41301 Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies

What this occupation covers

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.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 13 main duties for this code.

• Interview clients, prepare case histories and assess problems
• Develop and implement counselling and intervention programs to assist clients in determining goals and means of attaining them
• Counsel clients, provide therapy and mediation services, and facilitate group sessions
• Liaise 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 defined 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 conduct research, publish research papers, educational texts and articles and deliver presentations at conferences
• May collaborate with employee assistance programs or with government organizations in health and safety or with victims of crime
• May participate in fundraising activities.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 13 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 41321 Career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education)
• 41320 Educational counsellors
• 31204 Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
• 40030 Managers in social, community and correctional services
• 42201 Social and community service workers
• 41300 Social workers

Excluded from this code

• Career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education) (See 41321 Career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education))
• Educational counsellors (See 41320 Educational counsellors)
• Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment (See 31204 Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment)
• Managers in social, community and correctional services (See 40030 Managers in social, community and correctional services)
• Social and community service workers (See 42201 Social and community service workers)
• Social workers (See 41300 Social workers)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

addictions counsellor · alcohol addiction counsellor · art therapist · art therapists' supervisor · art therapy consultant · art therapy teacher (except education) · behavioural consultant · behavioural therapist · behaviourist · bereavement counsellor · child and family counsellor · child and youth counsellor · children's counsellor · clinical counsellor · community mental health counsellor · counselling program supervisor · counselling therapist · counsellor for persons who are intellectually impaired · couples therapist · crisis counsellor · dance therapist · dance therapists' supervisor · dance therapy researcher · dance-movement therapist

Employment requirements

• A bachelor's or 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 practise psychotherapy, a permit is required in Quebec and registration with the appropriate regulatory body is required in Ontario.