Evolve Treatment Centers logo
Evolve Treatment Centers
La Mesa, California

Associate Therapist

Counselor / TherapistNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$32-$34/hr

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 48m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Evolve Treatment Centers offers cutting-edge intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, and residential programs for teens ages 12 to 17 struggling with substance use and mental health disorders.

We use evidence-based treatment modalities, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI), as well as several experiential therapies.

The Associate Therapist training program provides a unique opportunity for clinicians to gain experience working with teens facing acute mental health issues, as well as understanding residential and intensive outpatient settings.

The Associate Therapist will provide clinical support to the residential and outpatient programs by completing Biopsychosocial Assessments, acting as a Primary Therapist to clients as assigned, and providing Primary Therapist coverage as assigned.

Primary Therapist duties include, but are not limited to, running DBT Skills Training groups, providing individual and family therapy, and completing all clinical documentation within the required timelines. This individual should be eager to learn and comfortable with a fast-paced environment.

Clinical supervision will be provided, as well as several other training and shadowing opportunities.

Job Duties

Provide individual and family therapy to teens and their families

Conduct biopsychosocial assessments upon admission both with assistance from Primary Therapists and independently

Attend weekly clinical treatment teams and collaborate with clinicians to carry out individualized treatment plans

  • Attend weekly Training Track supervisions with peers to learn and understand acute care services
  • Participate in individual supervision when directly assigned cases

Provide case management support and coordinate with After-Care manager to ensure clients have appropriate discharge plans

Coach and collaborate with Residential Counselors to ensure effective behavioral interventions are carried-out with clients

  • Participate in, and eventually lead, DBT skills groups
  • Complete weekly treatment plan reviews, master treatment plans, other required clinical documentation

Requirements

  • Master’s degree in clinical psychology, Counseling, or Social Work
  • Active BBS associate number (AMFT/ACSW/APCC)
  • 1-year minimum training commitment requested
  • Must be willing to go to all our locations in Encinitas, La Mesa and Del Mar

Hours: Monday-Friday 9 am - 5:30 pm. This is a full-time, onsite position.

Payrate: $32-34/hour

For information on Evolve's privacy practices, see the Evolve California Personnel Privacy Notice located at evolvetreatment.com

Key Responsibilities

The Associate Therapist provides individual and family therapy, conducts biopsychosocial assessments, and facilitates DBT skills groups for teens. They also collaborate with clinical teams to develop treatment plans and provide case management support.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Individual TherapyTreatment PlanningCrisis Intervention

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Associate Therapist at Evolve Treatment Centers a 6.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 35% of all Mental Health Therapy counselor listings evaluated on our platform. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 52% are remote, 46% have no call, 68% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$69k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $62k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$67k–$71kMental Health Therapy median $78k (middle half $62k–$109k)56 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$62k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in California576 active7,561 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 52% remote · 46% no call · 68% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia counselor listings (all specialties): 12% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 9% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Mental Health Therapy listings2,576 in the last 30 days1,373 the 30 days before (+88%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

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Salary Distribution

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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

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401k / retirement match
97%
Sign-on bonus
31%
CME allowance
26%
PSLF eligible
6%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 6.0
Better work-life than 50% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,459 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
Evolve Treatment Centers logo

About Evolve Treatment Centers

Hospitals and Health Care
Los Angeles, ca
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Clinical supervision provided
Training and shadowing opportunities

Living in La Mesa

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$888k
Typical market rent
$2,627/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.9
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.