Group therapist vs mental health counselor

The differences between group therapists and mental health counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a group therapist and a mental health counselor. Additionally, a group therapist has an average salary of $58,892, which is higher than the $49,471 average annual salary of a mental health counselor.

The top three skills for a group therapist include social work, patients and group therapy sessions. The most important skills for a mental health counselor are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.

Group therapist vs mental health counselor overview

	Group Therapist	Mental Health Counselor
Yearly salary	$58,892	$49,471
Hourly rate	$28.31	$23.78
Growth rate	14%	9%
Number of jobs	113,813	110,752
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Group therapist vs mental health counselor salary

Group therapists and mental health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Group Therapist	Mental Health Counselor
Average salary	$58,892	$49,471
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $85,000	Between $34,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	-	Longview, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between group therapist and mental health counselor education

There are a few differences between a group therapist and a mental health counselor in terms of educational background:

	Group Therapist	Mental Health Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Group therapist vs mental health counselor demographics

Here are the differences between group therapists' and mental health counselors' demographics:

	Group Therapist	Mental Health Counselor
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 27.6% Female, 72.4%	Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	6%	15%

Differences between group therapist and mental health counselor duties and responsibilities

Group therapist example responsibilities.

Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
Provide group psychotherapy to adult patients diagnose with a chronic mental illness at a partial hospitalization program on Saturday mornings.
Participate in weekly DBT consultation team.
Complete DUI evaluations that focuse on past and current alcohol and drug use, specifically as it relates to driving history.
Facilitate and provide psycho educational services to mandate DUI offenders.
Evaluate patients for competency and criminal responsibility on forensic cases refer by state courts; provide judicial testimony in guardianship cases.

Mental health counselor example responsibilities.

Provide clinical consultation to consumers and clients regarding manage care services and other benefits available to them through their EAP programs.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Certify in CPI (crisis intervention technique).
Assist with crisis intervention, (CPI) maintains treatment activities.
Provide mental health assessment and evaluation of detainees refer by facility staff or identify by pre-screening (booking or nursing).
Assess for special needs during booking process.

Group therapist vs mental health counselor skills

Common group therapist skills

Social Work, 19%
Patients, 16%
Group Therapy Sessions, 10%
Crisis Intervention, 6%
Substance Abuse, 6%
Eating Disorders, 5%

Common mental health counselor skills

Social Work, 17%
Patients, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Patient Care, 6%
Mental Health Issues, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%

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Group Therapist vs Mental Health Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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