NOC 41301: Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies
What therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies do
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.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- 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.
Job titles under NOC 41301
65 job titles are classified here, including addictions counsellor, art therapist, bereavement counsellor.
- 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.
Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $23.00/hr | $34.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
Toronto ON | $23.00/hr | $34.00/hr | $48.35/hr |
Montréal QC | $25.36/hr | $40.95/hr | $77.50/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $23.00/hr | $37.94/hr | $53.17/hr |
Calgary AB | $22.45/hr | $38.31/hr | $51.00/hr |
Edmonton AB | $20.92/hr | $38.46/hr | $54.64/hr |
Ottawa ON | $29.00/hr | $34.01/hr | $50.50/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $24.95/hr | $36.00/hr | $51.37/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $27.30/hr | $38.00/hr | $48.00/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $22.00/hr | $27.40/hr | $45.99/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $23.00/hr | $28.48/hr | $43.96/hr |
London ON | $26.74/hr | $31.50/hr | $41.21/hr |
Halifax NS | $21.07/hr | $29.46/hr | $44.00/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $26.00/hr | $40.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $25.00/hr | $36.17/hr | $65.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $27.57/hr | $38.80/hr | $49.99/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $26.00/hr | $31.00/hr | $43.96/hr |
Nova Scotia | $20.00/hr | $30.67/hr | $43.00/hr |
New Brunswick | $18.90/hr | $32.00/hr | $48.81/hr |
Quebec | $27.30/hr | $38.00/hr | $48.00/hr |
Ontario | $23.00/hr | $33.00/hr | $48.00/hr |
Manitoba | $24.61/hr | $36.00/hr | $51.37/hr |
Saskatchewan | $25.00/hr | $37.00/hr | $53.00/hr |
Alberta | $22.45/hr | $38.46/hr | $54.00/hr |
British Columbia | $25.00/hr | $39.50/hr | $51.15/hr |
Using NOC 41301 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 65 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education) (NOC 41321)
- Educational counsellors (NOC 41320)
- Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment (NOC 31204)
- Managers in social, community and correctional services (NOC 40030)
- Social and community service workers (NOC 42201)
- Social workers (NOC 41300)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies?
Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies are NOC 2021 unit group 41301. Example job titles in this group include addictions counsellor, art therapist, bereavement counsellor, child and youth counsellor.
What TEER is NOC 41301?
NOC 41301 is TEER 1 (University degree). Usually requires a university degree (bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate), or experience from a related TEER 2 occupation. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $34.00/hr, about $66,000 a year full-time, with a range of $23.00/hr to $50.00/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.