Associate Therapist (AMFT / ACSW / APCC) – Corona & Murrieta
Listed compensation
$61k-$84k
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage and nights and shift pattern.
Job Description
Associate Therapist (AMFT / ACSW / APCC) – Riverside, Corona & Murrieta
Job Description
- Company: Talk Therapy Center
- Locations: In-Office (Riverside, Murrieta, and/or Corona), Hybrid, or Remote (California Only)
- Job Type: W-2 Fee-for-Service with Full-Time Benefits Track
- Pay: $48-$55 per session | $61,000–$84,000 Annual Earnings
- Schedule: Flexible
Job Summary
About Talk Therapy Center
We are a therapist-centered practice—built by therapists, for therapists. Our team came together after experiencing the frustration of high-volume, low-support corporate models that overwork and underpay clinicians.
We are not interested in “band-aid” therapy, high-turnover EAP models, or unsustainable cash-pay/super-bill setups. Instead, we are an insurance-based private practice committed to meaningful, long-term therapy that promotes true healing and change. We believe therapy should remain accessible to clients who use their health insurance benefits.
At Talk Therapy Center, We
- Value each other as professionals
- Support each other’s growth
- Therapists match themselves with the right clients so they can do their best work
- Maintain a strong, vibrant, and healthy workplace culture
We are a group practice based in Riverside, CA offering individual, couples, family, and group therapy both in-person and via telehealth. We also have offices in Murrieta and Corona to help our local team find a nearby office to call home. Most of our clients are low-acuity individuals referred through insurance networks for treatment of adjustment disorders, depression, and anxiety.
Job Overview
Important Employment Structure (Please Read Carefully)
Associate therapists begin in a W-2 fee-for-service role while building their caseload. Once clinicians consistently maintain a minimum average of 25 conducted sessions per week, they become eligible for transition into our full-time benefited compensation structure.
Clinical Session Requirement
Minimum of 25 therapy sessions per week (each 60 minutes) in order to transition into the full-time role.
Reminder: Associates remain in the Piece Rate Worker status until they reach and maintain this caseload threshold and are formally offered a full-time benefits-eligible position.
Work Schedule & Pay (Upon Full-Time Transition)
Full-time: 40 hours per week
Hourly Compensation (includes all hours worked, clinical, non-clinical, and supervision): $19.10 – $23.10 per hour
Example: At $21.10/hour, annual hourly compensation = $43,888
Productivity Pay - Clinical Sessions
Session Compensation: $16.90 per session for the first 25 weekly sessions
Example: $16.90/session x 25 sessions/week = $21,970/year in Session Compensation. At 25 conducted sessions per week, combined hourly and session compensation totals $65,858 annually. (See Bonus Session Compensation Below).
Bonus Session Compensation: $55 per session for all sessions above the 25 conducted session weekly average.
Example: A therapist conducts an average of 26 sessions per week for the year. 52 Bonus sessions x $55 = $2,860. An average of 27 sessions increases that amount to $5,720.
Therapists who choose to average 30 sessions per week would increase their Bonus Session Compensation to $14,300, bringing total annual earnings to $80,158.
Some therapists are able to see over 30 sessions per week without personal impact, but we do ask therapists to consider their health prior to committing to the baseline session requirement.*
Important Rule
Bonus eligibility is evaluated based on average sessions conducted within the applicable payroll measurement period.
Earning Examples (Once Full-Time Status is Achieved)
25 sessions/week average
- Hourly Compensation: $43,888/year
- Session Compensation: $21,970/year
- Total: $65,858/year
30 sessions/week average
- Hourly Compensation: $43,888/year
- Session Compensation: $21,970/year
- Bonus Session Compensation: $14,300/year
- Total: $80,158/year
Benefits (Full-Time Status Only)
Benefits begin upon transition to full-time
Opted-in insurance coverage begins the 1st of the following month
401(k) matching and profit sharing available after 12 months and 1,000 hours worked
Flexible Paid Time Off: Therapists receive flexible paid time equivalent to approximately 17 days (85 sessions) per year. This session-based model replaces traditional vacation and holiday pay and reflects the self-scheduled nature of the role, allowing therapists to choose when and how to take time off, including holidays.
California Paid Sick Leave: Therapists working in California are eligible for paid sick leave in accordance with state law. This benefit is provided separately from Flexible Paid Time and may be used for qualifying health-related needs. Sick leave accrues at 1 hour per 30 hours worked, up to 80 hours per year, per California law.
Piece Rate Workers (Position at Onboarding)
Also known as: W-2 Per Diem / Fee-for-Service
Pay
$48–$55 per conducted session/clinical hour
$16.90 for non-clinical/administrative work (i. e., supervision, onboarding, etc.)
Description
- Availability to conduct a minimum of 8 sessions per week required (often requires 9-12 hours of availability to schedule sessions and attend supervision)
- Flexible schedule – Provide availability to see sessions when you are available.
- Supervision – Consistently scheduled weekly supervision provided.
- California Paid Sick Leave: Therapists working in California are eligible for paid sick leave in accordance with state law. This benefit is provided separately from Flexible Paid Time and may be used for qualifying health-related needs. Sick leave accrues at 1 hour per 30 hours worked, up to 80 hours per year, per California law.
Key Responsibilities
Provide individual, couples, family, and group therapy to clients with low-acuity conditions such as depression and anxiety. Build and maintain a clinical caseload while participating in weekly supervision and administrative tasks.
Requirements
Must be an Associate Therapist (AMFT, ACSW, or APCC) eligible to practice in California. Requires the ability to eventually maintain a minimum of 25 therapy sessions per week to transition to full-time status.
Key Skills
Work-Life Balance Analysis
WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Associate Therapist (AMFT / ACSW / APCC) – Corona & Murrieta at FAMILY TALK THERAPY CENTER 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 remote work flexibility.
Counselor Career Context
Family TALK Therapy Center holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 76/100, 3 active listings.
Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 66% are remote, 34% have no call, 58% require no weekends — this position is remote.
The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$73k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $65k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
Top Counselor Jobs
41 matches · ranked by paySalary Distribution41 jobs · 27 employers
Annual compensation range
Benefits & Perks34 jobs · 27 employers
Share of similar jobs offering each benefit
Clinical Director - LMFT, LCSW, LPCC
Seneca Family of Agencies · Salinas, California
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT, LPC, LCSW)
LifeStance Health · Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Licensed Therapist-IBH - Comprehensive Care Center
$104k-$123kLicensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
$115k-$120k