Therapists in Counselling and Related Specialties
Formal Description
“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. They are employed by counselling centres, social service agencies, group homes, government agencies, family therapy centres, and educational, health care and rehabilitation facilities, or they may work in private practice.” (NOC 2021)
Sample Job Titles
This category includes a variety of job titles that may not necessarily be reflected by the category title. For a full index of job titles, see the category entry on the ESDC site. Example job titles include:
Addictions Counsellor
Art Therapist
Behavioural Therapist
Bereavement Counsellor
Child and Youth Counsellor
Dance Therapist
Disability Consultant
Eating Disorder Therapist
Group Home Counsellor
Marriage and Family Therapist
Mental Health Counsellor
Music Therapist
Play Therapist
Psychoeducational Consultant
Psychotherapist
Special Needs Counsellor
Typical Employment and Education Requirements
The requirements listed for each occupational category will tend to vary across particular roles, job titles, and contexts.
The following typical requirements are listed on the ESDC’s 2021 entry for this occupational category:
- “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 practice 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.”
- “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.”
Success with a Social Sciences Undergraduate Degree and Beyond
When reviewing typical requirements, please remember:
- Degree and diploma listings often end with a purposefully open-ended phrase (“or a related field”, “or a similar discipline”) that acknowledges the variety and applicability of social sciences and liberal arts degrees.
- Employers often focus less on the name or title of a candidate’s degree, and more on how they articulate their transferable skills and experiences.
- Many qualifications and certifications are available as post-graduate certificates aimed at recent university graduates; these can make an excellent further education option for a social sciences or liberal arts degree.
Related Sectors
Whereas Economic and Social Development Canada’s ‘occupational’ categories tend to focus more on the duties and functions that people play in specific roles, exploring careers by ‘sectors’ helps us to sort by employer type, industry, or general field of work. Here are just a few of the sectors that may be relevant to this category:
Academic Program Connections
As you select your program of study and the courses you will take, you can chart a path towards success in this sector from any one of our social sciences departments and programs. Here are just a few examples of academic disciplines that have connections with this sector:
Health, Aging & Society Learn More
With a Specialization in Mental Health and Addictions, this degree develops an understanding on how social and non-biomedical interventions can impact mental health and addiction as well as promote well being.
Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour Learn More
Students will learn topics like cognitive processes, emotional regulation, personality theories, and social dynamics, which are essential for understanding mental health issues.
Social Psychology Learn More
Knowing how people think, feel, and behave enable students to support their clients effectively.
Social Work Learn More
A degree in Social Work includes hands-on internships, which provide real-world experience in counseling, case management, and direct client interaction.
