Behavioral Therapist Resume Example
Pursuing a career as a behavioral therapist provides opportunities for career progression and responsibilities involving implementing CBT strategies and assessing patient behavior. To succeed in your applications for behavioral therapist roles, you'll need a resume that reflects your relevant skills and experience. In this article, we'll explain how to write a winning resume for behavioral therapist applications that best showcases your skills and experience.
This comprehensive guide will give you all the tools you need to craft a behavioral therapist resume that positions you strongly against other candidates. You'll find valuable tips on writing a resume that best showcases your unique skills and achievements. There is also extensive guidance on how to structure your resume to match the job description, and to reflect your experience levels to impress HR specialists and employers. Read on to learn the tips Jobseeker careers experts recommend as the best for your behavioral therapist resume.
Core sections to include in a behavioral therapist resume
A successful behavioral therapist resume will typically include each of the sections listed below, with some optional sections. For junior candidates with little work experience, other sections of the resume take on more prominence and might be placed before the work experience section. These could include education, skills, projects, hobbies and volunteer work.
The order you present these sections can vary according to your career stage, but it's still essential to include each of the following:
Resume Header and Personal Information
Your behavioral therapist resume header is the place to add your contact details. Start by adding your full name and underneath, include your email address, phone number and location. Adding your LinkedIn profile, if you have one, can help the employer get a better insight into your skills and industry expertise. You don't need to include any additional personal information or a photo. Make your resume header clear, concise and as brief and compact as possible. Consider different layouts that spread the information horizontally across the page rather than using a different line for each piece of information.
Make sure the email address you list in your header is professional-looking and doesn't contain any inappropriate content such as nicknames or unsuitable language. Opt for an email address based on your name or profession, or a combination of both. Finally, check your contact details before sending your resume, to ensure everything's up-to-date.
Steven Scott
steven.scott@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
221B Baker Street, Chicago, IL
linkedin․com/in/steven–scott123
Resume Objective
Following your resume header, write a resume summary to introduce yourself and showcase some of your key skills and achievements. Alternative names for this section are 'resume objective' and 'personal profile'. While a resume summary focuses on your career experience, a resume objective covers your ambitions and career plans. However, make sure you keep your resume summary short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description.
Alternatively, use this summary to introduce your personal career ambitions and explain why behavioral therapist roles are a good fit for you at this stage of your career.
A good resume summary is short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description, with evidence to back it up. It will also help the reader to form their first impressions of you by providing an insight into your personality and unique qualities. See below for some great examples of how to approach your behavioral therapist resume.
Good example:
Licensed Behavioral Therapist with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and extensive experience in conducting behavioral assessments, developing individualized treatment plans, and implementing evidence-based therapeutic interventions. Skilled in working with diverse populations to address a range of behavioral and emotional issues, with a strong commitment to improving client outcomes and promoting mental health and well-being. Proven ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and communicate complex clinical concepts to clients and their families
Bad example:
Worked in a role related to psychology, handling various tasks like assessments and plans for people. Have experience with different groups and issues, aiming to help improve situations. Known for working with others in teams and explaining things to people and their families
On the other hand, an unsuccessful resume summary is one that mentions irrelevant skills, qualities and achievements and fails to differentiate you from other candidates. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your behavioral therapist resume summary.
Skills
The skills section is one of the main ways to show employers you've got the skills required for behavioral therapist roles. Whether your skills include behavior analysis, effective communication or any other useful skills for the role, you'll want to list them here. Again, refer to the job description and make sure you include skills that the employer has listed as essential or desirable for employment as a behavioral therapist.
Highlighting your hard skills
In your hard skills list, include any specific abilities related to the role you're applying for. These could be technical skills or industry knowledge that showcases your expertise in your chosen profession. Furthermore, your list of hard skills provides a strong indication to the reader of your expertise in behavioral therapist roles, and how well you'll fit into the position. Aim to include four or five key hard skills. If you have space, explain how and where you've used that skill to create successful outcomes in your career. These skills will demonstrate your credentials and show how you meet the job description.
