Free therapist job description templates for mental health, LPC, LMFT, and private practice roles, with licensure and HIPAA guidance. Download as DOCX.
6 free templates for mental health, LPC, LMFT, substance abuse, and private practice roles, each with the licensure, HIPAA, and FLSA guidance the generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
A therapist assesses clients, builds treatment plans, and provides therapy. Hiring one well is harder than it looks, because therapist is an umbrella title spanning several licenses and specialties, the role handles especially sensitive protected health information, and the FLSA classification is not automatic. A licensed counselor, a marriage and family therapist, and a substance abuse counselor are related but distinct roles with different licenses. Those are exactly the points generic templates skip.
These six templates cover the role across its specialties: a core therapist, a mental health therapist, a licensed professional counselor, a marriage and family therapist, a substance abuse counselor, and a private practice or small clinic version. Each is ready to use, with the licensure, HIPAA, and FLSA guidance the generic templates leave out. For the fundamentals behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description is a useful companion.
TL;DR
A therapist assesses, plans, and treats mental and emotional concerns. The title spans LPC, LMFT, LCSW, and substance abuse counselor roles, each defined by a specific state license and a master's degree. The closest federal occupations report medians of $63,780 (marriage and family therapists) and $59,190 (counselors), May 2024, with demand growing much faster than average. The big compliance points are licensure, HIPAA, and an FLSA classification that depends on duties, not title. Download six templates as DOCX, by specialty.
What a Therapist Does
A therapist helps people manage mental, emotional, and behavioral concerns by assessing needs, building a treatment plan, and delivering therapy. The work is licensed and client-facing: intake and diagnosis, evidence-based sessions, crisis response, documentation, and coordination with other providers, all under HIPAA and professional ethics.
Therapist means different things depending on the license and specialty. Getting the type right keeps your posting accurate, legally correct, and attractive to the clinicians you actually need.
Type
License / focus
Setting
Core / general
Any clinical license
Any practice
Mental health therapist
LPC, LCSW, LMFT
Clinics, group practices
Licensed counselor (LPC)
LPC or LPC-Associate
Counseling practices, agencies
Marriage & family (LMFT)
LMFT (21-1013)
Couples and family practices
Substance abuse counselor
LADC, CADC, or equivalent
Treatment programs, clinics
Private practice
Any license; small team
Solo or small group practice
The core, mental health, and private practice versions are flexible across licenses; the LPC, LMFT, and substance abuse versions are license-specific. Note that occupational, physical, and speech therapists are entirely different occupations and are not covered here. Match the template to the license you are hiring for.
Duties and Responsibilities
Therapist duties cluster into four areas: assessment and planning, therapy and intervention, documentation and coordination, and ethics and compliance. A strong job description picks the specific responsibilities that match your specialty, rather than listing every possible task.
Assessment and planning
Conduct intake assessments and diagnose
Develop and update treatment plans
Set goals with the client
Therapy and intervention
Deliver individual, couples, or group therapy
Use evidence-based modalities
Respond appropriately in crisis
Documentation and coordination
Keep timely, accurate clinical notes
Coordinate referrals and care
Support billing and credentialing
Ethics and compliance
Protect client privacy under HIPAA
Follow ethical and licensing rules
Maintain license and continuing education
A substance abuse counselor weights toward assessment and recovery planning; a marriage and family therapist toward family-systems work. For a structured way to scope the role, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by license and specialty. The core structure is the same across all six, but each emphasizes the duties, license, and framing that fit a specific kind of therapist. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust.
Core / General Therapist
The flagship version
The baseline for any practice: assess clients, build treatment plans, deliver therapy, and document care. The starting point to adapt to your setting.
Mental Health Therapist
Diagnosis and psychotherapy
For broad mental-health work: diagnosis, evidence-based modalities like CBT and DBT, and coordination with psychiatry.
Licensed Counselor (LPC)
Counseling, license-specific
For an LPC role: individual and group counseling with explicit license and supervised-hours framing, including LPC-Associate.
Marriage & Family (LMFT)
Couples and family systems
For relationship and family work: family-systems approaches, couples therapy, and LMFT licensure, the BLS occupation 21-1013.
Substance Abuse Counselor
Addiction and co-occurring
For addiction treatment: assessment with placement criteria, relapse prevention, and 42 CFR Part 2 confidentiality on top of HIPAA.
Private Practice / Clinic
The small-practice version
The differentiator: caseload expectations, EHR notes, telehealth, and insurance credentialing for a solo or small group practice.
Match the Template to the License
Unsure or flexible on license: Core / General. Broad mental-health work: Mental Health Therapist. An LPC role: Licensed Counselor. Couples and family work: Marriage & Family. Addiction and recovery: Substance Abuse Counselor. A solo or small group practice: Private Practice / Clinic. When unsure, the Core version is the baseline to adapt, but always name the exact license your role requires.
