Family, Marriage, and Other Related Counsellors

(NOC 4153)

in All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

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 Outlook

Average

Read more

  • Estimate Moderate growth employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 205 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate Low rate of unemployment in 2022

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

  • Estimate 1830 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 5515 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

$15.00

Minimum

$20.31

Median

$40.11

Maximum

Annual Pay

$7,229

Minimum

$40,182

Median

$80,622

Maximum

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

Hourly Pay

$16.30

Minimum

$30.00

Median

$51.30

Maximum

Annual Pay

$5,616

Minimum

$44,335

Median

$92,599

Maximum

About 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

725

employed in 2016

73.8%

employed full-time

11.0%

self employed

76.6%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
23.4%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
44.4

median age

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

55,420

employed in 2016

76.4%

employed full-time

6.6%

self employed

64.0%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
36%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
43.5

median age

Where will I likely work?

52.7%

Halifax

$42,619 median annual income
17.8%

North Shore

$46,320 median annual income
11.0%

Cape Breton

$32,901 median annual income
9.6%

Annapolis Valley

$32,640 median annual income
8.9%

Southern

$38,450 median annual income

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

81.3%

Health care and social assistance

7.0%

Public administration

6.3%

Other services (except public administration)

2.3%

Educational services

1.6%

Professional, scientific and technical services

What is the age of Employment?

27.0%

35-44

23.0%

45-54

22.0%

25-34

18.0%

55-64

6.0%

65+

4.0%

15-24

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

24.2%

35-44

22.7%

45-54

21.4%

25-34

17.2%

55-64

8.4%

15-24

Top levels of education

29.5%

Bachelor

$45,856 median annual income
28.1%

Master

$41,976 median annual income
20.5%

College Diploma

$36,874 median annual income
8.9%

High school

$33,400 median annual income
4.8%

Diploma Below Bachelor

$45,048 median annual income

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

28.9%

Bachelor

$45,929 median annual income
21.2%

College Diploma

$35,398 median annual income
16.8%

Master

$71,043 median annual income
14.6%

High school

$29,055 median annual income
4.6%

Doctorate

$100,443 median annual income

Education & training

Applied Behaviour Analysis

College or University Program

These 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

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Community Health Services/Liaison/Counselling

College, Trades, or University Program

These 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

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Human Development and Family Studies

College, Trades, or University Program

These 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

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

Mental Health Counselling

College, Trades, or University Program

These 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

Maritime Business College

Lower Sackville, NS

Psychology

College or University Program

These 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

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling

College, Trades, or University Program

These 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

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

Regulations

Counselling Therapist

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.

Regulating body:
Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists
Bedford, NS
Career Counsellor

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.

Regulating body:
Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association - Career Counsellors Chapter
Ottawa, ON

Contacts

Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
Ottawa, ON
Canadian Professional Counsellors Association
Vernon, BC

Additional resources

There are no additional resources for this occupation.