This occupation is part of the Community and Social Services cluster
-
Compatibility
not enough datawhy?
- Create a Budget
- x Create a Plan
- x Find Job Openings
About the Job
Diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family systems. Apply psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of services to individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of treating such diagnosed nervous and mental disorders.
It is also Called
- Behavior Therapist
- Behavioral Analyst
- Behavioral Specialist
- Behavioral Therapist
- Child and Family Counselor
- Clinical Services Director
- Clinical Therapist
- Clinician
- Couples Therapist
- Family Counselor
What They Do
- Ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors.
- Counsel clients on concerns, such as unsatisfactory relationships, divorce and separation, child rearing, home management, and financial difficulties.
- Encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner.
- Maintain case files that include activities, progress notes, evaluations, and recommendations.
- Develop and implement individualized treatment plans addressing family relationship problems, destructive patterns of behavior, and other personal issues.
- Collect information about clients, using techniques such as testing, interviewing, discussion, and observation.
- Confer with clients to develop plans for posttreatment activities.
- Confer with other counselors, doctors, and professionals to analyze individual cases and to coordinate counseling services.
- Determine whether clients should be counseled or referred to other specialists in such fields as medicine, psychiatry, and legal aid.
- Follow up on results of counseling programs and clients' adjustments to determine effectiveness of programs.
Interests
People who work in this occupation generally have the interest code: SAI.
This means people who work in this occupation generally have Social interests, but also prefer Artistic and Investigative environments.
Work Values
People who work in this occupation generally prize Relationships, but also value Independence and Achievement in their jobs.
Things They Need to Know
- Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
- Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
Things They Need to Be Able to Do
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Education Required
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Wages
In 2012, the average annual wage in United States was $49,270.00 with most people making between $25,540.00 and $75,120.00
Outlook
During 2010, this occupation employed approximately 36,000 people in United States. It is projected that there will be 50,000 employed in 2020.
This occupation will have about 1,000 openings due to growth and about 21,000 replacement openings for approximately 22,000 total annual openings.
Similar Occupations
- Healthcare Social Workers
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
- Education Teachers, Postsecondary
- Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
- Home Economics Teachers, Postsecondary
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
- Instructional Coordinators
- Speech-Language Pathologists
People who viewed this occupation also viewed:
-
majorSocial Work
-
collegeLoma Linda University
-
onetRecreational Therapists
-
majorCounselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
-
onetSubstance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
-
majorMarriage and Family Therapy/Counseling
-
collegeUniversity of Southern California
-
onetChild, Family, and School Social Workers
-
collegeCalifornia State University-Dominguez Hills
-
onetCounseling Psychologists
-
majorPsychology, General
-
collegeCalifornia State University-Long Beach