How to hire a couples therapist

How to hire a couples therapist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step couples therapist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a couples therapist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new couples therapist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a couples therapist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a couples therapist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a couples therapist that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of couples therapist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Couples Therapist	Description	Hourly rate
   Couples Therapist	Mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists help people manage and overcome mental and emotional disorders and problems with family and other relationships. They listen to clients and ask questions to help the clients understand their problems and develop strategies to improve their lives.	$28-72
   Family Counselor	A Family Counselor treats married couples or family members in order to help them overcome mental or emotional problems. They provide effective treatment measures to help the family members resolve their issues.	$12-29
   Marriage And Family Therapist	Marriage and family therapists are health professionals who are licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders of married couples and families. These therapists are required to treat patients with issues such as child and adolescent behavioral problems, depression and anxiety, and marital conflicts... Show more	$19-38

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Couples Therapy
   • Private Practice
   • Adolescents
   • Family Therapy
   • Cognitive Behavioral
   • Assessment Methods
   • Substance Abuse

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage ventilator and BiPAP's and create or update care plans per patient needs.
   • Perform occasional psychosocial rehabilitation services.
   • Perform occasional psychosocial rehabilitation services.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your couples therapist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A couples therapist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, couples therapists' average salary in hawaii is 68% less than in pennsylvania.
   • Seniority. Entry-level couples therapists 61% less than senior-level couples therapists.
   • Certifications. A couples therapist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a couples therapist's salary.

   Average couples therapist salary

   $95,051yearly

   $45.70 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level couples therapist salary

   $59,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

4. Writing a couples therapist job description

   A couples therapist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a couples therapist job description:

   Couples therapist job description example

   About the company

   Octave's mission is to create a new standard for mental healthcare delivery, one that is accessible to more people and sustainable for providers. We are broadening access to high quality mental health services that is measurement-based and insurance funded. Now more than ever, we are looking to serve communities dealing with the rising public health challenge of addressing mental health needs. Octave is VC-backed and was founded in 2018 with footprints in New York and California, as well as virtually nationwide. We are expanding our beautiful practices throughout New York and California, offering telehealth and also clinic-based services.

   About the role

   We are looking for a couples therapist interested in a contractor position to partner with an existing diverse clinical team to provide therapy in a collaborative, client-centered, start-up environment. You will treat adult couples using short-term, evidence-based therapies. Candidates must be licensed in NY at the masters or doctoral level, well-versed in evidence-based therapies and expert in the delivery of culturally responsive care.

   You are a good fit if you are:

   • Passionate about expanding access to high-quality mental health care
   • Skilled at providing couples therapy that is short-term and evidence-based
   • Adept at building and maintaining a strong therapeutic alliance
   • Willing to deliver feedback-informed care using standardized measures
   • Expert at providing culturally responsive and culturally competent care
   • Open to learning from your colleagues and clients
   • Someone who thrives in a culture of thoughtful feedback and transparency

   Qualifications

   • LMFT, LPCC, LCSW, PhD, PsyD
   • Current License in New York

   Education/Experience

   • Master's Degree or higher from an accredited school of Social Work, Psychology, Counseling or Marriage, or Family and Child Counseling.
   • Must be registered with the New York State Board of Education as an LMFT, LCSW, LMHC, or LPCC
   • Clinicians are required to maintain appropriate licensure through the New York State Board of Education
   • Formal training in couples therapy and 2 years of experience treating couples.

   Application Instructions:

   Please complete the following application. Please note that the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Information questions below are used for the purposes of EEOC reporting and are optional to complete. Octave is unable to change these questions and we acknowledge that many of the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Information questions are not inclusive or affirming of all aspects of cultural identity. Octave is committed to an inclusive workplace environment, and this information will not inform how we approach hiring or employment.

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find couples therapists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your couples therapist job on Zippia to find and recruit couples therapist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit couples therapists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new couples therapist

   Once you've found the couples therapist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new couples therapist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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