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Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies

OaSIS code 41301.00

Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies assist individuals and groups of clients to identify, understand and overcome personal problems and achieve personal objectives. They can be specialized to work on specific problems and they may practice psychotherapy.

Overview

Also known as

  • Addictions counsellor
  • Art therapist
  • Bereavement counsellor
  • Child and youth counsellor
  • Drama therapist
  • Family counsellor
  • Marriage counsellor
  • Movement therapist
  • Music therapist
  • Psychotherapist
  • Registered clinical counsellor
  • Registered dance therapist
  • Registered marriage and family therapist
  • Sexologist

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Interview clients, prepare case histories and assess problems
  • Develop and implement counselling and intervention programs to assist clients in determining goals and means of attaining them
  • Counsel clients, provide therapy and mediation services, and facilitate group sessions
  • Liaise with community agencies or partners, and identify additional or alternative services and provide referrals
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of counselling programs and interventions, and clients' progress in resolving identified problems and movement toward defined objectives
  • Follow up on results of counselling programs and clients' adjustments
  • Prepare assessment, progress, follow-up and court reports
  • May supervise other counsellors, social service staff and assistants
  • May provide public education and consultation to other professionals or groups regarding counselling services, issues and methods
  • May provide witness testimony in court proceedings
  • May conduct research, publish research papers, educational texts and articles and deliver presentations at conferences
  • May collaborate with employee assistance programs or with government organizations in health and safety or with victims of crime
  • May participate in fundraising activities.

Additional information

  • Counselling therapists usually become specialized in a particular area through continual training and experience.
  • Progression to social service management positions is possible with additional training and experience.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment (31204)
  • Managers in social, community and correctional services (40030)
  • Educational counsellors (41320)
  • Career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education) (41321)
  • Social workers (41300)
  • Social and community service workers (42201)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

4 – Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services

TEER

1 – Occupations usually require a university degree

Major group

41 – Professional occupations in law, education, social, community and government services

Sub-major group

413 – Professional occupations in social and community services

Minor group

4130 – Social and community service professionals

Unit group

41301 – Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies

Occupational profile

41301.00 – Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies

Work characteristics

Work characteristics gathers the various components describing the work environment of each occupation, such as employers, work activities, and the work context. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of complexity (for Work Activities) or other measurement dimensions (for Work Context), and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Work Activities

Proficiency or complexity level
Assisting and Caring for Others
5 - Highest Level
Coaching and Developing Others
5 - Highest Level
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
5 - Highest Level
Analyzing Data or Information
4 - High Level
Clerical Activities
4 - High Level

Work Context

Structural Job Characteristics

Structured versus Unstructured Work
Degree of freedom to determine tasks and priorities
3 - Moderate amount of freedom
Work Week Duration
Worked hours in a typical week
2 - Between 35 to 40 hours

Physical Work Environment

Physical Proximity
Physical distance from others
3 - Somewhat close (e.g. share office)

Physical Demands

Sitting
Duration
4 - More than half the time
Standing
Duration
1 - Very little time
Bending or Twisting the Body
Duration
1 - Very little time

Interpersonal Relations

Contact with Others
Frequency
5 - Every day, almost continuously
Duration
5 - All the time, or almost all the time
Work with Work Group or Team
Importance
4 - Highly important
Frequency
4 - Every day, a few times per day

Workplaces/employers

  • Counselling centres
  • Family therapy centres
  • Government agencies
  • Group homes
  • Health care and rehabilitation clinics
  • Hospitals
  • Radio stations
  • Social service agencies

Skills and abilities

This section displays the various competencies required for an occupation. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency (for Skills and Abilities) or importance (for Personal Attributes) and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Abilities

Proficiency or complexity level
Speech Recognition
5 - Highest Level
Deductive Reasoning
4 - High Level
Fluency of Ideas
4 - High Level
Inductive Reasoning
4 - High Level
Problem Identification
4 - High Level

Skills

Proficiency or complexity level
Oral Communication: Active Listening
5 - Highest Level
Persuading
5 - Highest Level
Social Perceptiveness
5 - Highest Level
Critical Thinking
4 - High Level
Decision Making
4 - High Level

Personal Attributes

Importance
Collaboration
5 - Extremely important
Concern for Others
5 - Extremely important
Service Orientation
5 - Extremely important
Social Orientation
5 - Extremely important
Stress Tolerance
5 - Extremely important

Interests

The OaSIS uses the Holland Codes to describe the work-related interests. According to the Holland model, people work best in work environments that match their preferences, which means that people and work environments can be matched for a best fit. Occupational environments in Holland’s theory are described according to a combination of main interests and the activities they represent. There are six interests in the Holland typology: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. All occupations in OaSIS have up to three interests assigned to them.

Interests

Preferences for work environments and outcomes.

Interests profile: SIE

Social (S)

Social occupations are characterized by the dominance of activities that entail the interaction with others to inform, train, aid, develop, cure, or enlighten. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others, teaching, working or communicating with people.

Investigative (I)

Investigative occupations are characterized by the dominance of activities that entail the observation and systematic or creative investigation of physical, biological, or cultural phenomena. These occupations require an extensive amount of thinking and frequently involve working with ideas, searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Enterprising (E)

Enterprising occupations are characterized by the dominance of action-oriented activities to attain organizational or self-interest goals. They frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects, influencing, leading or mobilizing people, making decisions, and sometimes require risk taking and dealing with business.

Employment requirements

Employment requirements includes the education, training, certifications and the knowledge required to work in each occupation. The Knowledge category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency, and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of Knowledge descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Education, certification and licensing

  • A bachelor's or a master's degree in the field of counselling, therapy, mental health, psychology or a related social service discipline is required and a period of supervised clinical work with clients may be required.
  • A master’s degree in the field of therapy is required for art therapist, music therapist, and dance therapists.
  • Membership with a provincial or federal association is usually required by employers.
  • Registration with a regulatory body is required in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick for counselling therapists.
  • To practise psychotherapy, a permit is required in Quebec and registration with the appropriate regulatory body is required in Ontario.
  • In Quebec, registration with a regulatory body is required for marriage and family therapists, psychoeducators and sexologists and criminologists.

Knowledge

Knowledge level
Client Service
3 - Advanced Level
Languages
3 - Advanced Level
Mental Health
3 - Advanced Level
Training, Mentoring and Coaching
3 - Advanced Level
Clerical
2 - Intermediate Level

Skills for success

 
Skills for Success Model
 
Skills for Success are skills that help you in a quickly changing world. Everyone benefits from having these skills. They can help you to get a job, progress at your current job or even change jobs. The skills also help you become an active member of your community and succeed in learning.
 
 
Linkages Between ESDC Skills Models and Frameworks
 
ESDC makes available a dictionary of over 300 terms (or descriptors) and definitions, known as the Skills and Competencies Taxonomy (SCT). Descriptor information from the Taxonomy is used in the Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS).
 
While there is general commonality of meaning between the descriptors in the SCT and the Skills for Success model, there are some differences in their definitions due to their distinct purposes. The Skills for Success Model [9 broadly defined skills] identifies the skills that are universally applicable. The SCT displays specific skills and competency requirements for 900 occupations. Users of the Skills for Success Model and Essential Skills content may find competency information from the Taxonomy and the OaSIS to be complementary.
 
Stay tuned to this section for more information and updates regarding linkages between the Skills for Success model and the OaSIS.

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

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