Counseling, Therapy & Pharmacy

Trends in Counseling, Therapy, and Pharmacy

• The new model of patient-centered care means that information needs to be shared between counseling, therapy, and pharmacy professionals and primary care providers, hospitals, and others involved in a patient’s care.
• Many of these positions work directly with older adults, and as the population ages, counseling, therapy, and pharmacy professionals will need to understand the basics of geriatric care.

View local Priority Occupations by education and training level:

High School/Some College/Certificate Program

• Pharmacy Technicians 

Associates and Bachelors Degree

• Occupational Therapist Assistants
• Physical Therapist Assistants
• Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
• Respiratory Therapists

Masters Degree or Higher 

• Occupational Therapist
• Physical Therapist
• Medical and Public Health Social Workers
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

What is it like to work in a Counseling, Therapy and Pharmacy career?

Working in a Counseling, Therapy, and Pharmacy career means working very closely with patients and their families. These professionals also often need to collaborate with other care providers, so excellent communication and team work skills are key to building a successful career in this cluster.

Most careers in this cluster work directly with patients in diverse communities, so cultural competency is also extremely important. “Cultural competency” means that one can work effectively with people of different cultures. Understanding the way different cultures view health care as part of their daily lives and learning to work with these views allows for much more effective delivery of care.

When you are planning a career in Counseling, Therapy, and Pharmacy, you must make sure that you are gaining strong STEM skills – science, technology, engineering and math.

If you think you might want to work in a Counseling, Therapy, and Pharmacy career, it is highly recommended that you work with a career counselor or academic counselor to make sure that you create a career plan that is realistic and matches your goals.