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Embark Behavioral Health
Alexandria, Virginia

Weekend Mental Health Therapist (Part-Time)

Counselor / TherapistIncludes weekendsPart-Time

Listed compensation

$40-$50/hr

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 1 day ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Part-Time Weekends (Group Therapist)
  • Hourly: $40.00 - $50.00 per hour (DOE)
  • Location: 7809 Schelhorn Rd, Alexandria VA 23306
  • Schedule: 4-hour shift Saturday and Sunday, YOU choose the time!
  • PRN Shifts: Option to pick up hours during the week to run additional groups as needed.

Are you ready to create joy and heal generations? Embark Behavioral Health adolescent residential treatment center in Alexandria, VA, is looking for licensed therapists to lead weekend group sessions that make a real impact.

As Licensed Mental Health Therapist, you’ll collaborate with your team to discuss client progress and strategies, primarily assist in group therapy sessions at our short-term residential home.

You will utilize relational and systemic modalities, along with experiential therapy to create a holistic approach that supports clients in processing emotions, strengthening relationships, and developing effective coping strategies.

End each day by documenting progress and planning for the next day, knowing you've made a meaningful impact.

Responsibilities

  • Conduct one group therapy session and attend Nurse group therapy sessions.
  • Ensure compliance with treatment standards through required notes and MTP
  • Meet program goals through outcomes testing and standards
  • Collaborate with an experienced clinical team for best client outcomes

Qualifications

Minimum master's Degree in Behavioral Sciences - Social Work (MSW,) Clinical Social Work (CSW,) Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) or a related discipline.

  • Active Virginia licensure or eligibility for one of the following:
  • Licensed: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical Psychologist (LCP).
  • Associate: Resident in Counseling (RIC), Supervisee in Social Work (SSW).
  • Strong clinical skills with a commitment to evidence-based practices, preferred
  • Passion for counseling teens and young adults struggling with mental health issues
  • Ability to incorporate clinical diagnostic and assessment instruments to monitor client progress and treatment outcomes
  • Experience in residential settings and relational, experiential, and systemic modalities, preferred

Benefits

Embark is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Embark is committed to enriching the therapeutic and healing experience it offers through the diversity of its employees and community. Embark seeks to recruit and support a broadly diverse staff who will contribute to the organization's excellence, diversity of viewpoints and experiences, and relevance in a global society.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Clinical documentationMental health assessmentAdolescent counselingRelational modalitiesTreatment planningCrisis interventionDiagnostic assessment

Counselor Career Context

In Virginia, the Mental Health Therapy weighted monthly median benchmark on WeekdayDoc is ~$81k (159 salary observations; 559 listings), vs ~$74k nationally (5,791 salary observations; 23,259 listings). Monthly aggregates cover 2025-12-01 through 2026-11-01; these are not the modal's selected comparable-job medians.

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 44% are remote, 18% have no call, 62% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$83k–$104kMental Health Therapy median $71k (middle half $64k–$80k)14 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Virginia vs national$81k median in Virginia$74k nationally (+9%)159 state / 5,791 national salary observations
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$93k in purchasing powerVirginia index 101.1 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in Virginia265 active7,579 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 44% remote · 18% no call · 62% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedVirginia counselor listings (all specialties): 16% state a sign-on bonus (median $2k) · 12% offer loan repayment417 active listings, Nov 2026
New Mental Health Therapy listings2,476 in the last 30 days1,365 the 30 days before (+81%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Mental Health Therapy pay trend−1.8% vs prior quarter—through Oct 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.

Top Counselor Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

21 jobs
12
<$70k
6
$70k-90k
0
$90k-110k
3
$110k-130k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

27 jobs
401k / retirement match
81%
CME allowance
52%
Loan repayment
33%
PSLF eligible
22%
Sign-on bonus
15%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Outpatient Therapist TF-CBT

Northeast Family Services · New Rochelle, New York

$70-$100/hr
#2

Outpatient Therapist TF-CBT

Northeast Family Services · Bronx, New York

$70-$100/hr
#3

Part Time Remote Group Therapist - California Licensed

$62-$96/hr
#4

Part Time Remote Group Therapist - Texas Licensed

$62-$96/hr
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 4.8
Better work-life than 40% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,558 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
  • Includes weekends
Embark Behavioral Health logo

About Embark Behavioral Health

Mental Health Care
Chandler, Arizona
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Choose your own weekend hours
PRN shifts available during week

Living in Alexandria

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$700k
Typical market rent
$2,275/mo
Residents’ average commute
28 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
108.9
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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