Family, Marriage, and Other Related Counsellors
(NOC 4153)
in All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community ServicesFamily, marriage, and other related counsellors help individuals and groups of clients to identify, understand and overcome personal problems and achieve personal objectives. They may need to address problems that are personal, social, or work or school related. They work for counselling centres, social service agencies, group homes, government agencies, family therapy centres, and health care and rehabilitation facilities, or they may work in private practice. These counsellors often specialize in dealing with a specific client group like injured workers, or with specific problems, like drug and alcohol addiction, marital difficulties, or behavioural disorders.
Job Outlook
Average
Read more
Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services
Hourly Pay
$15.00
Minimum$20.31
Median$40.11
MaximumAnnual Pay
$7,229
Minimum$40,182
Median$80,622
MaximumCompared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services
Hourly Pay
$16.30
Minimum$30.00
Median$51.30
MaximumAnnual Pay
$5,616
Minimum$44,335
Median$92,599
MaximumAbout the job
Nature of work
Family, marriage, and other related counsellors help individuals and groups of clients to identify, understand and overcome personal problems and achieve personal objectives. They may need to address problems that are personal, social, or work or school related. They work for counselling centres, social service agencies, group homes, government agencies, family therapy centres, and health care and rehabilitation facilities, or they may work in private practice. These counsellors often specialize in dealing with a specific client group like injured workers, or with specific problems, like drug and alcohol addiction, marital difficulties, or behavioural disorders.
Job duties
Family, marriage, and other related counsellors:
- Interview clients, prepare case histories, and assess problems.
- Complete vocational testing and psychometric assessment.
- Develop and implement counselling and intervention programs to help clients determine goals and means of attaining them.
- Counsel clients, provide therapy and mediation services, and facilitate group sessions.
- Communicate 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 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 research, publish research papers, educational texts and articles, and present at conferences.
- May participate in fundraising activities.
Sample job titles
- addictions counsellor
- career counsellor
- counselling therapist
- couples therapist
- crisis counsellor
- family therapist (FT)
- grief counsellor
- marriage counsellor
- mental health counsellor
- special needs counsellor
Skills
- You should have an interest in the social welfare of others and a desire to help them. Patience, maturity, good listening skills, and an understanding of human nature are important. You must be able to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing. Leadership, reasoning, and decision-making skills are also necessary.
Job requirements
- A master's degree in the field of counselling, mental health or a related social service discipline is usually required.
- To become a Registered Counselling Therapist in Nova Scotia one must graduate from a masters level counselling therapy education program and complete a minimum 120 hour supervised practicum. Registration with the provincial regulatory body is required.
Other considerations
- Counsellors usually become specialized in a particular area through training and experience. Progression to social service management positions is possible with additional training and experience.
By the numbers
Quick look
employed in 2016
employed full-time
self employed
median age
Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services
employed in 2016
employed full-time
self employed
median age
Where will I likely work?
Halifax
$42,619 median annual incomeNorth Shore
$46,320 median annual incomeCape Breton
$32,901 median annual incomeAnnapolis Valley
$32,640 median annual incomeSouthern
$38,450 median annual incomeCompared to: All NS Occupations
Halifax
North Shore
Annapolis Valley
Cape Breton
Southern
Top Industries of Employment
Health care and social assistance
Public administration
Other services (except public administration)
Educational services
Retail trade
What is the age of Employment?
35-44
45-54
25-34
55-64
65+
15-24
Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services
35-44
45-54
25-34
55-64
15-24
Top levels of education
Bachelor
$45,856 median annual incomeMaster
$41,976 median annual incomeCollege Diploma
$36,874 median annual incomeHigh school
$33,400 median annual incomeDiploma Below Bachelor
$45,048 median annual incomeCompared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services
Bachelor
$45,929 median annual incomeCollege Diploma
$35,398 median annual incomeMaster
$71,043 median annual incomeHigh school
$29,055 median annual incomeDoctorate
$100,443 median annual incomeEducation & training
Applied Behaviour Analysis
College or University ProgramThese programs focus on applying principles of learning and behaviour to enhance the development, abilities, and choices of children and adults and prepares students to address the behavioural needs of individuals, especially those with developmental disabilities and autism. They include courses in behaviour analysis and learning, behavioural and functional assessment, developmental psychology, applied behavioural analysis in developmental disabilities and autism, applied behavioural analysis in mental health and aging, research methods, evaluation of interventions, and professional and ethical issues.
Institutions providing this program
Various, NS
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counselling
College, Trades, or University ProgramThese programs prepare students to serve as facilitators, advocates, and referral professionals linking health care and related social services with affected recipient communities. They include courses in public and community health, human and social services, health services administration, group counselling, health education, group advocacy, cross-cultural and multilingual communication, and applicable laws and policies.
Institutions providing this program
Various, NS
Human Development and Family Studies
College, Trades, or University ProgramThese programs focus on basic human developmental and behavioural characteristics of the individual within the context of the family. They include courses in the conditions that influence human growth and development, strategies that promote growth and development across the lifespan, and the study of family systems.
Institutions providing this program
Mental Health Counselling
College, Trades, or University ProgramThese programs prepare students to provide evaluations, referrals, and short-term counselling services to help people prevent or remediate personal problems, conflicts, and emotional crises. They include courses in human development, psychopathology, individual and group counselling, personality theory, career assessment, patient screening and referral, observation and testing techniques, interviewing skills, professional standards and ethics, and applicable laws and regulations.
Institutions providing this program
Lower Sackville, NS
Psychology
College or University ProgramThese programs focus on the scientific study of individual and collective behaviour, the physical and environmental bases of behaviour, and the analysis and treatment of behaviour problems and disorders. They include courses in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods.
Institutions providing this program
Wolfville, NS
Sydney, NS
Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling
College, Trades, or University ProgramThese programs prepare students to help prevent substance abuse, counsel individuals and families with drug and alcohol problems, and perform intervention and therapeutic services for persons suffering from addiction. They include courses in individual and group counselling skills, psychology of addiction, sociology, crisis intervention, substance abuse identification methodologies, substance abuse treatment modalities, substance abuse prevention and treatment resources, pharmacology and behavioural aspects of abused substances, treatment evaluation, patient observation and education, group dynamics, professional standards and ethics, and applicable laws and regulations.
Institutions providing this program
Various, NS
Employment requirements & contacts
Regulations
Right to Title: This job is regulated in Nova Scotia. The job title is protected, and you may not use it without a professional designation. Professional designation shows that the holder has met provincial standards for the job. Employers may require professional designation, but professional designation is not necessary to do this work.
Special Requirements: Standards exist for this job in Nova Scotia. Certification or membership in a professional body may be required by employers, but a certificate is not needed to do this work.
Contacts
Additional resources
There are no additional resources for this occupation.