The best resume hard skills sections focus on specific technical skills necessary for the job, showcasing skills that you have particular expertise in. There are some examples of valuable hard skills for a behavioral therapist resume below.
- Cbt techniques
- Behavior analysis
- Data collection
Adding soft skills to your behavioral therapist resume
Soft skills are your transferable skills and personal qualities that make you a good match for a behavioral therapist position and the organization. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, and can often apply to multiple jobs and industries. Indeed, transferable skills are growing in importance in the modern world of work, so make sure you include several of these in your resume. Aim to include approximately five soft skills that reflect the skills listed in the job description.
A good soft skills section would include skills that match the job description, and also reflect your key strengths and qualities. See the graphic below for an indication of what to include in a strong soft skills section for a behavioral therapist resume.
- Active listening
- Emotional intelligence
- Effective communication
Educational Achievements
In this section list any educational qualifications or degrees that are relevant to behavioral therapist roles.
To work as a behavioral therapist, employers tend to require candidates to have a specialist degree, such as a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. If you have this degree, focus on it in your education section, while also mentioning any educational achievements that show your progress monitoring or ABA methodologies.
List your relevant qualifications in reverse-chronological order. Add the name and level of the award, the institution, its location (if this isn't obvious from the name) and your dates of study. If you have space, include some bullet points outlining any specialist areas of study, awards or high grades, so the employer can learn more about your unique skill set and knowledge.
If you organized or participated in any clubs or societies while at university, or you took part in any voluntary work, you could also mention these here.
Bachelor of Science in Psychology, 2017 - 2020
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Certifications and Training
Your certifications section is the place to mention any relevant professional behavioral therapist certifications, licenses or qualifications. You could list accreditations for certain professional roles or licenses for certain activities that help to make you a strong candidate. Therefore, list any official licenses and certifications, along with their dates, so employers can assess whether you've got the necessary qualifications to work as a behavioral therapist.
Review the list below for some suitable certifications for a behavioral therapist resume:
- BCBA Certification, 2022
- LPC Credentialing, 2022
- RBT Certification, 2022
Work Experience
In the next section, list your employment history focusing on the most relevant previous roles and achievements that showcase your behavioral therapist skills. Add each previous employment in reverse-chronological order. This means starting from your current or most recent role and working back in time from there. Include your job title, the company name, the location of the job and your dates of employment.
Also include some bullet points for each job mentioned, showcasing your achievements so the employer can see the impact you made on the company. Pay attention to the job description and make sure each point is relevant to behavioral therapist roles.
The best resume work experience sections focus only on the most relevant previous jobs, and link each bullet point back to a skill or experience listed in the job description. It's also critical to provide evidence that shows the value you added to each role in a quantifiable way, such as project outcomes, key performance indicators or feedback from customers, colleagues or managers. See below for some good examples of what to include in your resume work experience section.
Good example:
Licensed Behavioral Therapist, January 2022 - Present
Mindful Path Therapy Services, San Francisco
- Successfully reduced client relapse rates by 30% through implementation of evidence-based therapeutic interventions and personalized treatment plans
- Spearheaded a community outreach program that increased mental health awareness and resources accessibility for underserved populations
- Published peer-reviewed research on innovative cognitive-behavioral techniques, contributing to advancements in therapeutic methodologies
Bad example:
Licensed Behavioral Therapist, January 2022 - Present
Mindful Path Therapy Services, San Francisco
- Assisted clients in achieving personal growth and development through tailored therapeutic approaches
- Led initiatives to enhance community mental health awareness and support
- Contributed to research and development in therapeutic practices
Above, you can see a weaker example of a resume work experience section to best avoid. A poor resume work experience section would typically use vague descriptions of activities in previous jobs, while focusing too much on responsibilities rather than achievements. Failing to focus on the skills and experience that match the job description is likely to harm your chances of success.