6 Free Therapist Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: practice and job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications with the required license, and how to apply, with an EEO statement and the HIPAA and licensure points built in. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
Core, mental health, LPC, LMFT, substance abuse, and private practice. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: Core / General Therapist (Flagship)
The baseline for any practice: assess clients, build treatment plans, deliver therapy, and document care. The starting point to adapt to your setting and license.
Reports to: __ (Clinical Director / Program Manager)
Employment type: [ ] Full-time [ ] Part-time
FLSA status: [ ] Exempt [ ] Non-exempt (confirm by duties and pay)
Compensation: $_____ per year or per hour
JOB SUMMARY
[Program Name] is hiring a Substance Abuse / Addiction Counselor to assess
and treat clients with substance use and co-occurring disorders. You will
conduct assessments, build treatment plans using recognized criteria, deliver
individual and group counseling, and document care under HIPAA and 42 CFR
Part 2 confidentiality rules.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Assess clients for substance use and co-occurring disorders
•Develop treatment plans using recognized placement criteria
•Provide individual and group counseling
•Support relapse prevention and recovery planning
•Coordinate care, referrals, and aftercare
•Maintain accurate, confidential documentation
•Follow HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 privacy rules
•Maintain certification or licensure as required
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•State-required credential or license (LADC, CADC, LPC, LCSW, or equivalent)
•Bachelor's or master's degree per state requirements
•Knowledge of addiction treatment and placement criteria
•Strong assessment, group, and documentation skills
•Compassion, sound judgment, and ethical practice
PREFERRED
•Experience in residential, outpatient, or MAT settings
•EHR and treatment-planning experience
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ per year or per hour
To apply, send your resume and credential information to __.
[Program Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 6: Private Practice / Small Clinic Therapist
The differentiator: caseload expectations, EHR notes, telehealth, fee-split or per-session pay, and insurance credentialing for a solo or small group practice.
Private Practice / Small Clinic Therapist Job Description
PRIVATE PRACTICE / SMALL CLINIC THERAPIST JOB DESCRIPTION
Compensation: $_____ per session, or [ ] salary, or [ ] fee split
JOB SUMMARY
[Practice Name] is a [solo / small group] practice hiring a Therapist to grow
our caseload. You will carry a caseload of [#] clients per week, deliver
therapy in person or via telehealth, keep timely notes in our EHR, and help
build a warm, organized practice. This is a hands-on role in a small team.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Carry a caseload of about [#] client sessions per week
•Provide therapy in person and by telehealth
•Keep timely notes in our EHR (such as a practice-management system)
•Support insurance credentialing and billing as needed
•Help maintain a smooth scheduling and intake flow
•Coordinate care and referrals
•Follow HIPAA, ethics, and state licensing rules
•Maintain license and continuing education
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Master's degree and active state license (LPC, LCSW, LMFT, or equivalent)
•Comfortable in a small, hands-on practice
•Reliable with documentation and scheduling
•Telehealth-ready and tech-comfortable
•[ ] Willing to pursue insurance-panel credentialing
PREFERRED
•Existing caseload or specialty niche
•Familiarity with your EHR or billing workflow
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_____ per session, salary, or fee split, plus [benefits]
Classification: Confirm W-2 versus 1099 by the actual working relationship
To apply, send your resume and license information to __.
[Practice Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Licensure, HIPAA, and FLSA
This is the part the generic templates skip, and it is the part that protects a practice: the license that defines the role, the HIPAA and confidentiality obligations a clinician carries, the FLSA classification that turns on duties rather than title, and the credentialing and EHR setup a billing practice needs. Get these right and your posting is both compliant and credible to clinicians.
Licensure: the qualification that defines the role
A therapist role almost always requires a master's degree plus an active state license, such as LPC, LCSW, or LMFT, and the license is the single most important line in the posting. Many practices also hire license-eligible associates (LPC-Associate, LMSW, LMFT-Associate) who work under supervision toward full licensure. State the exact license your role requires, whether you accept associates, and whether you provide supervision, since this shapes your candidate pool. Verifying the license at hire and tracking its renewal is a real onboarding obligation, not a formality. This is general information, not legal advice.
HIPAA and confidentiality from day one
Therapists handle protected health information and especially sensitive clinical records, so HIPAA applies fully, and the safe approach is HIPAA privacy training plus a signed confidentiality agreement before the new hire sees any client information. Substance use records carry an extra federal layer under 42 CFR Part 2, with stricter consent rules. A small private practice carries the same HIPAA obligations as a large clinic, so build the training and signed acknowledgment into onboarding rather than treating it as paperwork. This is general information, not legal advice.
