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What They Do
About This Career
Assesses, diagnoses, and treats mental and emotional disorders of individuals through observation, interview, and psychological tests. Helps individuals with distress or maladjustment understand their problems through their knowledge of case history, interviews with patients, and theory. Provides 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.
This career is part of the Human Services cluster Counseling and Mental Health Services pathway.
A person in this career:
- Interacts with clients to assist them in gaining insight, defining goals, and planning action to achieve effective personal, social, educational, or vocational development and adjustment.
- Conducts assessments of patients' risk for harm to self or others.
- Counsels individuals, groups, or families to help them understand problems, deal with crisis situations, define goals, and develop realistic action plans.
- Writes reports on clients and maintains required paperwork.
- Collects information about individuals or clients, using interviews, case histories, observational techniques, and other assessment methods.
- Documents patient information including session notes, progress notes, recommendations, and treatment plans.
- Develops and implements individual treatment plans, specifying type, frequency, intensity, and duration of therapy.
- Uses a variety of treatment methods, such as psychotherapy, hypnosis, behavior modification, stress reduction therapy, psychodrama, or play therapy.
- Develops therapeutic and treatment plans based on clients' interests, abilities, or needs.
- Identifies psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues and diagnoses disorders, using information obtained from interviews, tests, records, or reference materials.
Working Conditions and Physical Demands
People who do this job report that:
- You would sit most of the time. There's some walking and standing. You may have to lift and carry things like books, papers or tools weighing 10 lbs. or less.
- Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
- Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time
Working in this career involves (physical activities):
- Seeing clearly up close
- Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
- Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
Work Hours and Travel
- Irregular hours
- Weekend work
Specialty and Similar Careers
Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:
- Clinical Counselor
- Licensed Psychologist
- Therapist
- Licensed Clinical Psychologist
- Psychologist
- Counseling Psychologist
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
- Psychotherapist — Works with individuals, couples, families and groups to help them overcome a range of psychological and emotional issues.
- Applied Behavior Science Specialist (ABSS)
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts national surveys of wage data by occupation in every state and in all industry divisions. These surveys are conducted through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program.
The statistics collected for one year are published the next fall. For example, 2013 wage information was published in the fall of 2014.
There are over 800 occupations in the surveys, and these occupations cover the entire U.S. labor market. The surveys ask for reports in a scale of ranges for both hourly wages and annual wages.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics for a broad category, be aware that the salary data for a specific career may differ.
For more details about how wage information is collected and calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm.
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts a national survey of over 400,000
employers in every state and in all industry divisions. This survey is conducted
through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program. Every other year the
department publishes outlook information based on these surveys.
Each outlook period covers 10 years. For example, in 2003 the outlook information
was published for 2004-2014. Employers are asked to report the number of employees
in about 770 different occupations that cover the entire U.S. labor market.
From this information, staffing patterns for different industries are established.
Industry growth is projected into the future based on past trends and current economic
conditions. Industry staffing patterns are then applied to the industry projections
to obtain occupational projections.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties
of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational
category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics
for a broad category, be aware that the employment data for a specific field may
differ.
For more details about how employment information is collected and calculated by
the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.
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