Resume tip:
Tailor your resume to the job by including keywords from the job description and focusing on skills that align directly with the role’s requirements. (1) Use a professional layout with consistent headings and formatting to ensure your resume stands out visually. (2)
Optional Resume Sections
There are several additional sections you could add to a behavioral therapist resume, to improve your chances of success. Choose any optional sections that showcase essential or desirable skills or experience for behavioral therapist jobs.
Hobbies
Add any hobbies and interests that reinforce your credentials for the position. Consider listing hobbies and interests to help your resume stand out, or to provide the employer with some insight into your personality and wider interests. They're perfect for candidates who might lack genuine work experience as a behavioral therapist. If you're thinking about adding hobbies and interests, just make sure they add something unique to your application, and showcase your personality and interests in unique and interesting ways.
Voluntary Work
Adding voluntary roles can be a useful way of showing relevant experience and skills for behavioral therapist roles beyond your main employment history. Include the title of your volunteer role, who you volunteered for, as well as the dates you carried out the work. Provide brief details of your responsibilities and the impact you made.
References
It's relatively unusual to include references in a standard behavioral therapist resume, but they are required occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Only include referees that you've had prior approval from, and notify them to expect contact from the employer.
Please contact me for a list of references.
Best words to use in a behavioral therapist resume
Action words can help illustrate to the hiring manager the difference you made in each of your previous jobs. Choose verbs from the suggestions below that highlight your key skills or those mentioned in the job description.
- Guide
- Support
- Assess
- Develop
- Implement
- Monitor
- Collaborate
- Educate
- Motivate
- Document
If you want to create a resume that stands out from the crowd, use Jobseeker's expert-designed resume templates. You can also find cover letter templates that work to get you noticed by employers.
Example of a behavioral therapist resume
Now we've covered the main sections to include in your behavioral therapist resume, let's take a look at how it all comes together in the example below:
221B Baker Street, Chicago, IL
•
steven.scott@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/steven–scott123
Licensed Behavioral Therapist with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, experienced in developing and implementing individualized treatment plans, conducting assessments, and utilizing evidence-based therapeutic techniques to support clients with various behavioral and emotional challenges. Proven ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and effectively communicate with clients and their families to promote positive behavioral changes.
Licensed Behavioral Therapist
2020
-2022
Horizon Behavioral Solutions (Toledo)
- Successfully treated over 150 clients with anxiety and depression, achieving a 90% improvement rate in symptom reduction
- Implemented evidence-based cognitive-behavioral therapy programs, resulting in a 75% decrease in client relapse rates over two years
- Conducted workshops and training sessions on mental health awareness, reaching over 1,000 participants and enhancing community mental health literacy
Cbt techniques
Behavior analysis
Data collection
Active listening
Emotional intelligence
Effective communication
BCBA Certification
LPC Credentialing
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Key tips for a behavioral therapist resume
Tips to write the best resume
- Keep your behavioral therapist resume as brief as possible. A single page is ideal for junior applicants, while two sides is acceptable for senior jobs.
- Proofread your resume before sending it, to avoid any unnecessary mistakes that may harm your chances.
- Mention your key educational achievements, such as degrees and professional qualifications, along with grades such as your GPA, if they're high.
- Add key skills throughout your resume that match the job description, along with a dedicated 'skills' section.
- Include any relevant work experience in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent role, for maximum readability.
Steer clear of these common resume writing errors
- Don't use old contact information and always review your resume header to make sure it contains the latest information.
- Don't use complex and elaborate formatting that can make your behavioral therapist resume less readable and more difficult for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to scan.
- Don't use passive language - avoid phrases like 'I was tasked with' and use strong action verbs instead.
- Don't mention hobbies or interests unless they help you prove a skill required for the role, that you haven't included elsewhere.
- Don't clutter your behavioral therapist resume with too much information. Keep everything focused on showcasing your relevant skills and achievements.