FLSA: classify by duties, not by title
Therapist classification is not automatic. A licensed therapist whose work requires advanced knowledge and consistent professional judgment may qualify for the learned professional exemption and be salaried exempt, but classification depends on the actual duties and pay, not the title. Associate-level, hourly, or per-session staff may be non-exempt and owed overtime over 40 hours in a workweek. A common mistake is assuming every clinician is exempt. Confirm each role against the duties tests and pay basis, and when in doubt, classify as non-exempt and track hours. This is general information, not legal advice.
Credentialing and EHR for billing practices
If your practice bills insurance, a new therapist usually needs to be credentialed with each payer before you can bill for their sessions, a process that can take weeks to months, so start it at offer, not after the first client. The role also runs on an EHR or practice-management system for notes, scheduling, and billing, and accurate, timely documentation is both a clinical and a billing requirement. Name the EHR and the credentialing expectation in the posting, and build both into onboarding so a new hire can start seeing billable clients sooner. This is general information, not legal advice.
Demand Growing Much Faster Than Average
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects marriage and family therapists to grow 13 percent from 2024 to 2034 and mental health and substance abuse counselors to grow 17 percent, both much faster than average, with roughly 56,000 combined openings a year. Qualified, licensed therapists have options, so a clear posting and smooth onboarding help a small practice compete. This is general information, not legal advice.
For more on the classification question that applies to clinical staff, the exempt versus non-exempt guide explains the learned-professional and duties tests, and the Fair Labor Standards Act overview covers the overtime rules for non-exempt clinicians.
Skills and Requirements
Therapists are hired on license, clinical skill, and fit with your client population. Scale the requirements to the specialty and setting.
Requirement
What to look for
Education
Master's degree in counseling, psychology, or social work
License
Active LPC, LCSW, LMFT, or credential; or license-eligible associate
Keep the posting neutral and inclusive, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
Therapist Pay
Therapist pay varies by license, specialty, setting, and region. Set your range using government data as a baseline, then adjust for your license type and market.
Median $59,190 to $63,780 (BLS, May 2024)
Marriage and family therapists reported a median annual wage of $63,780 (lowest 10 percent under $42,610, highest over $111,610), and mental health and substance abuse counselors a median of $59,190 (range under $39,090 to over $98,210), both May 2024. Private practice can pay more than agency work, often through a fee split.
Because pay structures vary so much, from salary to per-session to fee split, state the structure clearly in the posting. For private practice, candidates want to understand the caseload, fee split, and credentialing support, so transparency on pay and expectations attracts a stronger pool.
Hiring for a Private Practice
A large clinic or hospital system hires therapists through a dedicated recruiting and credentialing team. A solo practitioner growing into a group practice, or a small outpatient clinic, does not. The owner, often a practicing clinician, writes the posting, screens applicants, verifies licenses, and onboards the new therapist directly. The licensing, HIPAA, and credentialing obligations are the same as for a large clinic.
Same Clinical Rules, Smaller Team
A small practice carries the same licensure, HIPAA, and credentialing obligations as a large clinic, just handled by fewer people, so a clean, repeatable hiring and onboarding process is worth setting up once. That is where FirstHR fits: e-signature for the offer letter, confidentiality agreement, and any supervision contract, HIPAA training as a required onboarding step before client access, document management to store and track licenses and continuing education with renewal reminders, and task workflows for license verification and insurance credentialing. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not an EHR, billing, or payroll system, so pair it with those providers. Applicant tracking is coming soon.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the same document becomes the basis for the offer and a clinical, HIPAA-aware onboarding. Because a therapist handles sensitive records and may need supervision and insurance credentialing, getting the agreements, license verification, and records right from day one matters.
Send the offer and agreements
Confirm pay, classification, and schedule in writing, with an offer letter, confidentiality agreement, and any supervision contract the new therapist can e-sign.
Verify the license and credential
Confirm the active license or associate status, and start insurance credentialing right away if your practice bills payers.
Train on HIPAA and the EHR
Provide HIPAA privacy training before any client access, plus onboarding on your EHR, notes, and scheduling workflow.
Track licenses and renewals
Store the signed offer, license, and HIPAA acknowledgment, and set reminders so license renewal and continuing education never lapse.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, and an onboarding template gives the new hire a structured start. FirstHR connects the offer, confidentiality e-signature, HIPAA training, the onboarding workflow, and document management for licenses and credentialing in one place so a small practice can manage the full process from one system. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not an EHR, billing, or payroll tool, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
Therapist is an umbrella title spanning LPC, LMFT, LCSW, and substance abuse counselor roles, each defined by a specific state license.
Use the template that matches the license; the core version is the flexible baseline, but always name the exact license required.
The closest federal occupations report medians of $63,780 (marriage and family therapists) and $59,190 (counselors), May 2024.
Licensure and HIPAA define the role; verify the license at hire and provide HIPAA training before any client access.
FLSA classification turns on duties and pay, not title; licensed clinicians may be exempt, but associate and hourly staff often are not.
