Psychotherapist-counselor vs relief counselor

The differences between psychotherapist-counselors and relief 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 psychotherapist-counselor and a relief counselor. Additionally, a psychotherapist-counselor has an average salary of $82,581, which is higher than the $36,049 average annual salary of a relief counselor.

The top three skills for a psychotherapist-counselor include family therapy, social work and mental health issues. The most important skills for a relief counselor are crisis intervention, ADL, and behavior management.

Psychotherapist-counselor vs relief counselor overview

	Psychotherapist-Counselor	Relief Counselor
Yearly salary	$82,581	$36,049
Hourly rate	$39.70	$17.33
Growth rate	11%	36%
Number of jobs	28,899	32,787
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Psychotherapist-counselor vs relief counselor salary

Psychotherapist-counselors and relief counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Psychotherapist-Counselor	Relief Counselor
Average salary	$82,581	$36,049
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $114,000	Between $27,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between psychotherapist-counselor and relief counselor education

There are a few differences between a psychotherapist-counselor and a relief counselor in terms of educational background:

	Psychotherapist-Counselor	Relief Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Psychotherapist-counselor vs relief counselor demographics

Here are the differences between psychotherapist-counselors' and relief counselors' demographics:

	Psychotherapist-Counselor	Relief Counselor
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%	Male, 29.9% Female, 70.1%
Race ratio	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%	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	15%	15%

Differences between psychotherapist-counselor and relief counselor duties and responsibilities

Psychotherapist-counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Collaborate with other professionals in multidisciplinary staff meetings to evaluate patients' medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.
Collaborate with peers in leadership capacity at recreational summer camp leading, coordinating and organizing daily activities and weekly field trips.

Relief counselor example responsibilities.

Lead recreational activities for adolescents with ADHD and other behavior disorders.
Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling programs and patients' progress in resolving identify problems and moving towards define objectives.
Provide leadership and direction to new and existing staff members; identify training development assuring that training/certification are obtained and maintain.

Psychotherapist-counselor vs relief counselor skills

Common psychotherapist-counselor skills

Family Therapy, 12%
Social Work, 12%
Mental Health Issues, 11%
Crisis Intervention, 10%
Clinical Supervision, 8%
Substance Abuse, 8%

Common relief counselor skills

Crisis Intervention, 14%
ADL, 11%
Behavior Management, 11%
Substance Abuse, 10%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Developmental Disabilities, 6%

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Psychotherapist-Counselor
Psychotherapist-Counselor vs Relief Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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