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Mental Health Counselor Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Ellie Mental Health

Mental Health Counselor

Bethesda, MD · On-site

$70K - $90K/yr

Required to be a fully licensed mental health professional (LICSW, LMFT, LPCC, LP) in the state of Maryland. * Required experience with completing DAs, treatment plans, and clinical case notes ...

Headway

Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Washington, DC · On-site +1

$121.74/hr

" Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) Wage: Up to $121.74/hour Licensed Mental Health Counselor -- Are you ready to launch or expand your private practice? Headway is here to help you start ...

Headway

Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Germantown, MD · On-site +1

$121.74/hr

" Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) Wage: Up to $121.74/hour Licensed Mental Health Counselor -- Are you ready to launch or expand your private practice? Headway is here to help you start ...

Headway

Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Arlington, VA · On-site +1

$126/hr

" Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) Wage: Up to $126/hour Licensed Mental Health Counselor -- Are you ready to launch or expand your private practice? Headway is here to help you start accepting ...

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Mental Health Counselor information

See Reston, VA salary details

$32.8K

$66.9K

$121.2K

How much do mental health counselor jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 28, 2026, the average yearly pay for mental health counselor in Reston, VA is $66,920.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $48,900.00 and $75,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a mental health counselor do?

A mental health counselor is a trained professional who helps individuals manage and overcome mental and emotional disorders or problems with relationships. They work with clients to develop coping strategies, improve their well-being, and achieve personal goals. Counselors use talk therapy and other therapeutic techniques to address issues like anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma. They may work in private practice, hospitals, schools, or community agencies, and often collaborate with other healthcare professionals.

What does a mental health counselor do?

A mental health counselor is a healthcare professional who helps people facing various mental health issues. This job may include holding individual or group therapy to address issues like anxiety and depression, addiction, family or career issues, relationship issues, or other unhealthy and difficult situations in the patients’ lives. A mental health counselor provides skilled assistance through conversation with their clients, but is not licensed to provide prescriptions for medications.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a mental health counselor, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Mental Health Counselor, you need a strong background in psychology, counseling theories, and therapeutic techniques, typically supported by a master's degree in counseling or a related field and state licensure. Familiarity with electronic health record (EHR) systems and evidence-based assessment tools is commonly required. Exceptional active listening, empathy, and interpersonal communication skills help counselors build trust and effectively support clients. These competencies are crucial for providing ethical, impactful care and facilitating positive mental health outcomes.

What are some common challenges a mental health counselor might face when working with diverse client populations?

Mental Health Counselors often work with clients from varied cultural, socioeconomic, and age backgrounds, which can present challenges such as addressing language barriers, differing beliefs about mental health, and varying levels of trust in counseling. Building rapport and delivering culturally competent care requires ongoing education and self-awareness. Counselors must also adapt therapeutic approaches to fit individual needs, while maintaining professional boundaries and ethical standards. These challenges are balanced by the rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful impact across diverse communities.

What is the difference between Mental Health Counselor vs Social Worker?

AspectMental Health CounselorSocial Worker
CredentialsMaster's in Counseling or Psychology, state licensureMaster's in Social Work (MSW), licensure varies
Work EnvironmentPrivate practices, clinics, mental health facilitiesHospitals, community agencies, schools
Employer & IndustryHealthcare providers, mental health organizationsSocial service agencies, healthcare, government
FocusIndividual mental health treatment, therapyHolistic support, resource connection, advocacy

While both roles require advanced degrees and licensure, Mental Health Counselors primarily focus on providing therapy for mental health issues, whereas Social Workers often address broader social needs and connect clients to resources. The choice depends on your career interests in clinical therapy versus social support services.

What can I do as a mental health counselor?

A mental health counselor provides therapy and support to individuals, couples, or groups experiencing mental health issues, emotional challenges, or behavioral problems. They assess clients' needs, develop treatment plans, and use techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. Certification and licensure are typically required, and they often work in clinics, hospitals, or private practices.

What degree do most mental health counselors have?

Most mental health counselors hold at least a master's degree in counseling, psychology, social work, or a related field. They often complete supervised clinical hours and obtain licensure or certification to practice independently.

What kind of mental health counselor makes the most money?

Psychiatric mental health counselors, especially those with advanced licenses such as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) or Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, tend to earn the highest salaries. Counselors working in private practice, hospitals, or specialized settings like addiction treatment often have higher earning potential, particularly with additional certifications and experience.
More about Mental Health Counselor jobs

What job categories do people searching Mental Health Counselor jobs in Reston, VA look for?

The top searched job categories for Mental Health Counselor jobs in Reston, VA are:

What cities near Reston, VA are hiring for Mental Health Counselor jobs?

Cities near Reston, VA with the most Mental Health Counselor job openings:

Mental Health Counselor jobs near you
Infographic showing various Mental Health Counselor job openings in Reston, VA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 77% Full Time, 17% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $66,920 per year, or $32.2 per hour.