For billing practices, insurance credentialing and an EHR belong in onboarding so a new therapist can see billable clients sooner.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a therapist do?
A therapist assesses clients, develops treatment plans, and provides therapy to help people manage mental, emotional, and behavioral concerns. Day to day that means conducting intake assessments, diagnosing where appropriate, delivering individual, couples, family, or group sessions using evidence-based approaches, responding to crises, documenting care, and coordinating with other providers. The exact work depends on the specialty: a mental health therapist treats a broad range of conditions, a marriage and family therapist works within relationship and family systems, and a substance abuse counselor focuses on addiction and recovery. Across settings, the role is licensed, client-facing, and bound by HIPAA and professional ethics. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between a therapist, counselor, LPC, and LMFT?
These terms overlap and are often used loosely, with the real differences in license and focus. Therapist is a broad, umbrella term for a licensed mental-health clinician. Counselor is similar and frequently interchangeable, though it appears in specific licenses. LPC, or Licensed Professional Counselor, is a state license earned with a master's degree and supervised hours. LMFT, or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, is a separate license focused on relationships and family systems, and corresponds to a distinct BLS occupation. LCSW, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, can also provide therapy. For hiring, the practical move is to name the exact license your role requires rather than relying on the general title, since the license defines who can legally do the work. This is general information, not legal advice.
What qualifications and license does a therapist need?
Most therapist roles require a master's degree in counseling, psychology, social work, or a related field, plus an active state license such as LPC, LCSW, or LMFT. Licensure requires supervised clinical hours and a passing exam, and licenses must be renewed with continuing education. Many practices also hire license-eligible associates, such as LPC-Associates or LMSWs, who work under supervision toward full licensure, which widens the candidate pool but adds a supervision obligation. For a substance abuse counselor, the required credential varies by state and can be a certification rather than a full clinical license. State the exact license or credential your role needs, and whether you accept associates, in the posting. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is a therapist exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
It depends on the duties and pay, not the title. A fully licensed therapist whose work requires advanced knowledge and consistent professional judgment may qualify for the learned professional exemption and be classified as salaried exempt. However, associate-level clinicians, hourly staff, and per-session contractors may be non-exempt and entitled to overtime at one and a half times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. A common mistake is assuming every clinician is automatically exempt because they are licensed professionals. The safe approach is to evaluate each role against the FLSA duties tests and salary basis, and when the answer is unclear, classify as non-exempt and track hours. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do small practices and solo therapists hire other therapists?
Yes, constantly. Solo practitioners growing into group practices, small outpatient clinics, and community mental-health programs all hire therapists directly, and this is a large and growing share of the field. At a small practice the owner, who is often a practicing clinician, writes the posting, screens applicants, verifies licenses, and onboards the new therapist, usually with no recruiting team behind them. The licensing, HIPAA, FLSA, and insurance-credentialing obligations are the same ones a large clinic faces, just handled by fewer people. Because a therapist hire involves heavy documentation and credentialing, a clean, repeatable hiring and onboarding process is especially valuable for a small practice. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a therapist make?
Pay varies by license, specialty, setting, and region. The closest federal occupations give useful anchors: marriage and family therapists reported a median annual wage of 63,780 dollars in May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent under 42,610 dollars and the highest 10 percent over 111,610 dollars; substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors reported a median of 59,190 dollars, with a range from under 39,090 dollars to over 98,210 dollars. Private practice often pays more than agency work but with less stability, and fee-split or per-session arrangements are common. For a posting, benchmark to your license type, setting, and local market, and state the pay structure clearly. This is general information, not compensation advice.
What is the demand for therapists?
Demand is strong and growing much faster than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of marriage and family therapists to grow 13 percent from 2024 to 2034, with about 7,700 openings a year, and employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors to grow 17 percent over the same period, with roughly 48,300 openings a year. This growth reflects rising awareness of mental health, reduced stigma around seeking care, and expanded insurance coverage. For a small practice, the practical effect is a competitive hiring market: qualified, licensed therapists have options, so a clear job description, a fair pay structure, and a smooth onboarding process help you compete. This is general information, not legal advice.
What should a therapist job description include?
Start with the specialty and setting: core therapist, mental health, LPC, LMFT, substance abuse, or private practice, since each shifts the duties and the required license. Include a short practice summary, a job summary naming the assessment and therapy focus, and responsibilities grouped into assessment and planning, therapy and intervention, documentation and coordination, and ethics and compliance. State the requirements, especially the exact license or credential and whether you accept associates, plus the FLSA classification and pay structure. The most valuable additions that generic templates skip are the license-specific framing, the HIPAA and confidentiality onboarding requirement, the FLSA learned-professional nuance, and, for billing practices, the EHR and insurance-credentialing expectation. Close with an equal opportunity statement and apply instructions. This is general information, not legal advice.
