Full-Time Associate Therapist- Hybrid (Encinitas, CA)

Stella Mental Health is a mental health company that provides highly effective treatments for hard-to-treat symptoms and conditions. Stella has clinics across the country that practice the delivery of Stella’s Transformative Care model, which integrates psychotherapy, general psychiatry, and innovative interventional treatments to support meaningful and lasting improvement in mental health by addressing both psychological and biological drivers of conditions such as treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and anxiety-related disorders. Within this model, psychotherapy plays a foundational role in helping patients process experiences, build resilience, and translate clinical progress into sustained functional and emotional recovery.

Associate Therapist - Hybrid (Los Angeles, California)

Full-Time Associate Therapist (AMFT / APCC) – Psychotherapist

Hybrid Role - Twos day per week are in person at our Encinitas (North County San Diego) office; Three days per week is Virtual

The Role

We are looking for a pre-licensed therapist who is passionate about individual therapy and drawn to working with adults facing complex mental health challenges within a collaborative interdisciplinary treatment team.

The role is particularly well suited for Associates in the earlier stages of accumulating supervised clinical hours who want to deepen their clinical skills and grow with the team over time

Job Responsibilities

Focus of work

• Predominantly providing individual psychotherapy with adults
• Some group, couples, or family therapy as part of our Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program
• Supporting patients in integrating experiences from interventional psychiatry treatments into their lives and ongoing treatment.
• Working with patients have complex trauma histories, treatment-resistant depression, and/or multiple co-occurring conditions.

The typical 40-hour work week includes (numbers are approximate and may shift depending on patient needs):

• 25 hours: Client-facing work, primarily individual therapy, with occasional group, couples, or family sessions
• 8 hours: Clinical documentation and treatment planning
• 7 hours: Team consultation, individual supervision, and group supervision
• The required hours for this role are 11am - 7pm Pacific time (Monday - Friday)

Who We Are Looking For

Successful candidates typically demonstrate six main qualities:

Passion for Individual Therapy

• They enjoy doing individual therapy and want a role centered around individual clinical work.

Clinical Maturity

• They work thoughtfully in a trauma-informed, culturally attuned way with adults who have complex histories and co-morbidities.

Warmth and Collegiality

• They bring deep empathy to patient care and contribute positively to the clinical team.

Ability to Work Independently While Knowing When to Seek Support

• They autonomously manage their schedules, communicate directly with patients, and take ownership of their client care, while also proactively seeking consultation or guidance from the team when needed

Confidence in Clinical Discussions

• They contribute their clinical perspectives during team consultations and are open to feedback from the team.

Willingness to Explore Countertransference

• They reflect on their reactions to patients and explore how those responses may inform their clinical work. They value ongoing self-reflection and personal growth as part of developing as a therapist.

Professional Qualifications

• Registered AMFT or APCC in California
• Experience providing psychotherapy to adults in outpatient or similar clinical settings
• Expertise in evidence-based practices such as CBT, ACT, or DBT
• Clinical experience or training in trauma informed modalities such as IFS, EMDR, or Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

What We Offer

• Full-time employment (40 hours per week) - compensation is not limited to clinical hours
• Competitive compensation for pre-licensed therapists
• Benefits package, including health insurance
• Steady flow of patients provided by Stella - therapists do not need to market or find their own clients
• Substantial supervised hours toward licensure
• Clinical supervision from experienced therapists and collaboration with psychiatrists
• Interdisciplinary case discussions with the treatment team
• Supportive Stella team: We recognize that working with patients who have significant mental health challenges can be demanding. Our team values consultation and collaboration so therapists are not carrying difficult cases alone.

We take care in selecting clinicians who are thoughtful about their work and committed to providing high-quality psychotherapy.

At Stella, we believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential values that enrich our work environment and enhance our ability to serve diverse communities. We strive to integrate these values into every aspect of our organization, from hiring and training to policies and practices. Our vision is to be a leader in delivering patient-centered care that respects and celebrates diversity, promotes equity and inclusion, and improves health outcomes for all.