Research Summary. We analyzed 10,913 therapist resumes to determine which ones land the most jobs. Below you'll find examples of resumes that can help you get an interview (and a job offer) from companies like ABA and Massage. Here are the key facts about therapist resumes to help you get the job:

  • The average therapist resume is 470 words long
  • The average therapist resume is 1.0 pages long based on 450 words per page.
  • Social work is the most common skill found on a therapist resume. It appears on 23.0% of resumes.
After learning about how to write a professional therapist resume, you can make sure your resume checks all the boxes with our resume builder.

Resume

Therapist Resume Example

Choose From 10+ Customizable Therapist Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Therapist templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Therapist resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Entry level Therapist Resume example

Professional Therapist Resume example

Therapist Resume Format And Sections

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1. Add Contact Information To Your Therapist Resume

Your name should be the biggest text on the page and be at or near the top of the document.

Your address doesn't need to include your street name or house number - listing your city and state works just fine.

Your email address should be professional, but not your current work email address. It's not a good look to use your work email for personal projects (job-searching).

Your social media can be included if you have a fully-fledged LinkedIn page or another social media page that showcases your relevant skill set.

Therapist Resume Contact Information Example #1

Hank Rutherford Hill

St. Arlen, Texas | 333-111-2222 | hank.hill@gmail.com

Do you want to know more?
How To Write The Perfect Resume Header
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2. Add Your Relevant Education To The Resume

Your resume's education section should include:

  • The name of your school
  • The date you graduated (Month, Year or Year are both appropriate)
  • The name of your degree
If you graduated more than 15 years ago, you should consider dropping your graduation date to avoid age discrimination.

Optional subsections for your education section include:

  • Academic awards (Dean's List, Latin honors, etc. )
  • GPA (if you're a recent graduate and your GPA was 3.5+)
  • Extra certifications
  • Academic projects (thesis, dissertation, etc.)

Other tips to consider when writing your education section include:

  • If you're a recent graduate, you might opt to place your education section above your experience section
  • The more work experience you get, the shorter your education section should be
  • List your education in reverse chronological order, with your most recent and high-ranking degrees first
  • If you haven't graduated yet, you can include "Expected graduation date" to the entry for that school

Therapist Resume Relevant Education Example #1

Doctoral Degree In Psychology 2014 - 2017

Florida State University Tallahassee, FL

Therapist Resume Relevant Education Example #2

Doctoral Degree In Psychology 2011 - 2014

University of Central Florida Orlando, FL

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3. Next, Create A Therapist Skills Section On Your Resume

Your resume's skills section should include the most important keywords from the job description, as long as you actually have those skills. If you haven't started your job search yet, you can look over resumes to get an idea of what skills are the most important.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing your resume's skills section:

  • Include 6-12 skills, in bullet point form
  • List mostly hard skills; soft skills are hard to test
  • Emphasize the skills that are most important for the job
Hard skills are generally more important to hiring managers because they relate to on-the-job knowledge and specific experience with a certain technology or process.

Soft skills are also valuable, as they're highly transferable and make you a great person to work alongside, but they're impossible to prove on a resume.

Example Of Therapist Skills For Resume

  • Mental Health Skills

    Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

  • Patient Care Skills

    Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

  • Community Resources Skills

    Community resources are a set of resources that are used in the day to day life of people which improves their lifestyle in some way. People, sites or houses, and population assistance can come under the services offered by community resources.

Top Skills for a Therapist

Source: Zippia.com
  • Social Work, 23.0%
  • Patients, 12.1%
  • Group Therapy Sessions, 7.8%
  • Crisis Intervention, 7.4%
  • Other Skills, 49.7%
Not sure which skills are really important?
3 Big Tips For Listing Skills On Your Resume
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4. List Your Therapist Experience

The most important part of any resume is the experience section. Recruiters and hiring managers expect to see your experience listed in reverse chronological order, meaning that you should begin with your most recent experience and then work backwards.

Don't just list your job duties below each job entry. Instead, make sure most of your bullet points discuss impressive achievements from your past positions. Whenever you can, use numbers to contextualize your accomplishments for the hiring manager reading your resume.

It's okay if you can't include exact percentages or dollar figures. There's a big difference even between saying "Managed a team of engineers" and "Managed a team of 6 engineers over a 9-month project."

Most importantly, make sure that the experience you include is relevant to the job you're applying for. Use the job description to ensure that each bullet point on your resume is appropriate and helpful.

What Experience Really Stands Out On Therapist Resumes?

Dr. Brenda Cross

Department Chair & Clinical Assistant Professor, West Texas A&M University

Volunteering and job shadowing are often seen as a positive on a resume. We are also always looking for students who have experience working with children or adults, as they tend to have developed skills that are useful in the clinic.

