Description
Assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders of individuals through observation, interview, and psychological tests. Help individuals with distress or maladjustment understand their problems through their knowledge of case history, interviews with patients, and theory. Provide individual or group counseling services to assist individuals in achieving more effective personal, social, educational, and vocational development and adjustment. May design behavior modification programs and consult with medical personnel regarding the best treatment for patients.
Interests
- Social
- Investigative
Work Values
- Relationships
- Independence
- Achievement
Work Styles
- Concern for Others
- Integrity
- Self-Control
- Dependability
- Stress Tolerance
Tasks
- Conduct assessments of patients' risk for harm to self or others.
- Document patient information including session notes, progress notes, recommendations, and treatment plans.
- Identify psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues and diagnose disorders, using information obtained from interviews, tests, records, or reference materials.
- Write reports on clients and maintain required paperwork.
- Counsel individuals, groups, or families to help them understand problems, deal with crisis situations, define goals, and develop realistic action plans.
Work Activities
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Getting Information
Detailed Work Activities
- Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
- Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
- Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
- Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
Technology Skills
- Medical software
- Video conferencing software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Spreadsheet software
- Word processing software
Abilities
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Oral Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Written Expression
Skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Social Perceptiveness
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
Knowledge
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
Most Common Education Level
The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue that career.
Certificates
Certificate name
Certified Sexuality CounselorCertifying Organization
American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
Certified Poetry TherapistCertifying Organization
International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
Certified Clinical SupervisorCertifying Organization
Association of Christian Alcohol and Drug Counselors
Type
Advanced
Certificate name
Board Certified Specialist in Behavioral & Cognitive PsychologyCertifying Organization
American Board of Professional Psychology
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
Certified HypnotistCertifying Organization
National Guild of Hypnotists, Inc.
Type
Specialty
Income Percentile
The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.
| Income Percentile | Annual Income |
|---|---|
| Low (10%) | $71,954 |
| Median (50%) | $90,605 |
| High (90%) | $123,221 |
Income by Experience
This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–5 years), to senior level (6–8 years), to expert level (8+ years).
| Experience | Income |
|---|---|
Entry Level  | $98,433 |
| Mid Level | $94,133 |
| Senior Level | $97,616 |
| Expert Level | $122,138 |
Employability
There are currently 76,800 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to increase to 87,000 positions, reflecting a projected growth of 13%.
The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.
Projected Job Growth of 13%
Related Careers
The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services, Lightcast, CareerOneStop, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). For more details regarding the data sources and the specific information sourced, click here.
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