What does a behavior therapist do?
A behavior therapist is an individual psychologist who is responsible for helping patients with mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. Behavior therapists must equip patients with psychological tools to help them diminish unhealthy thoughts so that they can effectively deal with the challenges of their daily lives. They are required to devise problem-solving methods such as psychotherapy and counseling to help patients improve their quality of life. Behavior therapists must also collaborate with the families of their patients to help them overcome behavioral issues more effectively.
Behavior therapist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real behavior therapist resumes:
- Teach family members and teachers different ways to achieve cooperation with child and transfer skills to ensure an efficient learning environment.
- Provide applied behavior analysis services to individuals diagnose with autism and other developmental disabilities to enhance their quality of life.
- Provide basic parent education of correct implementation of ABA principles.
- Provide one-on-one aba-base treatment to children who have been diagnose with autism and other developmental disorders.
- Solve certify as well as first aid and CPR certify.
- Complete all requirements need to be certify as an RBT.
- Teach kids to use words or sign language to obtain a certain object/activity.
- Used CPI (non-violent crisis prevention and intervention) techniques on a regular basis.
- Conduct self within APA ethical guidelines, HIPAA confidentiality, and mandate reporter regulations at all times.
- 87110Work with autistic youth conducting behavioral drills and social activities while documenting progress through daily graphing and chart entries.
- Develop an individualize intervention plan base on ABA principles.
- Implement and follow individualize treatment plan develop by designate BCBA.
- Monitor patients' performance in therapy activities, providing encouragement.
- Reinforce positive behaviors and intervene d when patients exhibit undesirable behaviors.
- Monitor progress using data tracking, graphing, and analyzing information collect.
Behavior therapist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Behavior Therapists are proficient in Autism, Applied Behavior Analysis, and Behavior Analysis. They’re also known for soft skills such as Listening skills, Speaking skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Behavior Therapists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Autism, 19%
Trained to implement one-on-one clinical therapy with behavioral intervention programs to children and adolescents who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
- Applied Behavior Analysis, 18%
Direct a four-year-old child on Autism Spectrum Disorder through Applied Behavior Analysis/Verbal Behavior therapy and assist in developing daily functional skills.
- Behavior Analysis, 10%
Applied the principles and methods of behavior analysis resulting in significant improvement of behaviors.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, 7%
Strive to increase the quality of life for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders by teaching developmental skills using evidence-based behavior intervention.
- Behavior Analysts, 5%
Manage inappropriate behaviors that occur through the implementation of Behavior Intervention Plans and consultation with Board Certified Behavior Analysts.
- BCBA, 4%
Assist with assessment and quarterly report writing when requested by the BCBA Accomplishments I completed my Registered Behavior Technician Certification
Most behavior therapists use their skills in "autism," "applied behavior analysis," and "behavior analysis" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential behavior therapist responsibilities here:
Listening skills. One of the key soft skills for a behavior therapist to have is listening skills. You can see how this relates to what behavior therapists do because "marriage and family therapists need to give their full attention to their clients to understand their problems, values, and goals." Additionally, a behavior therapist resume shows how behavior therapists use listening skills: "recorded behavior data throughout sessions; frequently communicated with supervisors on progress. "
Speaking skills. Another essential skill to perform behavior therapist duties is speaking skills. Behavior therapists responsibilities require that "marriage and family therapists need to be able to communicate with clients effectively." Behavior therapists also use speaking skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "presented behavioral data to consulting psychiatrists and the behavior management team. "
Organizational skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of behavior therapists is organizational skills. This skill is critical to many everyday behavior therapist duties, as "marriage and family therapists in private practice must keep track of payments and work with insurance companies." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "work with emotionally and behaviorally challenging children, assist with social skills, organizational skills, anger management and other emotional issues"
Compassion. A big part of what behavior therapists do relies on "compassion." You can see how essential it is to behavior therapist responsibilities because "marriage and family therapists often work with people who are dealing with stressful and difficult situations, so they must be compassionate and empathize with their clients." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical behavior therapist tasks: "provided support, compassion and assistance to persons with a dual diagnosis of a developmental disability and a co-existing psychiatric disorder. "
