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Sentara Health
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Behavioral Health Therapist

CounselorIncludes callPart-Time

Listed compensation

$55k-$89k

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 58m ago · Verified live

Job Description

City/State

Virginia Beach, VA

Work Shift

First (Days)

Overview

Overview

The Behavioral Health Therapist assesses the social, psychological, cultural, environmental, and financial situation, as well as disposition needs, for each assigned patient. Collaborates with patients, families, healthcare team members, and community agencies to develop and implement plans to address identified needs. Evaluates effectiveness of plans and initiates change as needed.

Anticipated Hours: 16 hours/week (Two 8-hour shifts)

Education

Master's Level Degree in Counseling, Psychology, Social Work or related field (Required)

For Master's in Counseling eligibility to be registered with the State as a resident in counseling is preferred

Certification/Licensure

Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification (Required within 90 days of hire)

Certification in Addiction, Screening Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) (Preferred)

Experience

  • Prior related experience (Preferred)
  • Prior acute psychiatric, hospital or inpatient psych experience (Strongly Preferred)

Keywords: Mental Health, MHA, clinical support, clinical, direct care, indirect care, technical, nursing care, nursing support, therapy, behavioral health, social work

We provide market-competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives, and benefits. The base pay range for full-time employment is $55,120.00 - $88,649.60 annually.

Additional compensation may be available for this role, such as shift differentials, on-call pay, shift premiums, extra-shift incentives, or bonus opportunities. Compensation within the range may vary based on qualifications, experience, location, market conditions, and business needs.

Note: If an annual salary is posted, it is based on a full-time colleague working 2,080 hours annually.

Sentara offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance; 401(k)/403(b) with employer match; paid time off (vacation, sick time, and holidays); paid parental and military leave; educational assistance or student loan repayment; and voluntary benefits.

Benefits: Caring For Your Family and Your Career

  • Medical, Dental, Vision plans
  • Adoption, Fertility and Surrogacy Reimbursement up to $10,000
  • Paid Time Off and Sick Leave
  • Paid Parental & Family Caregiver Leave
  • Emergency Backup Care
  • Long-Term, Short-Term Disability, and Critical Illness plans
  • Life Insurance
  • 401k/403B with Employer Match
  • Tuition Assistance – $5,250/year and discounted educational opportunities through Guild Education
  • Student Debt Pay Down – $10,000
  • Pet Insurance
  • Legal Resources Plan
  • Colleagues have the opportunity to earn an annual discretionary bonus if established system and employee eligibility criteria is met.

Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, located in Virginia Beach, VA, is home to the region’s only Level III Trauma Center. Our 273-bed facility has a long history of commitment to our communities of Virginia Beach, Eastern Shore, and Northeastern North Carolina, offering specialized tertiary services as well as many advanced clinical services. We are located just 15 minutes from VA Beach Town Center and just a few minutes to the Oceanfront.

As a recognized accredited Primary Stroke Center, and Magnet hospital for nursing excellence, our hospital specializes in heart, vascular, neuroscience, neurosurgery, orthopedics and spine care, cancer care, advanced imaging, and behavioral health.

Sentara Health is an equal opportunity employer and prides itself on the diversity and inclusiveness of its close to an almost 30,000-member workforce. Diversity, inclusion, and belonging is a guiding principle of the organization to ensure its workforce reflects the communities it serves.

In support of our mission “to improve health every day,” this is a tobacco-free environment.

For positions that are available as remote work, Sentara Health employs associates in the following states:

Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Key Responsibilities

The therapist assesses the social, psychological, and environmental needs of patients to develop and implement effective treatment plans. They collaborate with families and healthcare team members to ensure comprehensive care and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's degree in Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, or a related field. Basic Life Support (BLS) certification is required within 90 days of hire, and prior acute psychiatric or inpatient experience is strongly preferred.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Behavioral health assessmentPsychological assessmentSocial assessmentTreatment planningCrisis interventionPatient advocacyCare coordinationClinical documentationTrauma-informed careInpatient psychiatric care

Counselor Career Context

Sentara Health ranks #5 of 31 employers hiring Counselor on WeekdayDoc by average advertised pay.

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 46% are remote, 30% have no call, 52% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is down 1.2% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Virginia is 101.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$72k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $71k in an average-cost state. 61.1% of Virginia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

50 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution50 jobs · 38 employers

12
<$75k
13
$75k-90k
10
$90k-105k
8
$105k-120k
7
$120k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks46 jobs · 38 employers

401k / retirement match
98% this job
CME allowance
37%
Loan repayment
35% this job
PSLF eligible
20%
Sign-on bonus
13%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Mental Health Therapist

Brightways Counseling Group · Portland, Oregon

$131k
#2

Behavioral Health Therapist 2 Community Behavioral Health

Inova · Leesburg, Virginia

$80k-$130k
#3

Behavioral Health Therapist 2 Mental Health Programs

$80k-$130k
#4

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT, LPC, LCSW)

$92k-$125k
+ 48 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 5.1
Better work-life than 40% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 8,061 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call

Living in Virginia Beach

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$379k≈ 6.9× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,086/mo≈ 45% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
23 min
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

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

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

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About Sentara Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Virginia Beach, Virginia
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical, Dental, Vision plans
Adoption, Fertility and Surrogacy Reimbursement up to $10,000
Paid Time Off and Sick Leave
Paid Parental & Family Caregiver Leave
Emergency Backup Care
Long-Term, Short-Term Disability, and Critical Illness plans
Life Insurance
401k/403B with Employer Match