Lightfully Behavioral Health logo
Lightfully Behavioral Health
Los Angeles, California

Primary Therapist (Adult Outpatient Program)

Counselor / TherapistNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$72k-$91k

The week · per this posting · Tuesday – Saturday

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

Posted 14m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Lightfully Behavioral Health is a growing leader in mental health treatment providing high-quality, evidence-based treatment and innovative, compassionate care focused on total wellness for those struggling with mental health conditions.

Lightfully provides treatment on a full continuum of care including residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and virtual services. With current communities providing best-in-class care in Southern California markets, Lightfully is positioned for dynamic and high-paced growth.

Welcome to a behavioral health services company unlike those that have come before it. One where leaders believe in the healing and nourishing quality of compassion both in treating clients and caring for our people.

A safe place to bring your whole self to work and infuse a bit of your own magic into what you do every day. The Lightfully Shining Commitments reflect our commitment to these principles and encourages our staff to deliver exceptional performance through their authenticity, bravery, and grit. We believe that great things can happen when we create space for people to light fully.

Job Summary

We are looking for a Primary Therapist for a full-time 5 days/week schedule: Tuesday-Saturday approx. 8:30am-4:30pm. Reporting to the Director of Clinical Operations, the Primary Therapist delivers clinical services to clients and their families; works as part of a multi-disciplinary team; provides appropriate documentation of services; provides case management; participates in training and supervision; collaborates with outreach and admissions teams; and provides milieu support.

Major Responsibilities

  • Upholds and maintains the Company, mission, and values (called the Lightfully “Shining Commitments”).
  • Delivers clinical services to clients with mental health disorders and their families:

Performs, interprets, and provides feedback to clients on various assessments relevant to mental health treatment (e. g., psychosocial assessment, suicide risk assessment, etc.)

Provides individual therapy sessions for clients, utilizing appropriate interventions adapted to the needs of the client.

  • Delivers group therapy sessions consistent with training and areas of expertise.
  • Provides family therapy sessions to clients and their families utilizing evidence-based family interventions specific to the needs of the client and the family.
  • Conducts treatment planning utilizing Integrated Process Based Therapy (PBT).

Works as Part of a Multidisciplinary Team

  • Participates in weekly treatment team meetings.
  • Collaborates and consults with members of the treatment team to provide continuity of care.

Provides Appropriate Documentation of Services

Completes appropriate and thorough documentation within established time frames, including progress notes for individual and family sessions, weekly therapy assessments, treatment plans, and discharge summaries.

Participates in self and peer audits of documentation to ensure compliance with licensure and accreditation standards.

Provides Case Management

In collaboration with the case manager, communicates with outpatient team to provide updates on client progress and to provide continuity of care.

In collaboration with the case manager, communicates with client’s family to provide education and provide updates on client progress.

Provides appropriate updates to Utilization Review Specialists to manage client’s coverage for services; Performs Peer to Peer reviews as needed.

Participates in Training and Supervision

Receives supervision from leaders as required based on training and licensure.

Provides supervision for staff as appropriate (e. g., Client Care Techs, interns).

  • Attends weekly trainings and individual/group supervisions as assigned.
  • Provides training and orientation to new staff.

Maintains knowledge of mental health as it relates to mental health disorders through methods such as reviewing literature and research, consulting with clinical experts within the field, evaluating clinical practice and participating in professional development activities to improve care through new practices.

Collaborates with Outreach and Admissions Teams

Provides trainings and workshops in the community and for other providers based on areas of specialization and expertise.

Speaks with potential admissions and their families as appropriate.

Provides Milieu Support

Assists client care techs in providing observations for clients, managing milieu conflict, and supporting clients.

  • Provides crisis stabilization for clients in the milieu who may become de-escalated.
  • Provides “check-ins” with clients as needed based on the needs of the client and the appropriateness of the check-in.
  • Performs other duties, as assigned.

Specific Skills/Competencies

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or similar software.

General Skills and Requirements

  • Able to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing.
  • Able to work for prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

In Keeping with DSS Regulations, This Position

  • Must be at least 18 years of age
  • Complete First Aid Training (First Aid Certificate)
  • Complete required health screening, TB clearance, Criminal Record Clearance

Qualifications

  • Master's Degree in Counseling-related field, required.
  • Full licensure preferred; provisional (Associate) licensed accepted.
  • 1+ years of related experience, preferred.
  • The pay range for this position is $72,000-$91,000 annually.

At Lightfully, we believe in caring for our team as much as we care for our clients. We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your well-being, growth, and work-life balance. Our benefits for full-time employees include:

  • Competitive compensation
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Self-care days
  • 401(k) plan
  • Continuing education and professional development opportunities
  • Employee assistance program (EAP)
  • A supportive, mission-driven culture that values authenticity, connection, and integrity

Key Responsibilities

The Primary Therapist delivers evidence-based clinical services, including individual, group, and family therapy, while collaborating with a multidisciplinary team. They are also responsible for maintaining accurate clinical documentation, performing case management, and providing milieu support to ensure continuity of care.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Primary Therapist (Adult Outpatient Program) at Lightfully Behavioral Health 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 no weekend requirements.

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 60% are remote, 22% have no call, 66% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is down 2.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Oct 2026).

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$72k–$91kMental Health Therapy median $88k (middle half $76k–$112k)42 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$74k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Mental Health Therapy listings in California592 active7,934 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 60% remote · 22% no call · 66% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia Counselor listings: 12% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 9% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Mental Health Therapy listings2,572 in the last 30 days1,547 the 30 days before (+66%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Mental Health Therapy pay trend−2.5% 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.

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Salary Distribution

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10
<$95k
17
$95k-115k
8
$115k-135k
3
$135k-155k
1
$155k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

29 jobs
401k / retirement match
100% this job
CME allowance
48% this job
Sign-on bonus
45%
Loan repayment
14%
PSLF eligible
7%

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 6.0
Better work-life than 50% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,846 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends
Lightfully Behavioral Health logo

About Lightfully Behavioral Health

Mental Health Care
Thousand Oaks, California
51-200 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Paid time off
Self-care days
401(k) plan
Continuing education and professional development opportunities
Employee assistance program (EAP)

Living in Los Angeles

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$922k≈ 12.8× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,772/mo≈ 46% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
31 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
113.6
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 · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.