27 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You usually split time between one-on-one sessions, paperwork, and team meetings. Mornings often have back-to-back client sessions; afternoons are when you write progress notes, update plans, and respond to referrals in the EHR (for example, eClinicalWorks or MEDITECH).
You also review medical histories, adjust treatment plans, and coordinate with psychiatrists or physical therapists. Some days include group therapy, community outreach, or supervising support staff and trainees.
Expect electronic health records like eClinicalWorks or MEDITECH for charting, Microsoft Word and Excel for reports and spreadsheets, and Microsoft Outlook for scheduling and emails. Some clinics use Clinicient Insight or Hands On Technology TheraWriter.PT for billing and therapy documentation.
You’ll routinely enter assessments, progress notes, informed consent, and discharge summaries into these systems, and send or receive referrals through them.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports 267,330 employed in related therapy occupations; median pay is $102,760 per year. The lowest tenth earn about $77,140 and the top tenth about $135,140 (BLS).
Actual pay depends on setting (hospital, private practice, outpatient clinic), region, licensure, and whether you bill privately or through agencies.
You typically need a graduate degree in psychology, counseling, social work, or a related field plus supervised clinical hours for licensure (requirements vary by state). Specific CBT training comes from coursework, supervised practice, and workshops or certifications in CBT techniques.
Early on, learn to do clinical assessments, record progress in EHRs like MEDITECH, obtain informed consent, and design individualized treatment plans tied to measurable goals.
A CBT therapist focuses on thoughts, emotions, and behaviors using talk therapy to treat anxiety, depression, and trauma. Tasks include assessments, goal-setting, and therapy sessions. A physical therapist treats movement, pain, and physical function, using exercise programs and modalities and sometimes constructs supportive devices.
Both record progress and collaborate with healthcare teams, but CBT uses psychological interventions while physical therapy uses physical modalities and exercise routine creation.
AI can help draft progress notes, suggest evidence-based interventions, or summarize session themes, but you must verify accuracy and keep client confidentiality. Never use AI to generate treatment plans without professional review or to store identifiable client data in noncompliant systems.
Keep final clinical decisions, diagnoses, and consent with you. Document any AI-assisted work in the record system you use (eClinicalWorks, MEDITECH, or Clinicient Insight) and follow your employer’s privacy policies.
Top skills are precise clinical assessment, clear written records, and measurable goal-setting. That means reliably testing and measuring function, writing observable goals, and recording progress in the EHR.
Also be good at explaining techniques so patients can do them outside sessions, obtaining informed consent, and collaborating with teams—sending accurate referrals and supervising support staff when needed.