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Stella Mental Health
Los Angeles, California · Hybrid

Associate Therapist-Hybrid (Los Angeles/Santa Monica, California)

Counselor / TherapistNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$33-$35/hr

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

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

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Associate Therapist - Hybrid (Los Angeles, California)

Full-Time Associate Therapist (AMFT / ACSW / APCC) – Psychotherapist

Hybrid Role — Twos day per week are in person at our Downtown Los Angeles Office or our Encinitas (North County San Diego) office; Three days per week is Virtual

The Role

We are looking for a pre-licensed therapist who is passionate about individual therapy and drawn to working with adults facing complex mental health challenges within a collaborative interdisciplinary treatment team.

The role is particularly well suited for Associates in the earlier stages of accumulating supervised clinical hours who want to deepen their clinical skills and grow with the team over time

Job Responsibilities

Focus of Work

  • Predominantly providing individual psychotherapy with adults
  • Some group, couples, or family therapy as part of our Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program

Supporting patients in integrating experiences from interventional psychiatry treatments into their lives and ongoing treatment.

Working with patients have complex trauma histories, treatment-resistant depression, and/or multiple co-occurring conditions.

  • The typical 40-hour work week includes (numbers are approximate and may shift depending on patient needs):
  • 25 hours: Client-facing work, primarily individual therapy, with occasional group, couples, or family sessions
  • 8 hours: Clinical documentation and treatment planning
  • 7 hours: Team consultation, individual supervision, and group supervision
  • The required hours for this role are 11am - 7pm Pacific time (Monday - Friday)

Who We Are Looking For

Successful candidates typically demonstrate six main qualities:

Passion for Individual Therapy

They enjoy doing individual therapy and want a role centered around individual clinical work.

Clinical Maturity

They work thoughtfully in a trauma-informed, culturally attuned way with adults who have complex histories and co-morbidities.

Warmth and Collegiality

They bring deep empathy to patient care and contribute positively to the clinical team.

Ability to Work Independently While Knowing When to Seek Support

They autonomously manage their schedules, communicate directly with patients, and take ownership of their client care, while also proactively seeking consultation or guidance from the team when needed

Confidence in Clinical Discussions

They contribute their clinical perspectives during team consultations and are open to feedback from the team.

Willingness to Explore Countertransference

They reflect on their reactions to patients and explore how those responses may inform their clinical work. They value ongoing self-reflection and personal growth as part of developing as a therapist.

  • Professional Qualifications
  • Registered AMFT, ACSW, or APCC in California
  • Experience providing psychotherapy to adults in outpatient or similar clinical settings
  • Expertise in evidence-based practices such as CBT, ACT, or DBT
  • Clinical experience or training in trauma informed modalities such as IFS, EMDR, or Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

What We Offer

  • Full-time employment (40 hours per week) — compensation is not limited to clinical hours
  • Competitive compensation for pre-licensed therapists
  • Benefits package, including health insurance
  • Steady flow of patients provided by Stella — therapists do not need to market or find their own clients
  • Substantial supervised hours toward licensure
  • Clinical supervision from experienced therapists and collaboration with psychiatrists

Interdisciplinary Case Discussions with the Treatment Team

Supportive Stella team: We recognize that working with patients who have significant mental health challenges can be demanding. Our team values consultation and collaboration so therapists are not carrying difficult cases alone.

We take care in selecting clinicians who are thoughtful about their work and committed to providing high-quality psychotherapy.

At Stella, we believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential values that enrich our work environment and enhance our ability to serve diverse communities. We strive to integrate these values into every aspect of our organization, from hiring and training to policies and practices. Our vision is to be a leader in delivering patient-centered care that respects and celebrates diversity, promotes equity and inclusion, and improves health outcomes for all.

Key Responsibilities

Provide individual psychotherapy to adults with complex mental health challenges and participate in interdisciplinary treatment team meetings. Manage clinical documentation, treatment planning, and engage in group, couples, or family therapy sessions as part of the virtual intensive outpatient program.

Requirements

Must be a registered AMFT, ACSW, or APCC in California with experience in outpatient clinical settings. Proficiency in evidence-based practices such as CBT, ACT, or DBT and trauma-informed modalities is required.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Trauma-informed careCrisis interventionInterdisciplinary collaborationMental health assessment

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Associate Therapist-Hybrid (Los Angeles/Santa Monica, California) at Stella Mental Health a 6.4 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) — ranked against 7,891 active Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements, remote work flexibility.

Counselor Career Context

Stella Mental Health holds silver-tier status on WeekdayDoc's Top Employers work-life index, composite score 74/100, 6 active listings.

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 62% are remote, 22% have no call, 64% require no weekends — this position is remote.

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score6.4 / 10 · above average in mental health therapy (counseling)ranked against 7,891 Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$69k–$73kMental Health Therapy median $73k (middle half $61k–$107k)42 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$64k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in California598 active7,960 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingremotepeers: 62% remote · 22% no call · 64% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Stella Mental Healthsilver tier, 74/100Top Employers work-life index6 active listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (7,891 Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings), Top Employers work-life index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Counselor Jobs

38 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

38 jobs · 27 employers
13
<$95k
9
$95k-110k
8
$110k-125k
7
$125k-140k
1
$141k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

28 jobs · 27 employers
401k / retirement match
89%
CME allowance
46%
Sign-on bonus
43%
Loan repayment
11%
PSLF eligible
7%

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 6.4
Better work-life than 60% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,891 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
  • Hybrid
  • Remote
Stella Mental Health logo

About Stella Mental Health

Mental Health Care
Westmont, Ilinois
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Clinical Supervision
Steady Patient Flow
Interdisciplinary Team