Don't have any experience?
How To Show Your Experience On a Resume... Even When You Don't Have Any
Work History Example # 1
Therapist
NorthEast Treatment Centers
  • Provided group counseling services Motivated and engaged client participation Completed and maintained time sensitive documentation Completed progress and court reports for clients
  • Co-facilitated agency training based on Trauma-Informed CBT.
  • Completed assigned audits of facility incident reports.
  • Conducted trauma informed therapy for children, adolescents and adults of domestic violence.
  • Renewed 2015 Machine Experience Varian Siemens Tomotherapy Cyberknife Elekta Computer Program Experience Mosaiq Impac Power Point Excel Microsoft Word Portal
Work History Example # 2
Student Physical Therapist
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare
  • Provided weekly on-call services to facility.
  • Evaluated and treated patients in Acute, SNF, Outpatient, Home Health and Sub-acute settings.
  • Performed physical therapy evaluations, continuous examinations and daily treatments in comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation facility.
  • Provided successful treatment of patients assigned to my care while managing the day-to-day activities of a thriving facility.
  • Supervised two Physical Therapy Assistants and a Rehab Technician to effectively assume responsibility of a 120-bed facility.
Work History Example # 3
Social Worker
Smdc-Duluth Clinic
  • Maintained charts in a timely and accurate manner, met deadlines for documentation and updates.
  • Managed a 3 year health education and risk reduction program funded by the State of California.
  • Completed referrals to Hospice program as appropriate.
  • Provided intakes on the Crises Stabilization Unit Provided individual and group therapy on the Long-Term Unit Provided LCSW Supervision
  • Served as the Lead Social Worker in a unit with rapid turnover treating com- plex issues on Medical/Psychiatry inpatient unit.
Work History Example # 4
Therapist
Private Practice
  • Testified in numerous court cases advocating for children regarding issues of abuse, neglect, and trauma.
  • Lectured at graduate school programs for counseling and social work.
  • Specialized in working with trauma survivors, sexual abuse, children with sexual behavior problems and adolescents.
  • Created behavior plans and communication programs for children in the home setting.
  • Supervised MSW's working toward licensure.
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5. Highlight Your Therapist Certifications On Resume

Certifications can be a powerful tool to show employers that you know your stuff. If you have any of these certifications, make sure to put them on your therapist resume:

  1. Certification in Forensic Social Work (CFSW)
  2. Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
  3. Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)
  4. Master Therapist (MTAPA)
  5. Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT)
  6. Certified School Social Work Specialist (C-SSWS)
  7. Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC)
  8. Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP)
  9. Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS)
  10. Certified Case Manager (ACM)

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6. Finally, Add a Therapist Resume Summary Or Objective Statement

A resume summary statement is a 1-3 sentence spiel at the top of your resume that quickly summarizes who you are and what you have to offer. In this section, include your job title, years of experience (if it's 3+), and an impressive accomplishment, if you have space for it.

Remember to address skills and experiences that are emphasized in the job description.

Are you a recent grad?
Read our guide on how to write a resume summary statement

And If You’re Looking for a Job, Here Are the Five Top Employers Hiring Now:

  1. Thriveworks Jobs (106)
  2. Health Connect America Jobs (38)
  3. Chrysalis Jobs (30)
  4. CSC - Contemporary Services Jobs (29)
  5. Prince William County Jobs (28)

Common Therapist Resume Skills

  • Social Work
  • Patients
  • Group Therapy Sessions
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Mental Health
  • Patient Care
  • Community Resources
  • Therapeutic Services
  • Therapy Services
  • Rehabilitation
  • Discharge Planning
  • Autism
  • Substance Abuse Issues
  • Foster Care
  • Intake Assessments
  • Mental Illness
  • Clinical Supervision
  • Clinical Services
  • Family Therapy Sessions
  • Therapeutic Interventions
  • Clinical Documentation
  • Eating Disorders
  • Psychosocial Assessments
  • Medicaid
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Crisis Management
  • Individual Therapy Sessions
  • Mental Health Issues
  • DBT
  • Applied Behavior Analysis
  • ABA
  • Community Agencies
  • Clinical Assessments
  • Behavior Analysis
  • Mental Health Disorders
  • Dual Diagnosis
  • Mental Health Assessments
  • Diagnostic Assessments
  • Discharge Summaries
  • MST
  • Relapse Prevention
  • Anger Management
  • Domestic Violence
  • Behavioral Issues
  • Behavior Modification
  • Private Practice
  • IEP
  • Crisis Situations
  • Sexual Abuse
  • Art Therapy

Entry Level Therapist Resume Templates

Professional Therapist Resume Templates

Therapist Jobs

Therapist Resumes FAQs

How Do I Write A Resume For A Mental Health Worker Job?

You write a resume for a mental health worker job by highlighting your unique skills, experiences, and accomplishments. The goal of writing a resume for a mental health worker job is to demonstrate vital skills and talents, like knowledge and experience in physiology, the ability to handle complicated patients, strong people skills, and a pleasing personality.

How Do You List Counseling Licensure On A Resume?

You list a counseling license on a resume in several ways - such as adding your credential abbreviations as part of your name, touching on your certification in your professional summary, and adding it to the certifications section or under work experience.

What Should Be Included In A Therapist's Resume?

Highlights of skills, experience, and accomplishments in the mental health field are what should be included in a therapist's resume. As a therapist, you're focused on helping others reach their mental health goals.

What Skills Should I Put On My Resume For A Counseling Job?

Skills that you should put on your resume for a counseling job are a mixture of technical skills such as cognitive behavioral therapy or addiction recovery and soft skills such as interpersonal skills, communication, and compassion.

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