Lightfully Behavioral Health logo
Lightfully Behavioral Health
Encinitas, California

Primary Therapist (Adult Outpatient Program)

Counselor / TherapistNo callNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$72k-$91k

The week · per this posting · Monday – Friday

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

Posted 30m 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.

Shift Schedule: Monday-Friday

Job Summary

Reporting to the Director of Clinical Operations (based on size of site), the Primary Therapist delivers clinical services to clients with mental health disorders and their families; 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”).
  • Performs, interprets, and provides feedback to clients on various assessments relevant to mental health treatment.
  • 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 ACT, positive psychology, and EFFT.
  • Participates in weekly treatment team meetings and hotspot meetings
  • Collaborates and consults with members of the treatment team to provide continuity of care.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Provides “on-call” coverage during assigned times.
  • 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.

Qualifications

  • Master's degree in Counseling-related field, required.
  • Associate clinical mental health license in the state of California, required; Full clinical licensure, 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 provides evidence-based individual, group, and family therapy while managing client treatment plans and documentation. They also collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to ensure continuity of care and provide crisis stabilization within the clinical milieu.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Clinical documentationMental health assessment

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Primary Therapist (Adult Outpatient Program) at Lightfully Behavioral Health a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 25% in Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) — ranked against 7,820 active Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no on-call duties, no weekend requirements.

Counselor Career Context

Lightfully Behavioral Health ranks #8 of 13 employers hiring Counselor on WeekdayDoc by average advertised pay.

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 50% are remote, 28% have no call, 70% require no weekends.

Mental Health Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Work-life score7.2 / 10 · top 25% in mental health therapy (counseling)ranked against 7,820 Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listingslisting-based score, 0–10
Listed pay$72k–$91kMental Health Therapy median $89k (middle half $76k–$114k)38 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 California564 active7,556 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 50% remote · 28% no call · 70% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia counselor listings (all specialties): 12% state a sign-on bonus (median $3k) · 9% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Mental Health Therapy listings2,474 in the last 30 days1,365 the 30 days before (+81%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Mental Health Therapy pay trend−1.8% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Lightfully Behavioral Health#8 of 13 for payTop Employers work-life index
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index (7,820 Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings), Top Employers work-life index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Counselor Jobs

36 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

36 jobs · 30 employers
7
<$85k
14
$85k-110k
11
$110k-135k
4
$135k-160k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

30 jobs
401k / retirement match
97% this job
CME allowance
40% this job
Sign-on bonus
37%
Loan repayment
20%
PSLF eligible
10%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

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From $155k
#2

Licensed Mental Health Therapist

LifeStance Health · Lake Oswego, Oregon

$123k-$141k
#3

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

$123k-$141k
#4

Licensed Clinician DV/SA Program LCSW, LMFT, LPCC, Licensed Clinical Psychologist

$114k-$141k
+ 34 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.0this job 7.2
Better work-life than 80% of Mental Health Therapy (Counseling) listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 7,820 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No call
  • 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 Encinitas

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.76M≈ 24.5× annual pay
Typical market rent
$4,340/mo≈ 72% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.9
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 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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