Associate Therapist AAMFT

Company Description

At Sunset Coast Family Therapy in Oceanside, we provide in-person therapy for individuals, military families, couples, families, and teens, supporting clients through trauma, relationship challenges, and life transitions.

We are building a practice for therapists who are deeply engaged in the theory and practice of psychotherapy and interested in working with complex family relationships. Our focus is personal: helping people feel heard, strengthening relationships, and supporting our community.

We value clinicians who look beyond presenting symptoms to understand recurring relational patterns, developmental experiences, family context, and the meanings people bring to their relationships. We seek therapists who translate that understanding into purposeful treatment and evaluate whether their work is helping.

Our environment emphasizes collaboration, thoughtful supervision, ongoing learning, and culturally responsive care. If you want to deepen your clinical practice while making a meaningful contribution to clients and families, we welcome your application.

Role Description

The Associate Therapist is a full-time, on-site role based in Oceanside, CA, providing outpatient therapy to individuals, couples, and families under appropriate supervision.

Day-to-day responsibilities include conducting intake assessments, developing thoughtful case formulations and treatment plans, and delivering therapy grounded in a coherent understanding of each person and family. Clinicians are expected to connect their interventions to clear treatment goals, assess progress, and adjust their approach as needed.

We particularly welcome applicants with substantive training and supervised experience in systemic, attachment-oriented, intergenerational, experiential, or relational approaches. We value practical interventions, including CBT, as supportive tools within a broader understanding of the client’s developmental and relational experience.

Responsibilities also include maintaining accurate clinical documentation, coordinating care with other providers, participating in case consultations and supervision, and providing crisis assessment, intervention, and psychoeducation when needed. The position may include program development, community outreach, or workshops.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy or a closely related field, with appropriate California associate registration for the role.


• Demonstrated training in individual, couple, and family therapy, including clinical assessment, case formulation, treatment planning, and purposeful intervention.


• Substantive training and supervised experience in systemic, attachment-oriented, intergenerational, experiential, or relational approaches are especially welcome.


• Ability to explain the theoretical foundations of your work, connect them to clinical decisions, and evaluate whether treatment is helping.


• Knowledge of evidence-based interventions, including CBT, and the ability to use them within a coherent understanding of the person and family.


• Strong clinical documentation skills and the ability to manage caseloads, scheduling, and timely record keeping in accordance with legal and ethical standards.


• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and active listening skills, with the ability to build rapport and collaborate with diverse clients and other providers.


• Knowledge of trauma-informed care, crisis assessment, and risk management, or a commitment to developing these competencies through supervision and training.


• Commitment to cultural humility and responsiveness to diverse backgrounds, identities, and family structures.


• Reliability, professionalism, and strong organizational skills in an on-site clinical setting.


• Willingness to participate in regular supervision, continuing education, and professional development. Prior outpatient or community mental health experience is a plus.

How to Apply

Along with your résumé, please describe the theories that most influence your work, the training and supervision that have shaped your practice, and how you approach a complex family case. Explain how your understanding guides treatment and how you assess whether it is helping.

Please use a fictional or fully de-identified example and do not include identifying client information.