Mental Health Counselor

Ellie Mental Health

Bethesda, MD • On-site

$70K - $90K/yr

Full-time

PTO

Re-posted 16 days ago

Ellie Mental Health rating

7.5

Company rating: 7.5 out of 10

Based on 12 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

Job description

Who is Ellie?
Ellie Mental Health is a highly successful mental health organization with clinics structured to remove many of the daily obstacles that get in the way of providing world-class mental health services. Ellie makes the clinician's experience a priority by offering: excellent compensation, benefits, training, and flexible scheduling. Not to mention providing centralized administrative, technology, referral and inquiry support, scheduling, client/therapist matching, billing and collections, and even CEU programs. Ellie strives to lower the administrative aspects of providing care to the absolute minimum, so our practitioners have more time to focus on what they love - serving clients! We want our people to be happy because happy therapists do better work and provide better client care!
Who we are looking for: Therapists!!!!
The perfect candidate will share our passion for improving and expanding access to quality mental health care and will thrive in a culture that emphasizes: autonomy, flexibility, creativity, authenticity, humor, compassion, acceptance, and determination. Opportunities for individual, family, and group therapy services as well as Telehealth.
Responsibilities and Duties
  • Evaluate mental health diagnosis, create and implement a treatment plan, complete ongoing documentation including further diagnosis, treatment plan reviews, and case notes according to company policy
  • Maintain a caseload of 25 client sessions per week
  • Provide excellent customer service for clients and collaborate with a dynamic team to further the mission of filling gaps in our community
  • Utilize creativity in interventions to help clients achieve and exceed goals
  • Coordinate services with case managers, families, work personnel, medical personnel, other Ellie staff, and school staff as needed
  • Attend and participate in all clinical staff meetings and training
  • Other stuff we probably forgot to add but just as meaningful and important to your role ;)

Required Qualifications and Skills
  • Candidates are required to have a master's degree in one of the behavioral sciences or related fields from an accredited college or university.
  • Required to be a fully licensed mental health professional (LICSW, LMFT, LPCC, LP) in the state of Maryland.
  • Required experience with completing DAs, treatment plans, and clinical case notes

Preferred Qualifications and Skills
  • Prefer candidates with creative and innovative approaches to mental health
  • Prefer experience with children, adolescents, and teens
  • Preferred experience with couples and families
  • Ideal candidates will have a general knowledge of therapy services, community resources, insurance billing

What we have to offer:
  • Ellie Mental Health offers a competitive salary, excellent benefits package, PTO accrual, and professional development.
  • Flexible scheduling
  • Hourly pay structure PLUS commission on claims
  • Acces to Continuing Education CEU Library

What else you should know:
  • This position will be under the general direction of the Clinical Director.
  • Learn more about our amazing company at www.elliementalhealth.com

Flexible work from home options available.
Compensation: $70,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year
Seeking creative & collaborative humans with a passion for changing mental health care in fun and meaningful ways
Don't meet EVERY requirement?
Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. Ellie Mental Health is devoted to purposefully building an inclusive and diverse workplace where all of our humans can be their authentic selves! (Authenticity is one of our core values, after all...) If you're excited about the chance to be a change-maker with us, but your past experience doesn't perfectly align with every single qualification of the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. Our mental health jobs need dedicated individuals from every background who are willing to care for others. And who knows, you might just be the perfect candidate for another role!
Employee Experience
We take care of our people. It's that simple. From investing in their financial future, to providing wages that shatter the ceiling in our industry to reasonable caseload expectations we ensure that our people are happy. Happy employees do better work and provide better client care! No matter what it is that you do in your mental health career at Ellie, our clients depend on us cultivating an environment where our employees can thrive so that they can thrive too!
Y'all, jobs in mental health are tough jobs with a high risk of emotional fatigue and burnout. At Ellie, we use all of our core values of humor, creativity, authenticity, acceptance, determination, and compassion not just out in our communities, but we turn them inwards too! Our employees have clear growth paths for advancing their careers.
We have created a culture that reminds us that our employees are our leaders!
Company Structure
Ellie is a socially responsible for-profit business, which allows us to be flexible and responsive to our community's needs. Many mental health and wellness-focused companies are non-profits or government agencies, which rely on the general public, grants, or large donors for funding. This model often results in little creativity and lower compensation for employees, promoting a work culture that just makes people feel "blah."
Feeling blah doesn't help employees stay motivated, engaged, or even in their jobs for a very long time! So we created a new model: one that puts flexibility, innovative decision-making, creativity, and our people first, while remaining a socially conscious and responsible for-profit business focused on changing how we treat mental health.
In short, we're just people helping people. Wanna join the herd?

What Ellie Mental Health employees say

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