Psychoeducators
Job description
These individuals intervene with people who are experiencing adjustment difficulties. Such difficulties manifest themselves on a behavioural level in their different living environments. They evaluate individuals’ adaptation in order to intervene effectively. They are self-employed or work in:
- School environments
- Integrated health and social services centres (CISSS)
- Youth centres
- Centres for the rehabilitation of intellectual disabilities and pervasive developmental disorders (CRDITED)
- Community organizations
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
Main tasks
- Assess the psychosocial adaptation and adaptive capacities of individuals or groups.
- Establish, propose, and implement programs and intervention plans.
- Observe and analyze people interacting with their environment.
- Organize, facilitate, and use people’s living environment to support them in their adaptation process.
- Offer people information on health promotion and prevention of illness, accidents, and social problems.
- Advise stakeholders from different backgrounds.
- Play a preventive role with clients in difficulty.
- Defuse crises or emergency situations, as required.
Advancement and mobility
- Psychotherapy permit issued by the Ordre des psychologues du Québec (Quebec Order of Psychologists) allows Psychoeducators to bear the title of Psychotherapist and to practise psychotherapy.
- Family mediation accreditation permit issued by the Ordre des travailleurs sociaux et des thérapeutes conjugaux et familiaux du Québec (OTSTCFQ [Quebec Order of Social Workers and Conjugal and Family Therapists]) allows Psychoeducators to use the title of Accredited Family Mediator.
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
University
Psychoeducation
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 33.3%
64.5% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 91%
4.5% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
- Membership in the Ordre des psychoéducateurs et psychoéducatrices du Québec (OPPQ [Quebec Order of Psychoeducators]).
Sometimes required
- Training in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may be required.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Active listening
- Social perception
- Data collection
- Oral expression
- Service oriented
- Critical thought
- Result evaluation
- Written expression
- Judgment and decision-making
- Reading comprehension
- Persuasion
- Active learning
- Learning strategies
- Information processing
- Coordination
- Solving complex problems
- Negotiation
- System analysis
- Teaching
- Science
- Operation analysis
- Human resource management
- Time management
Abilities
- Oral comprehension
- Verbal skills
- Awareness of issues
- Written comprehension
- Written expression
- Inductive reasoning
- Speech clarity
- Deductive reasoning
- Speech recognition
- Idea generation
- Selective attention
- Classification
- Information organization
- Near vision
- Originality
Knowledge and attributes
- Capacity to establish and maintain interpersonal relations
- Capacity to work under pressure
- Critical thinking
- Sense of responsibility
- Capacity to adapt
- Capacity to work in a team
- Commitment
- Capacity to facilitate a group
- Knowledge of psychology
- Knowledge of therapy and counselling
Interests
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Self-employment
- Assist and advise
- Teach or educate
- Assist or care for people
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
- Social
- People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
- Artistic
- People with this profile prefer to express their emotions and thoughts through various art forms. They like to use their imagination.
Appellation d’emploi liée (à traduire)
Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies (CNP 41301)
Skill type
Education, law and social, community and government services
Last update: January 29, 2026