What does a Therapist do?
A Therapist can help your facility, clinic or practice deliver the best possible care to patients. They can help those they treat in a variety of ways. Therapists can assist with goal-setting to help people realize their dreams and make positive lifestyle changes that benefit their overall health and well-being. In addition, Therapists allow patients to understand their own motivations, thoughts and emotions. By doing so, they can aid in recovery from trauma and grief. Advice and counseling provided by Therapists may also lead to the repair of damaged relationships. Individuals with mental health disorders may learn how to live with and manage their symptoms with the assistance of a Therapist.
Therapist skills and qualifications
Therapist careers usually require a certain skill set. Some common qualifications of high-quality candidates for Therapist positions include:
- Extensive knowledge of mental health conditions and best practices for psychological treatment
- Well-developed listening and interview skills to explore patient needs and administer treatment plans
- Strong oral communication skills to counsel and advise patients
- Analytical and problem-solving skills to develop effective treatment plans
- Coaching skills to help patients make positive changes
- Organization skills to maintain up-to-date, easy-to-navigate patient files
- Familiarity with privacy, health and safety laws
- Computer skills to operate record keeping, scheduling, email and word processing software
Therapist experience requirements
Every state requires that Therapists obtain a professional license prior to treating patients independently. In most cases, Therapists need a certain number of years of supervised work experience in the field to qualify for licensure. As a result, most candidates for your open position will likely have at least two years of work experience. You may wish to prioritize individuals with additional experience if you have fewer Therapists on staff or if you require a more senior professional to help train and advise recent hires.
Therapist education and training requirements
Licensing laws typically require that Therapists hold at least a master’s degree in counseling, psychology or a related field, and many states provide a list of approved programs that prospective Therapists must choose from. Candidates usually need to pass a written examination to become licensed. Individuals who hold a master’s or doctoral degree plus additional certifications may be better suited to work in senior Therapist roles or as the sole Therapist at a practice or facility. Candidates who hold voluntary National Certified Counselor (NCC) status from the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) have met additional education and experience requirements and passed a second exam, attesting to their high level of knowledge and skills.
Therapist salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Therapist is $73,574 per year. You can base your salary offer on the labor market in your area, your budget and candidates’ experience, training and certification.
Therapist salary expectations
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Common salary:
40.40 HOURLY -
Typical salaries range from
8.75 -95.45 HOURLY - Find more information on Indeed Salaries
*Indeed data –
Job description samples for similar positions
If the details of the Therapist job description don’t fully match your needs, check out the duties and responsibilities of these related roles:
Therapist job description FAQs
Do Therapists have different responsibilities in different settings?
Therapists may have different duties depending on who their employers are. Professionals who work in an in-patient mental health or substance abuse facility are more likely to attend meetings with Physicians, Psychiatrists and other members of the care team and collaborate with these individuals to develop joint treatment plans. Those who work in private practices are more likely to create independent plans. In this setting, a Therapist may also have administrative duties, like scheduling appointments and collecting co-pays or fees from clients.
What is the difference between a Therapist and a Psychologist?
Psychologists often provide counseling and therapy services, but their focus is largely on the function of the brain. As a result, they’re more likely to treat patients with severe mental health problems than Therapists. In addition, earning a doctorate degree in psychology is usually necessary to work as a Psychologist.
What makes a good Therapist job description?
A good Therapist job description will describe the population that you serve in detail, so prospective applicants can determine if they’re a good fit. To attract quality candidates, highlight the perks and benefits of working for your facility, practice or clinic. Therapists may be drawn to offers of health benefits, educational loan forgiveness or repayment assistance, flexible scheduling, mileage reimbursement and retirement accounts.
*Indeed provides this information as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your recruiting or legal advisor, we are not responsible for the content of your job descriptions, and none of the information provided herein guarantees performance.
