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Trained counselor skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Kacie Blalock Ph.D.,

Kacie Blalock Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical trained counselor skills. We ranked the top skills for trained counselors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 21.6% of trained counselor resumes contained mental health as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a trained counselor needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 trained counselor skills for your resume and career

1. Mental Health

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.

Here's how trained counselors use mental health:

Interviewed vendors and mental health professionals during assessment and consulted during court proceeding on client development.
Supported and encouraged individuals with emotional, behavioral and mental health challenges.

2. Group Therapy

Group psychotherapy or group therapy is the practice of treating a group of clients together in one sitting throughout multiple sessions. This practice allows people to receive encouragement and support from their peers who are taking the same group therapy.

Here's how trained counselors use group therapy:

Provided group therapy at a Juvenile Detention Center and co-facilitated Batterer's Intervention groups.
Coordinated individual and group therapy sessions.

3. Substance Abuse

Here's how trained counselors use substance abuse:

Worked with adolescent and young adult females recovering from substance abuse/dependence in a long-term recovery center.
Received motivational interviewing training and used motivational interviewing with substance abuse clients.

4. Intake Interviews

Here's how trained counselors use intake interviews:

Performed in-depth intake interviews, short and long range goal development, follow up counseling sessions.
Conducted initial intake interviews with clients.

5. CIT

Here's how trained counselors use cit:

Completed an 8 week job training program as a CIT; Counselor in Training, at a federally funded summer camp.
Applied to become a Counselor In Training (CIT) for Richmond District YMCA in San Francisco.

6. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how trained counselors use cpr:

Learned about CPR and First Aid procedures, and how to use those skills in a time of need.
Worked on the development of a web resource page of events which included community fairs and CPR training.

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7. Child Care

Child care means the care, supervision, or guidance of a child by a person other than the child's parent, guardian, or custodian for periods of less than 24 hours. Childcare could be either center-based such as a daycare or a nursery or home-based care such as nannies or family daycare.

Here's how trained counselors use child care:

Provide child care for children ranging from kindergarten to 8th grade.
Work involved: Child care assistance (9-10 yr. olds), summer camp activity assistance and supervision

8. Group Supervision

Here's how trained counselors use group supervision:

Attend individual/group supervision and multidisciplinary meetings.
Video-recorded the counseling sessions for review and feedback during weekly group supervision.

9. Role Model

A role model is a person with desirable qualities who inspires other people to emulate their example.

Here's how trained counselors use role model:

Make sure they are having a fun time at camp and try to be a role model while helping my counselors.
Displayed the YMCA character traits of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility and are role models for all campers.

10. Training Sessions

Here's how trained counselors use training sessions:

Participate in weekly Supervised meetings and training sessions.
Attended numerous training sessions, and worked side by side with counselors working with children for the summer.

11. Crisis Intervention

Here's how trained counselors use crisis intervention:

Developed skills and experience with crisis intervention and physically transported acting-out clients.
Provide daily crisis intervention services.

12. Group Sessions

Here's how trained counselors use group sessions:

Presented training materials and conducted learning activities during group sessions.
Research counseling theories and activities for individual/group sessions.

13. Leadership

Here's how trained counselors use leadership:

Displayed a superior talent for collaborating with other counselors and providing newly diagnosed children with leadership and encouragement.
Participated in a five-week training program geared toward providing an atmosphere of learning as well as actualizing leadership.

14. Practicum

Here's how trained counselors use practicum:

Reason for Leaving: End of the practicum experience (first experience) and job transition (second experience).
Demonstrated the ability to give and receive feedback from practicum group in an effort to improve counseling skills.

15. Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is an often necessary skill in business, employed for processes such as contract negotiations, legal matters, and even personal, emotional situations and conflicts. It is the ability to find and create an appropriate and peaceful solution to some sort of dilemma or argument in which two or more parties are involved. The resolution itself must benefit and satisfy all parties and this is what makes it so difficult to reach a peaceful point sometimes.

Here's how trained counselors use conflict resolution:

Educated girls on conflict resolution and mediation by teaching them to respect one another and their environment.
Conduct monthly conflict resolution, A.A. twelve step, peer pressure, and life skills classes.

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What skills help Trained Counselors find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on trained counselor resumes?

Kacie Blalock Ph.D.

Associate Professor; Director, Master of Counseling, Louisiana State University at Shreveport

Skills that stand out on Counselor resumes include multilingual, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and leadership skills.

What soft skills should all trained counselors possess?

Kacie Blalock Ph.D.

Associate Professor; Director, Master of Counseling, Louisiana State University at Shreveport

Soft skills that are essential for counselors include emotional intelligence, empathy, multicultural competency, interpersonal abilities, and authenticity.

What hard/technical skills are most important for trained counselors?

Kacie Blalock Ph.D.

Associate Professor; Director, Master of Counseling, Louisiana State University at Shreveport

It is important that counselors are able to effectively take notes and summarize progress, interpret assessments, memorize and recall information, and keep clear yet concise records.

What trained counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Melissa Boas

Director of Professional School Counseling, Assistant Professor, Lancaster Bible College

I believe the most important skill to enhance if taking a gap year is self-awareness. Understanding oneself and why and how self-awareness directly relates to future career decision making is instrumental in ensuring the right decisions are made. Self-awareness is extremely beneficial in all areas of life not just in choosing a career pathway.

What type of skills will young trained counselors need?

Chris Hennington Ph.D.

School Counseling Program Coordinator, Lubbock Christian University

School counselors will be tasked with the usual school counseling responsibilities while also encountering trauma that students experience outside of school and in school. Being well versed in trauma response is going to be a vital aspect of being a school counselor. Kids are experiencing more trauma, but we are getting better at recognizing and treating trauma as well.

Do you want to know more?

List of trained counselor skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a trained counselor resume and required skills for a trained counselor to have include:

Mental Health
Group Therapy
Substance Abuse
Intake Interviews
CIT
CPR
Child Care
Group Supervision
Role Model

Training Sessions
Crisis Intervention
Group Sessions
Leadership
Practicum
Conflict Resolution
Fitness Assessments
Community Services
Developmental Disabilities

PowerPoint
Front Desk
RAN
Behavioral Issues
Community Resources
Anger Management
Training Programs
Summer Program

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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