CHILD AND FAMILY THERAPIST SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND JOB REQUIREMENTS
Updated: Nov 17, 2024 - The Child And Family Therapist possesses extensive experience in delivering mental health services, including assessment and diagnosis for children, families, and adults. Expertise in implementing Parent Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT) and wrap-around services to support high-risk families, complemented by a robust knowledge of child development and parenting techniques. Maintains a professional standard with strong organizational, writing skills, and proficiency in Microsoft Office and record-keeping applications, ensuring strict confidentiality and a respectful approach towards all clients.
Essential Hard and Soft Skills for a Standout Child And Family Therapist Resume
- Diagnostic Assessment
- PCIT (Parent Child Interactive Therapy)
- Microsoft Software Proficiency
- Record Keeping
- Child Development Knowledge
- Wrap-around Services
- Psychological Testing
- Crisis Intervention
- Behavioral Therapy
- Legal/Ethical Standards
- Empathy
- Effective Communication
- Patience
- Active Listening
- Problem Solving
- Adaptability
- Respectfulness
- Confidentiality
- Stress Management
- Cultural Sensitivity.


Summary of Child And Family Therapist Knowledge and Qualifications on Resume
1. BA in Psychology with 2 years of Experience
- Knowledge and/or experience providing mental health services, including assessment and diagnosis to children, families, and adults.
- Able to provide Parent Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT) interventions to appropriate families
- Must be computer proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, and record keeping software
- Must have respectful, open, accepting attitude toward clients and families.
- Able to maintain client confidentiality.
- Knowledge of parenting skills/techniques and child development
- Experience working with disadvantaged individuals and high-risk families.
- Experience providing wrap-around services
- Excellent writing and organizational skills and basic computer skills.
2. BA in Clinical Social Work with 2 years of Experience
- Experience working with children and families
- Strong organizations skills
- Excellent communication skills both verbally and in writing.
- Experience in the medical, mental health, or social services field
- Demonstrated knowledge and experience with Evidence - Based Practices, or interest and ability to learn.
- Ability to relate effectively with patients, agency staff, other community programs, and the general public.
- Strong understanding of available community resources and supports.
- Experience working with at-risk families within the last five years.
- Knowledge of dynamics of high-risk families including sexual abuse, substance use, and domestic violence
3. BS in Marriage and Family Therapy with 5 years of Experience
- Prior experience providing individual psychotherapy to children
- Strong organizational and interpersonal communication skills
- Ability to build a strong rapport with families, guardians, and caretakers
- Experience in a clinical setting
- Strong interpersonal skills, including working in a team approach that is collaborative, organized, and client-centered
- Strong appetite and desire for learning
- Ready to gain experience, apply new learning, willingness to engage with team
- Strong aptitude for technology, specifically with EHR systems
- Ability to join with, work with, and support children and families with complex mental health and behavioral needs from a strengths based approach.
- Ability to formulate an individual treatment plan and apply appropriate rehabilitation and treatment modalities.
4. BA in Counseling with 3 years of Experience
- Prefer experience in child welfare, school settings, or a specialty (trauma, adoption, EMDR, etc.)
- Experience in working with victims of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse.
- Experience working with families of diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds strongly.
- Ability to provide quality individual, group, and family therapy.
- Good written skills and good verbal communication.
- Knowledge of psychotropic medications.
- Strong computer skills.
- Ability to function independently and on a team
- Ability to work 1-2 evenings/week as needed and maintain a flexible work schedule
- Ability to take on a wide range of administration tasks
5. BS in Educational Psychology with 4 years of Experience
- Bilingual Spanish/English fluency
- Experience providing trauma-informed domestic violence prevention and intervention services to underserved families
- Experience working with adults who have caused harm in relationships
- Experience working with abuse/batterer intervention programming (BIP), strongly recommended.
- Experience using client-centered engagement approach with survivors of domestic violence and children exposed to domestic violence, strongly recommended.
- Knowledge of child development and trauma-informed practice as well as family systems, relational and attachment theories, and framework
- Experience in TF-CBT or CPP with families or willingness to be trained and utilize this trauma modality with families
- Knowledge of domestic violence service system, public benefits, child welfare, legal and housing systems
- Training and experience working with child welfare involved families
- Strong oral and written communication skills
6. BA in Behavioral Science with 5 years of Experience
- Experienced and knowledgeable in child development, especially in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, POC) families and communities
- Preferably experienced in the provision of therapy through EPSDT
- Knowledge of early childhood (0 - 5 years old) development and supports
- Working knowledge/ experience related to issues of homelessness and domestic violence
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Positive attitude and team play with proven ability to work with people of different intersecting identities
- Preferably bicultural/bilingual Spanish-speaking to better meet the needs of the families serve.
- Avatar or similar online billing/data entry experience
- A demonstrated track record of providing and implementing evidence - based clinical interventions, such as CBT, social skills training, DBT, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.
- Experience in a professional social service or mental health agency.
7. BA in Psychology with 2 years of Experience
- Experience working with children, youth, and families involved with the child welfare system or other clinical setting.
- Experience and interest in providing therapeutic services within a time-effective therapy framework.
- Clinical expertise in assessment and therapeutic interventions with consumers affected by mental illness.
- Clinical expertise in assessment and therapeutic interventions with consumers and families affected by mental illness.
- Knowledge of community systems and resources is helpful.
- Competent In Computer Skills
- Must complete and pass a full background check.
- Experience in conflict resolution
- Ability to build rapport with clients
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
8. BA in Clinical Social Work with 6 years of Experience
- Skill in applying varied interventions and therapeutic techniques and knowledge of community resources.
- Knowledge of child development, diagnosis, trauma-informed practices, and family systems and impact on mental health within the family.
- Ability to effectively engage clients and families with a client-centered, family systems approach.
- Ability to work independently and implement time management strategies.
- Ability to implement necessary self-care.
- Comfort and ability with electronic health care records.
- Knowledge and experience with providing psychoeducation to adults.
- Must be willing to train in and follow all HIPPA (and related) rules and laws.
- Bilingual Spanish-speaking individuals strongly
- Compassionate and caring demeanor
9. BS in Marriage and Family Therapy with 5 years of Experience
- Ability to empathize with clients.
- Must be able to exercise sound clinical and professional judgment while interacting with anyone associated with FCT.
- Knowledge of strategies for examining, applying and evaluating various techniques from systems and couple’s therapies
- Knowledge of child and adult attachment and positive parenting techniques.
- Available to hold at least 15 to 20 client sessions per week, provided such sessions are available and referred/scheduled by the Company.
- Must be warm, compassionate, energetic, and able to develop rapport with clients.
- Must be organized and detail oriented and have excellent time management skills.
- Must be able to work independently on a variety of assigned tasks.
- Have strong written and verbal and written communication, skills and strong interpersonal skills.
- Must be able to use a computer proficiently and for prolonged periods of time.