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Sanford Health
Fargo, North Dakota

Behavioral Health Therapist or Counselor | Eating Disorders

CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$28-$46.5/hr

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 2h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland.

Work Shift

8 Hours - Day Shifts (United States of America)

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Compensation

Salary Range: $28.00 - $46.50 Sign-On Bonus Available!

Union Position

No

Department Details

Join our Compassionate, Multidisciplinary Eating Disorders Team!

Be part of a dedicated team committed to helping individuals build healthier relationships with food, body image, and overall well-being. Our Eating Disorders program delivers comprehensive, evidence-based care to adults and adolescents (ages 12 and older) experiencing anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and related conditions.

In this therapist role, you will work within a dynamic, patient-centered care model alongside a highly skilled, collaborative team of professionals. Therapists support both inpatient and Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) levels of care, typically managing a caseload of approximately 6–8 patients when programs are at capacity.

Responsibilities include conducting individual therapy sessions, facilitating group therapy, and providing family-based therapy for adolescent patients. This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact by supporting individuals and their families as they navigate complex behavioral health challenges and progress toward recovery.

Summary

The Behavioral Health Counselor requires a broad, yet solid, understanding of human behavior and theories of counseling. May work with a wide range of patient populations and presenting issues, requiring a foundation in a variety of treatment modalities. This role is a team-based role where responsibility for patient well-being is diffused among the treatment team and the overall responsibility lies with a clinical supervisor or admitting provider.

Job Description

Behavioral Health Therapist

The Behavioral Health Therapist provides diagnostic assessment, onsite crisis assessment and intervention, and determines need for ongoing care according to level of clinical ability, medical, and psychosocial complexity. Develops treatment plans and implements treatment interventions specific to patient needs.

Continually assesses patient's progress and revises diagnosis(es), treatment plans, and interventions accordingly. Documents treatment sessions. Provides patient progress updates to interdisciplinary team, as needed. May educate patient support members about patient issues and interventions.

May refer for additional clinical services or to specialists, as needed. Must stay current on emerging issues in the profession.

  • The Behavioral Health Therapist may work in a variety of settings, with duties varying by setting:
  • In a clinic setting (other than primary care), the Behavioral Health Therapist conducts scheduled face-to-face therapy sessions designed to assess and improve patient's emotional, mental, and behavioral health.

Behavioral Health Counselor

The Behavioral Health Counselor assesses patient needs, may diagnose disorders, develops treatment plans, and implements treatment interventions specific to patient needs. Continually assesses patient's progress and revises treatment plans and interventions accordingly. Documents treatment sessions.

Provides patient progress updates to interdisciplinary team, as needed. May educate patient support members about patient issues and interventions. May refer for additional clinical services or to specialists, as needed. Must stay current on emerging issues in the profession.

The Behavioral Health Counselor may work in a variety of settings, with duties varying by setting:

In a clinic setting (other than primary care), the Behavioral Health Counselor conducts scheduled face-to-face counseling sessions designed to assess and improve patient's emotional, mental, and behavioral health.

Qualifications

Master's degree in Counseling, Social Work, Psychology, or related Behavioral Health Sciences required; graduation from an accredited school preferred.

License must be in good standing in state(s) of practice.

In Iowa, must have one of the following: Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) Licensed Master's of Social Worker (LMSW) Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) In Minnesota, must have the following: Intermediary license required (LGSW, LAMFT, LPC) OR Seeking LPCC or LMFT licensure tracks and meet criteria for Clinical Trainee In North Dakota, must have one of the following: Licensed Associate Professional Counselor (LAPC) Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) In South Dakota, must have one of the following: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Licensed Professional Counselor - Mental Health (LPC-MH) Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) Certified Social Worker (CSW) Certified Social Worker - Private or Independent Practice (CSW-PIP) In Wisconsin, must have one of the following: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Advanced Practice Social Worker (APSW) Licensed Professional Counselor - In Training (LPC-IT) obtained within 90 days of hire If hired prior to January 1, 2013, in lieu of licensure, a master’s degree in counseling was acceptable.

In some states, will consider candidates seeking licensure by reciprocity in instances where obtaining licensure in the state of practice can be accomplished within 90 days of hire.

This will require the candidate to review and compare their current state issued license to practice with regulations for the practice of clinical social work/professional counseling in the state of practice and ensure that timely acquisition of licensure is possible based on comparisons of statutes, educational, and clinical requirements.

Exceptionally qualified new graduates in the process of obtaining license appropriate to education will be considered with evidence demonstrating experience and exposure to behavioral health. Non-licensed candidates must provide documentation that they are in the process of obtaining appropriate license.

If applicable to position, may be required to possess a valid class D driver's license and auto insurance. If class D driver’s license is required, must maintain a good driving record and have access to personal vehicle and willingness to use the vehicle in carrying out position responsibilities.

Sanford is an EEO/AA Employer M/F/Disability/Vet.

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation for help with your online application, please call 1-877-949-5678 or send an email to talent@sanfordhealth.org.

Key Responsibilities

The therapist conducts diagnostic assessments, develops treatment plans, and provides individual, group, and family therapy for patients with eating disorders. They also collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to monitor patient progress and ensure high-quality, evidence-based care.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Behavioral health therapyCrisis interventionTreatment planningEating disorders treatmentEvidence-based practiceClinical documentationInterdisciplinary collaborationPsychosocial assessmentMental health counseling

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 56% are remote, 20% have no call, 72% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is down 2.7% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for North Dakota is 89.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$77k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $87k in an average-cost state. 58.8% of North Dakota clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

36 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution36 jobs · 19 employers

11
<$75k
2
$75k-90k
4
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4
$105k-120k
15
$120k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks34 jobs · 19 employers

401k / retirement match
94%
Sign-on bonus
24% this job
CME allowance
21%
Loan repayment
12%
PSLF eligible
6%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.3this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,853 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Fargo

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$295k
Typical market rent
$1,079/mo
Residents’ average commute
16 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
90.9
State income tax
Up to 2.9%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Fargo, ND-MN metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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