AKUA Behavioral Health logo
AKUA Behavioral Health
San Diego, California

Associate Therapist

Counselor / TherapistNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$32-$35/hr

The week · per this posting · Tuesday – Saturday

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

Posted 36m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Position: Associate Therapist

Type: Full-Time, Non-Exempt, Hourly

Compensation

Base Salary: $32 - $35/hour (Associate)

Shift: Tuesday-Saturday (8:30am-5:00pm)

Benefits

  • Free Clinical Supervision (Hours Towards Licensing)
  • Health Insurance: Medical, Vision, Dental
  • Paid Time Off: Sick, Vacation, Paid Holidays
  • Equity Shares

Job Description

We seek an Associate Therapist (ASW/AMFT/APCC) to join our dedicated team and provide our clients mental health and substance abuse treatment. The Therapist position is crucial in helping clients achieve lasting recovery through individual and group therapy, treatment planning, assessments, and crisis intervention. The Therapist will receive Clinical Supervision in a fast paced, high learning environment.

Key Responsibilities

Individual Therapy: Conduct comprehensive assessments, develop individualized treatment plans, and provide evidence-based therapy to address substance use disorders, co-occurring mental health issues, and trauma.

Group Therapy: Facilitate psychoeducational and process-oriented groups to foster peer support, skill development, and relapse prevention.

Care Coordination: Collaborate with multidisciplinary team members to coordinate care, advocate for clients' needs, and ensure continuity of treatment.

Utilization Review: We conduct clinical updates to assess the client’s treatment and service utilization progress and establish medical necessity for our insurance partners.

Crisis Intervention: Provide immediate support and resources during emotional or behavioral crises, ensuring client safety and well-being.

Documentation: We maintain accurate and timely clinical records in accordance with ethical and legal guidelines, including timely clinical updates for our insurance partners.

Professional Development: Participate in ongoing training, supervision, and consultation to enhance clinical skills and knowledge.

Qualifications & Skills

Education

Master's degree in social work (MSW), counseling psychology (MA/MSc), clinical psychology (MA/MSc), or relevant field.

Licensure: Registered Associate (ASW/AMFT/APCC) in California.

Experience

Minimum of one year of experience providing direct clinical services to individuals with substance use disorders and/or mental health disorders.

Skills

Strong clinical assessment, treatment planning, and therapy skills; excellent communication and interpersonal skills; ability to work effectively in a team setting.

Additional Requirements

  • Must be able to pass a background check and drug screening
  • Current CPR/First Aid Certification (Required)
  • Valid CA Driver's License
  • Current Health Screen (Required)
  • TB Clearance (Required)
  • Ability to communicate with compassion and empathy
  • Strong ability to manage time and prioritize tasks

Company Description

Akua Behavioral Health is California’s leading mental health and substance abuse treatment center.

We provide our clients with individualized, compassionate treatment and offer various levels of care from Master’s and Doctorate level clinicians at fully licensed and accredited facilities throughout Northern and Southern California.

To give our clients the best chance at lasting recovery, we pioneered an integrative East-meets-West approach that combines Western evidence-based treatment with holistic Eastern traditions to treat the mind, body, and spirit.

Our mission is to create an environment of healing and transformation for each client seeking change.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree in a relevant field and possess a current California registration as an ASW, AMFT, or APCC. A minimum of one year of experience in clinical services for substance use or mental health disorders is required, along with CPR/First Aid certification.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Mental Health TreatmentTime ManagementTrauma-informed Care

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 62% are remote, 28% have no call, 66% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is down 2.6% vs. the prior quarter (through Oct 2026).

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$67k–$73kMental Health Therapy median $69k (middle half $64k–$76k)38 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$63k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in California579 active7,902 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 62% remote · 28% no call · 66% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia Counselor listings: 11% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 10% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Mental Health Therapy listings2,526 in the last 30 days1,434 the 30 days before (+76%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Mental Health Therapy pay trend−2.6% 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

36 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

36 jobs · 30 employers
6
<$85k
8
$85k-100k
13
$100k-115k
9
$115k-130k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

26 jobs
401k / retirement match
96%
Sign-on bonus
42%
CME allowance
35%
Loan repayment
15%
PSLF eligible
12%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

MCRT Licensed Team Lead LCSW LMFT LPCC - Mental Health 396

Telecare · San Diego, California

$103k-$128k
#2

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist - LICSW - LPCC - LMFT

LifeStance Health · Saint Louis Park, Minnesota

$74k-$126k
#3

Clinical Director - LMFT, LCSW, LPCC

$112k-$126k
#4

Licensed Therapist-IBH - Comprehensive Care Center

$104k-$123k
+ 34 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 3.9
Better work-life than 30% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,900 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
AKUA Behavioral Health logo

About AKUA Behavioral Health

Health, Wellness & Fitness
Newport Beach, California
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Free Clinical Supervision
Health Insurance: Medical, Vision, Dental
Paid Time Off: Sick, Vacation, Paid Holidays
Equity Shares

Living in San Diego

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.00M
Typical market rent
$3,004/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.