How to make your resume ATS compliant
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is just one of the tools employers and recruiters can use to streamline their hiring practices. This typically includes screening candidates by scanning and ranking their resumes based on their likely suitability for any vacancy. When drafting your behavioral therapist resume, there are a few guidelines to follow to give you the best chance of passing the ATS screening stage and progressing with your application.
Here a some simple tips to follow for an ATS-friendly resume:
- Choose a resume structure that matches the traditional, reverse-chronological layout or alternatively, the functional resume structure. This should make your resume more readable for ATS applications.
- Add keywords throughout your resume that help ATS software match your application to the job description. A higher match means your application is more likely to proceed to be reviewed by human eyes.
- Include clear headings that make it easy to identify each section of your resume. This will help any ATS software navigate your resume during the scanning process.
- Adopt a clean, unfussy design that gives your content enough white space to breathe. Use professional, readable fonts and subtle use of color and other design elements.
- Make sure your resume is as concise as possible, so ATS applications can easily scan and identify the required details.
For advice and guidance on creating the perfect resume, read our expert career blog and check out our detailed resume examples.
FAQs for a behavioral therapist resume
Accompanying your resume for behavioral therapist applications, you'll want to produce a cover letter that similarly leaves a positive impression on hiring managers.
In some situations, a full, professional cover letter may not be necessary. Check the job advert and decide whether to write a formal cover letter, or if a brief email is more suitable.
A full, formal cover letter follows a traditional letter-writing structure and format. Add your header, the recipient's address an use professional greetings and sign-offs. In your first paragraph, introduce yourself and confirm the role you're applying for, along with your reasons for applying. Next, outline your key skills and achievements that are most relevant to the behavioral therapist job description. Finish by expressing your enthusiasm for the role and adding a call to action to encourage the hiring manager to contact you for further information.
Jobseeker's tried and tested cover letter templates were created by experts to help you make a strong impression with your applications. Follow the simple steps to create a winning cover letter today.
If you have plenty of experience as a behavioral therapist, you'll want your resume to showcase your extensive career history and achievements. As a behavioral therapist with a wealth of experience, you'll want to showcase this in your work history section. Consider going back beyond the standard 10 to 15 years of employment history to show employers your experience levels. Include any optional sections that help to show your credentials and reputation in your industry. These could include awards, achievements and successful projects you've been involved in.
If you want to create a strong first impression in your behavioral therapist application, a resume headline can help. Resume headlines are also helpful for the ATS stage of the recruitment process, as they can help you reference the job title and one or two keywords for the role. Write a concise headline including the job title, a reference to your experience or track record and one or two key skills.
See below for an example of a well-constructed resume headline:
- Entry-Level Behavioral Therapist Specialist
- Empowering Positive Behavioral Change Expert
- Expert Senior Behavioral Therapist
The best resume format for you depends on two things. Firstly, it depends on your experience level. Secondly, it depends on the type and level of position you're applying for. For entry-level roles, or situations where you're changing to a new career, a functional resume is often the best option. This places your skills and education above your work experience. For more senior roles where you have plenty of relevant experience, use a reverse chronological format. This resume structure places work experience at the heart of the document, using it as a showcase for your skills and achievements.
Takeaways for your behavioral therapist resume
An effective resume is a concise, professional summary of your relevant skills and career achievements, showcased through a chronology of your career history. Choose a resume structure that makes the most of your relevant experience, whether through work or other activities, and be sure to tailor your resume to match the job description.
Use Jobseeker's resume templates, other tools and resources to create an application that impresses employers. Sign up today to access a wealth of valuable resume and cover letter resources. Whether you're a junior or senior candidate, a professional cover letter can help to grab the attention of the employer. Jobseeker's cover letter examples were created by careers experts to provide useful tips and ideas for your cover letter.
Sources:
(1) Writing a Resume, California Department of Human Resources: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/resume-tips.aspx
(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/
