I am currently a rising senior majoring in geology at an SEC school. After this semester, I’ve realized I do not want to be a geologist, I want to be a therapist or a counselor. I have begun looking on CACREP for graduate programs in Mental Health Counseling and also in Rehabilitation, but there are hundreds to search through! Many of the admissions requirements for these programs ask for a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university (which I am on track to obtaining), GRE scores (I am not worried about meeting their minimums), a certain GPA (I have a high GPA, not worried about this either), letters of recommendation (I have professors that can write about my work ethic, but not about my ability to become a counselor).
I am posting to ask if anyone has been in a similar situation as me, a non related undergraduate major who had success getting into a mental health counseling graduate program.
I’m also asking if anyone knows of any particular programs that offer generous scholarships and financial aid, as I will certainly be needing some despite qualifying for Pell Grants.
TYIA! 
Pell Grants are only for undergraduate study. Most people pay for mental health counseling MA or M.Ed programs through loans, as scholarship support for professional graduate programs is uncommon. Because of this, a great strategy is to start by checking out the master’s in counseling programs at your home state’s public universities. Counseling is not a prestige-focused field; you can get a good job and have a great career as a mental health counselor with a degree from pretty much any program with the proper accreditation. Your public programs are going to be lower cost and leave you with a lot less debt. (One of my friends is a mental health counselor with a master’s from a public university in Oklahoma; she currently practices here in our new home state of Washington and does quite well for herself.)
Also, I’m not sure a rehabilitation degree will give you what you’re looking for (most of them are more about physical health rehab than counseling?). Aside from mental health counseling, also look at social work - specifically programs that have a clinical social work track and lead to licensure as an LCSW.
Most social work or MHC programs won’t necessarily require a related undergrad major, but they will look for some evidence that you are not choosing this on a whim and that you have some preparation. If you have some time in your schedule to take some psychology classes next year, do so. Volunteer at a place that offers mental health services, and maybe shadow or do some informational interviews with a counselor or social worker (or more than one) to get an idea of what the industry looks like and get some ideas about applying.
@HopefulCounselor, I don’t have any advice for you, but thanks for your interest in becoming a counselor. All three of my kids have benefited from excellent counselors. We are very thankful for them!