What is a group therapist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Quoted Expert
Dr. Tommy Casarez Ph.D.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a group therapist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $28.31 an hour? That's $58,892 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 14% and produce 9,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a Group Therapist?

D

Dr. Tommy Casarez Ph.D.Dr. Tommy Casarez Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Dr., Assistant Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, Vanguard University

Opportunities come in many different shapes and sizes, but they are still out there. Whether you are seeking to land a job in education or the non-profit sector, you will need to familiarize yourself and get used to all things digital, for the sake of communicating effectively. The younger your student or service partner's mindset, the more digitally savvy you will need to be, especially in the classroom and in the non-profit world.
ScoreGroup TherapistUS Average
Salary
4.6

Avg. Salary $58,892

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
9.8

Growth Rate 14%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.48%

Asian 4.57%

Black or African American 6.97%

Hispanic or Latino 13.94%

Unknown 5.53%

White 68.51%

Gender

female 72.41%

male 27.59%

Age - 38
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38
Stress Level
9.8

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.2

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Group Therapist career paths

Key steps to become a group therapist

  1. Explore group therapist education requirements

    Most common group therapist degrees

    Bachelor's

    48.1 %

    Master's

    44.5 %

    Associate

    4.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific group therapist skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Social Work18.81%
    Patients15.98%
    Group Therapy Sessions10.38%
    Crisis Intervention6.17%
    Substance Abuse5.61%
  3. Research group therapist duties and responsibilities

    • Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
    • Provide group psychotherapy to adult patients diagnose with a chronic mental illness at a partial hospitalization program on Saturday mornings.
    • Participate in weekly DBT consultation team.
    • Complete DUI evaluations that focuse on past and current alcohol and drug use, specifically as it relates to driving history.
  4. Prepare your group therapist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your group therapist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a group therapist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Group Therapist Resume templates

    Build a professional Group Therapist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Group Therapist resume.
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    Group Therapist Resume
    Group Therapist Resume
  5. Apply for group therapist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a group therapist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Group Therapist Job

Zippi

Are you a Group Therapist?

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Average group therapist salary

The average Group Therapist salary in the United States is $58,892 per year or $28 per hour. Group therapist salaries range between $40,000 and $85,000 per year.

Average Group Therapist Salary
$58,892 Yearly
$28.31 hourly

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How do group therapists rate their job?

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Group Therapist reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022
Pros

Making a difference in someone's life. Seeing positive changes.

Cons

Late hours after 9 pm or before 9 am


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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019
Pros

Change agent when people are stuck and need support in the process of restoration. One on one and group processing is powerful.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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