Child and Adolescent Therapists: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of child and adolescent therapists about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for child and adolescent therapists to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of child and adolescent therapists expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for child and adolescent therapists.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Child and Adolescent Therapists?
Do child and adolescent therapists need a degree? What kind of experience do child and adolescent therapists typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for child and adolescent therapists to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Child and Adolescent Therapists
Jobs Postings for Child and Adolescent Therapists By Education
- Master's degree: 24,776 (45%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 10,252 (19%)
- No Education Listed: 10,206 (18%)
- Bachelor's degree: 5,863 (11%)
- High School or GED: 4,106 (7%)
A master's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of child and adolescent therapists. According to job data, a master's degree was required for 45% of positions. In 19% of job listings a ph.d. or professional degree was required and in 18% of postings no education level was listed.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Child and Adolescent Therapists
Jobs Postings for Child and Adolescent Therapists By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 6,074 (39%)
- 2-3 Years: 8,178 (53%)
- 4-6 Years: 1,192 (8%)
- 7-9 Years: 77 (0%)
- 10+ Years: 50 (0%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for child and adolescent therapists. In 53% of job postings for Child and Adolescent Therapists, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 39% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 8% of job postings for child and adolescent therapists.
What Kind of Degree Do Child and Adolescent Therapists Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for child and adolescent therapists, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 14 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective child and adolescent therapists, and in 2023 a total of 234,436 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective child and adolescent therapists.
Top Degree Programs for Child and Adolescent Therapists
Top 5 Degree Programs for Child and Adolescent Therapists (2023)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 143,660 |
| Social Work. | 58,001 |
| Human Services, General. | 11,590 |
| Human Development and Family Studies, General. | 8,321 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 4,777 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 143,660 |
| Social Work. | 58,001 |
| Human Services, General. | 11,590 |
| Human Development and Family Studies, General. | 8,321 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 4,777 |
| Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling. | 3,898 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General. | 2,454 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services, Other. | 540 |
| Family Systems. | 432 |
| Business Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences. | 429 |
| Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling. | 177 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, Other. | 142 |
| Work and Family Studies. | 10 |
| Medical Family Therapy/Therapist. | 5 |
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What Skills Do Child and Adolescent Therapists Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by child and adolescent therapists to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for child and adolescent therapists, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Child and Adolescent Therapists
Based on 46,798 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Child and Adolescent Therapists
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 17,176 | 37% |
| Mental Health | 16,591 | 35% |
| Treatment Planning | 16,484 | 35% |
| Social Work | 16,420 | 35% |
| Family Therapy | 15,310 | 33% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Child and Adolescent Therapists
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 9,868 | 21% |
| Leadership | 4,986 | 11% |
| Management | 4,381 | 9% |
| Planning | 4,371 | 9% |
| Scheduling | 4,065 | 9% |
Based on 46,798 job postings related to child and adolescent therapists, psychology was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 37% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for mental health, treatment planning, social work, family therapy and behavioral health were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for child and adolescent therapists, followed by leadership, management, planning, scheduling and ethical standards and conduct.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 17,176 | 37% |
| Mental Health | 16,591 | 35% |
| Treatment Planning | 16,484 | 35% |
| Social Work | 16,420 | 35% |
| Family Therapy | 15,310 | 33% |
| Behavioral Health | 12,022 | 26% |
| Psychotherapy | 7,955 | 17% |
| Crisis Intervention | 6,449 | 14% |
| Psychiatry | 6,346 | 14% |
| Case Management | 6,256 | 13% |
| Group Therapy | 5,928 | 13% |
| Telehealth | 5,276 | 11% |
| Substance Abuse | 4,995 | 11% |
| Clinical Psychology | 4,252 | 9% |
| Trauma Care | 4,100 | 9% |
| Discharge Planning | 3,784 | 8% |
| Marketing | 3,635 | 8% |
| Autism Spectrum Disorders | 3,478 | 7% |
| Billing | 3,460 | 7% |
| Behaviour Therapy | 3,380 | 7% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 9,868 | 21% |
| Leadership | 4,986 | 11% |
| Management | 4,381 | 9% |
| Planning | 4,371 | 9% |
| Scheduling | 4,065 | 9% |
| Ethical Standards And Conduct | 3,978 | 9% |
| Coordinating | 3,416 | 7% |
| Teaching | 2,825 | 6% |
| Writing | 2,808 | 6% |
| Advocacy | 2,801 | 6% |
| Customer Service | 2,712 | 6% |
| Presentations | 2,698 | 6% |
| Professionalism | 2,620 | 6% |
| Problem Solving | 2,590 | 6% |
| Good Driving Record | 2,280 | 5% |
| Time Management | 2,275 | 5% |
| Self-Discipline | 2,270 | 5% |
| Multilingualism | 2,234 | 5% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 2,110 | 5% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 2,110 | 5% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about child and adolescent therapists? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for child and adolescent therapists.
What do child and adolescent therapists do?
How much do child and adolescent therapists make?
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