Interpersonal skills. A commonly-found skill in behavior therapist job descriptions, "interpersonal skills" is essential to what behavior therapists do. Behavior therapist responsibilities rely on this skill because "marriage and family therapists work with different types of people." You can also see how behavior therapist duties rely on interpersonal skills in this resume example: "work with children on the maryland autism wavier, providing assistance with interpersonal skills and motor development. "
The three companies that hire the most behavior therapists are:
- Key Autism Services189 behavior therapists jobs
- Behavioral Innovations43 behavior therapists jobs
- Pediatric Partners, now a member of the Sevita family36 behavior therapists jobs
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Compare different behavior therapists
Behavior therapist vs. Youth advocate
Youth advocates are individuals who responsible for maintaining the human rights of youth while assisting them in developing their skills in all areas of life, such as education, health, employment, and relationships. These advocates are required to discuss youth development and involvement with various leaders in the community. They must provide crisis interventions by performing one-on-one and group meetings with young adults. Youth advocates must also work with mental health professionals within the community so that they can guide teenagers with drug or alcohol problems and mental health issues.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between behavior therapists and youth advocate. For instance, behavior therapist responsibilities require skills such as "autism," "applied behavior analysis," "behavior analysis," and "autism spectrum disorder." Whereas a youth advocate is skilled in "mental health," "foster care," "community resources," and "youth development." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Youth advocates really shine in the automotive industry with an average salary of $31,171. Comparatively, behavior therapists tend to make the most money in the education industry with an average salary of $38,181.The education levels that youth advocates earn slightly differ from behavior therapists. In particular, youth advocates are 5.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a behavior therapist. Additionally, they're 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Behavior therapist vs. Family counselor
A Family Counselor treats married couples or family members in order to help them overcome mental or emotional problems. They provide effective treatment measures to help the family members resolve their issues.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real behavior therapist resumes. While behavior therapist responsibilities can utilize skills like "autism," "behavior analysis," "autism spectrum disorder," and "behavior analysts," family counselors use skills like "community resources," "poc," "family support," and "family therapy."
Family counselors earn a higher average salary than behavior therapists. But family counselors earn the highest pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $40,967. Additionally, behavior therapists earn the highest salaries in the education with average pay of $38,181 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Family counselors tend to reach higher levels of education than behavior therapists. In fact, they're 15.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for behavior therapists in the next 3-5 years?
Debra Persinger Ph.D.
Executive Director, FSMTB - Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards
-Employees will need to be adaptable - to learn and accommodate the rapid introduction of new and better technological efficiency tools.
-Controls will increase. Much like parental controls to monitor online activity, company restrictions will be implemented to prevent inappropriate online behaviors, accidental sharing, and training on basic etiquette and interpersonal communications.
-Technology that supports work and life activities - order groceries online, stress reduction apps - will demand.
-Time away from the screen will be necessary. Seems counterintuitive for a technology question. For example, I'm predicting that paper books will make a comeback - nobody wants to look at another screen for pleasure reading after working online all day.
Behavior therapist vs. Intensive in-home counselor
An Intensive In-Home Counselor conducts individual counseling sessions for parents and deals with delicate issues like sexual addiction. They also prepare progress reports for clients.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a behavior therapist is likely to be skilled in "autism," "applied behavior analysis," "behavior analysis," and "autism spectrum disorder," while a typical intensive in-home counselor is skilled in "family therapy," "mental health issues," "intensive in-home," and "community resources."
Intensives in-home counselor earn the highest salary when working in the utilities industry, where they receive an average salary of $56,398. Comparatively, behavior therapists have the highest earning potential in the education industry, with an average salary of $38,181.When it comes to education, intensives in-home counselor tend to earn higher degree levels compared to behavior therapists. In fact, they're 7.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Behavior therapist vs. Mental health associate
As a mental health associate, you will assist the medical team members in diagnosing and treating individuals with mental, developmental, and behavioral conditions. You may be tasked to facilitate individual and group therapy sessions, help patients with their day-to-day activities such as self-care and hygiene, and assist in administering medications prescribed by physicians. Other duties include planning and leading program activities, attending treatment rounds, and assisting with the physical care of patients. The qualifications and skills required for this role include a bachelor's degree in social science or psychology, previous work experience, and certification on basic life support.
Types of behavior therapist
Updated January 8, 2025
