Thompson Child & Family Focus logo
Thompson Child & Family Focus
Asheville, North Carolina · Hybrid

Independent Contractor - Therapist

Counselor / TherapistContract

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Get to know Thompson!

Thompson was founded in 1886 as an orphanage and has grown into an organization operating across the Carolinas, Florida Tennessee and Kentucky. Thompson’s continuum of care encompasses three domains: prevention, mental health services and foster care.

All Thompson programs are trauma-informed and evidence-based/evidence-informed with the intention of building resilience in our clients (ages 0-18) and their families, both virtually and in person. Our values are Excellence, Innovation, Commitment, Caring and Integrity.

WHAT WILL YOU DO AS AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR - IAFT THERAPIST?

As an Independent Contractor IAFT (Intensive Alternative Family Treatment) Therapist, you will provide child-centered, trauma-informed, family-focused clinical services to children and youth participating in Thompson’s Intensive Alternative Family Treatment program. You will provide therapy, support treatment planning and crisis response, engage families and permanency resources, and collaborate with Treatment Parents and the multidisciplinary IAFT team.

Provide individual, family, and conjoint therapy to assigned children, youth, and families.

Complete or contribute to clinical assessments, Person-Centered Plans, crisis plans, transition plans, and discharge plans.

Collaborate with families, Treatment Parents, legal guardians, schools, healthcare providers, care managers, and community partners.

Participate in IAFT team staffing's, Child and Family Team meetings, psychiatric consultation, and other treatment-related meetings.

Support risk assessment, crisis intervention, safety planning, stabilization, and clinical follow-up within your professional scope.

Complete timely, accurate documentation that meets payer, licensing, regulatory, Thompson, and IAFT fidelity requirements.

A Typical Schedule

Contractors manage their schedules independently while remaining responsive to the needs of children, youth, families, and caregivers. Services may be delivered in homes, schools, offices, community settings, or through an approved virtual or hybrid model. Some evening availability, travel within the assigned service area, and designated crisis-response coverage may be required.

Minimum Qualifications/Requirements

Master’s degree in social work, counseling, psychology, marriage and family therapy, or another approved behavioral health field.

Current North Carolina professional or associate-level clinical license. Eligible credentials may include LCSW, LCSWA, LCMHC, LCMHCA, LMFT, LMFTA, or LPA.

Experience providing clinical services to children, adolescents, and families. Therapeutic foster care, child welfare, community mental health, or intensive family-centered experience is preferred.

Strong clinical judgment, time management, communication, collaboration, and documentation skills.

Valid North Carolina driver’s license, reliable transportation, and required automobile insurance when travel is necessary.

Ready to Make a Difference?

Apply to join Thompson’s IAFT team and help children and families build safety, connection, and hope.

Thompson Child & Family Focus provides equal employment opportunities in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local law.

Key Responsibilities

Provide child-centered, trauma-informed clinical services including individual and family therapy to youth in the IAFT program. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders to develop and implement treatment, crisis, and discharge plans.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Clinical therapyTrauma-informed careIndividual therapyClinical assessmentCase management

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 54% are remote, 32% have no call, 62% require no weekends — this position is remote.

The cost-of-living index for North Carolina is 94.3 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 59.2% of North Carolina clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedMental Health Therapy median $62k (middle half $60k–$65k)11 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingNorth Carolina index 94.3US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in North Carolina267 active7,495 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingremotepeers: 54% remote · 32% no call · 62% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedNorth Carolina counselor listings (all specialties): 14% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 15% offer loan repayment467 active listings, Nov 2026
New Mental Health Therapy listings2,629 in the last 30 days1,389 the 30 days before (+89%)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.

Top contract/1099 Counselor Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

46 jobs · 37 employers
25
<$80k
10
$80k-105k
3
$105k-130k
8
$130k-155k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

33 jobs
401k / retirement match
88%
CME allowance
24%
Sign-on bonus
21%
Loan repayment
9%
PSLF eligible
9%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Mental Health Therapist

LifeStance Health · Lake Oswego, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#2

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

LifeStance Health · West Linn, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#3

Mental Health Clinician (LCSW or LMFT), Suicide Risk and Assessment (ASSIST Program)

$59.42-$66.62/hr
#4

Remote Licensed Mental Health Therapist

$66/hr
+ 48 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 7,454 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Hybrid
  • Remote
Thompson Child & Family Focus logo

About Thompson Child & Family Focus

Individual and Family Services
Matthews, NC
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

Flexible Schedule
Hybrid/Remote Options