Discovery Behavioral Health logo
Discovery Behavioral Health
Temecula, California

Associate Therapist

CounselorNo callNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$70k-$75k

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

Ask the employer about nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1 day ago · Verified live

Job Description

Center for Discovery

At Discovery, we offer career opportunities nationwide in residential, day treatment, and intensive outpatient eating disorder treatment. Discovery is currently seeking Program Directors, Primary Therapists, Facility Managers, Counselors/Mental Health Specialists, Dietitians, Diet Techs, and Nurses. Discovery is specifically seeking individuals who consistently strive to provide exemplary care and are passionate about transforming the lives of others.

If you are interested in a challenging and rewarding career in the behavioral health field, the first step is to look for Open job positions that match your skills, qualifications and interest. Each posting includes a description and minimum required qualifications.

When we review candidate information, we are looking for the best matches for the position based on the qualifications listed in the job posting. If your skills and experience appear to match an open position, a recruitment services professional or hiring manager may contact you to further discuss your qualifications.

Position Summary

The Associate Therapist works in a dynamic multidisciplinary team providing treatment services according to the Center for Discovery Clinical Model. Therapist responsibilities include ensuring patient safety, providing milieu interventions, leading psychoeducational and process-oriented therapy groups, facilitate clinical assessments, conducting therapy sessions, and other case management tasks, as assigned.

Essential Job Functions

  • Ensure clinical documentation is completed timely throughout the course of treatment.
  • Establish therapeutic rapport with patients and families/loved ones.
  • Facilitates admission assessments and the admission process for new patients with professionalism
  • Participates in weekly treatment team and communicates weekly treatment goals with all team members.
  • Completes appropriate number of therapy sessions weekly for patients, including family/support system sessions aligned with the patients’ level of care.
  • RTC: two individual sessions and one family/support system session
  • PHP: one individual session and one family/support system session
  • IOP: one therapeutic session – individual or family/support system, as clinically indicated
  • Facilitates the process orientated and psychoeducation groups one to two times, daily.
  • Required to sit at a meal and/or snack a minimum of once per week.
  • Facilitates multi-family groups, family program, and/or family weekend.
  • Provides utilization reviews to insurance companies, providing appropriate clinical information to obtain initial authorization and continuing stay authorization, as necessary.
  • Assesses patients for suicidality and possibility of danger to self or others.
  • May provide additional clinical support for other members of the clinical team in their absence.
  • Communicates with the Utilization Review Department and Business Department regarding authorization and payment.
  • Begins discharge planning on day of admission for all patients.
  • Completes discharge session with patient to ensure coping skills, transition plan, and resources are understood and intact.
  • Ensures discharge appointments are confirmed with patient and loved ones prior to discharge.
  • Communicates with referral sources and outpatient providers for continuity of care upon admission, midpoint, and discharge.
  • Facilitates patient transfers to a higher level of care, as needed.
  • Actively participates in clinical outreach and program tours, as needed.
  • Effectively manages crises in sessions and the milieu.
  • Provides support to milieu staff in their interactions with patients and their loved ones.
  • Works collaboratively with the entire treatment team and milieu staff to ensure the highest level of clinical quality at all times.
  • Completes other tasks, as requested or assigned.

RTC Only: Provides on-call support to facility at least 1x per month and returns all program phone calls within 20 minutes, while on call. Communicates appropriately with On Call Administrator or Regional Director regarding pertinent facility issues, while on call.

Knowledge, Education, and Experience

  • Master’s or Doctorate degree in relevant field, required
  • Completion of state requirements to conduct therapeutic interventions, required
  • Operates under supervision and is not licensed
  • Obtain CPI certification within 90 days of hire
  • Obtain CPR, AED, and First Aid certification within 90 days of hire
  • Obtain ServSafe certification within 90 days of hire
  • Must possess a current driver’s license and be in good standing
  • Employment Status: Full-Time

Schedule: Monday-Friday 11:00am - 7:00pm

Work Location: Onsite- Temecula, CA

Compensation: Pay Range

  • Associate Therapist: $70,304-$75,000
  • Program Therapist: $75,000-$82,000
  • Senior Therapist: $80,000-$90,000

Discovery Behavioral Health seeks to build a diverse staff that is reflective of the patients we serve and the communities where we work. DBH encourages multiple perspectives, experiences, and strives to hire and retain a diverse workforce.

We are proud to be an EEO employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Key Responsibilities

The Associate Therapist provides clinical treatment services, including conducting individual and family therapy sessions and facilitating psychoeducational groups. They are also responsible for maintaining clinical documentation, managing patient safety, and coordinating discharge planning within a multidisciplinary team.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Master's or Doctorate degree in a relevant field and have completed state requirements to conduct therapeutic interventions. Additionally, the role requires obtaining specific certifications such as CPI, CPR, AED, First Aid, and ServSafe within 90 days of hire.

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)

Key Skills

Crisis managementIndividual therapySuicidality assessment

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Associate Therapist at Discovery Behavioral Health a 6.6 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) — ranked against 8,029 active Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no on-call duties, no weekend requirements.

Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 44% are remote, 26% have no call, 62% 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 California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$73k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $66k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Counselor Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution39 jobs · 29 employers

13
<$85k
12
$85k-105k
8
$105k-125k
6
$125k-145k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks35 jobs · 29 employers

401k / retirement match
97% this job
CME allowance
34%
Loan repayment
29%
Sign-on bonus
26%
PSLF eligible
23%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

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$125k-$140k
#2

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

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$118k-$135k
#3

Licensed Clinical Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$115k-$135k
#4

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

$117k-$134k
+ 37 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.2this job 6.6
Better work-life than 60% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 8,029 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No call
  • No weekends
  • On-site

Living in Temecula

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$655k≈ 9.3× annual pay
Typical market rent
$3,020/mo≈ 52% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
36 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
106.4
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

Discovery Behavioral Health logo

About Discovery Behavioral Health

Mental Health Care
Irvine, CA
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
401(k)