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Family Counselor Job Description

What does a Family Counselor do?

A Family Counselor is a professional who works with families to help them deal with various issues that arise within the family setting. These issues can range from communication problems to conflicts between family members or couples. A Family Counselor uses various therapeutic techniques and approaches including talk therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and solution-focused therapy, to help families cope with their problems and find constructive ways of resolving them. They may also provide education and support to help families strengthen the bonds between family members and promote more positive relationships. Additionally, Family Counselors may work with other professionals such as social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists to ensure the holistic well-being of families.

Our Family Counselor job description includes the Family Counselor responsibilities, duties, skills, education, qualifications, and experience.

Family Counselor Example


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If you need an example job description for a Family Counselor download the one below, alternatively we have many other Healthcare job description samples and a job description library with over 3000 job descriptions templates that you can download for free.

What does a Family Counselor do?

A Family Counsellor is responsible for providing counselling services to families and individuals in order to help them manage and overcome personal and family problems. They must have a strong understanding of the dynamics of family relationships, and be able to provide guidance, support and advice to family members. Duties include assessing the family's needs, developing and implementing suitable treatment plans, facilitating communication between family members, and providing therapy sessions. They must also be able to provide crisis intervention when needed, and be able to refer family members to other professionals when appropriate. A successful Family Counsellor must have excellent communication and problem-solving skills, a strong understanding of family dynamics, and the ability to remain calm and professional in challenging situations.

Family Counselor Role Purpose

The purpose of a family counsellor is to provide advice, guidance and support to families struggling with a range of issues, including relationships, parenting, grief, substance abuse and mental health issues. They work with families to help them identify and understand their issues, and then to develop and implement strategies to improve family dynamics and promote healthier relationships. Family counsellors help families to understand each other's needs, to communicate more effectively, to resolve conflicts and to develop healthy habits and routines. They also provide education and support to individuals and families on a variety of topics, such as parenting skills, communication strategies, stress management, financial planning and life-skills.

Family Counselor Role

A Family Counselor is a professional who works with families to help them improve their relationships and deal with difficult issues. They provide support, advice and guidance to help families find solutions to their problems, enabling them to lead more fulfilling lives.

Family Counselor Duties

  • Provide guidance and support to families in times of crisis and transition
  • Assess family functioning and dynamics
  • Develop treatment plans and goals
  • Facilitate communication and problem solving among family members
  • Promote healthy relationships and behaviors
  • Collaborate with other professionals to coordinate services
  • Maintain client records and document progress
  • Educate families on available resources and services

Family Counselor Requirements

  • A Degree or equivalent in Counselling, Psychology, Social Work, or related field
  • Experience in working with individuals, couples, and families
  • Familiarity with a variety of counselling techniques
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Family Counselor Skills

  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds
  • Ability to counsel individuals, couples and families
  • Ability to diagnose and treat mental health issues
  • Ability to build trust and rapport
  • Ability to remain impartial
  • Knowledge of psychology and counselling theory
  • Ability to provide support and guidance

Family Counselor Personal Traits

  • Empathetic
  • Compassionate
  • Good listener
  • Good communication skills
  • Flexible
  • Able to work independently

How to write a Family Counselor Job Advert

Use our job advert template to write a job advert for posting on job sites and job boards. Our job advertising templates are carefully created to help you reach your audience and beat the competition to the best talent.

A job description informs the reader about a job, whereas a job advert’s main objective is to sell the job opportunity to attract as many suitable applicants possible. A job advert maybe the first touch-point a candidate has with your company so it is important to create a great impression.

Job Advertisements should enticing, so considering using short, exciting language which get the reader’s attention.

How to write a Family Counselor Job Description

To write a job description, we recommend starting with a job description template from our job description library, which contains examples for 800+ positions and professions. Our job description examples include a job summary with duties and responsibilities and skills and requirements, which can be personalised for your job vacancy.

Job Description Advice - Guidance on How to Personalise a Family Counselor Job Specification

The hiring process and recruiting new employees to fill your key roles requires a degree of personalisation if you are to attract the best employees in a competitive employment market. The right person for a crucial role or more senior roles will likely have other employers targeting them. As your job description will be the first point of contact, you need to nail your pitch and provide the best possible service.

Job Description Tips - Help on formatting a Family Counselor Job Specification

When creating your bespoke description and advert, you should cover and promote these points:

Job title: This should accurately reflect the role and include keywords that top talent might be using to search for jobs.

Job duties: The day to day duties, such as administrative tasks, which vary depending on the company and inform the candidate if they can complete the role.

Technical skills: These are the hard skills required through training, such as proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Soft skills: These include the interpersonal skills and general abilities the right candidates will possess. For example, the competency to prioritise multiple tasks, handle customer queries and customer complaints, work alone, or build a good relationship with coworkers.

The company's culture: Highlighting your company culture and values ensures employees thrive and find outstanding job satisfaction. Candidates that are not the right fit won’t waste their time completing the application process, meaning you can focus on qualified individuals and hire in a more timely manner.

Career progression: Including the career path will entice candidates looking for career growth. 

Training and development programs: Smaller companies may need employees with previous experience or provide educational assistance over internal training offered by larger organisations with more significant resources. 

Employee benefits: Compensation and benefits often fail to appear in job ads and while you may want to hold your cards close to your chest, failing to include them is a mistake. Consider answering common questions, such as working hours and paid leave. Researching the average salary for the role in these early stages will ensure you don’t waste your interviewer’s and the candidate’s time.

Skill gaps: Your company may need to bring in new skills beyond those required to complete the key role and duties. Thinking on an organisational level can be beneficial when contemplating skills diversity.

Legal requirements: Ensure your job advert and description does not ask for inappropriate or discriminatory personal details, such as age, marital status, or religion.

How to Hire a Family Counselor

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