Mental Health Therapist Jobs for OPT Students
Mental Health Therapist roles on OPT typically require licensure or supervised hours toward licensure, which adds complexity to your job search. Most employers need you to hold or be actively pursuing a state clinical license. STEM OPT extension is not available for this field, so your 12-month window is the key timeline to plan around.
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Get Access To All JobsAbout Lyra
Lyra is transforming mental health care through technology with a human touch to help people feel emotionally healthy at work and at home. We work with industry leaders, such as Morgan Stanley, Uber, Amgen, and other Fortune 500 companies, to improve access to effective, high-quality mental health care for their employees and their families. With our innovative digital care platform and global provider network, 20 million people can receive the best care and feel better, faster. Founded by David Ebersman, former CFO of Facebook and Genentech, Lyra has raised more than $900 million in funding to support our mission of transforming access to life-changing mental health care.
FURTHER EXPANDING ACCESS: We are currently prioritizing hiring clinicians, counselors, mental health providers, psychologists, and therapists in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. We will continue to welcome applications from all other states, and sponsor cross-licensure across selected states to ensure clinicians are set up for success to support caseload goals. As always, thank you for your continued interest in Lyra Health!
About The Role
Lyra developed an innovative video therapy program called Lyra Care Therapy: blending live video sessions with between-session digital psychoeducation and customizable skill building tools. With this program, you’ll have the resources and support you need to ensure that your clients get better—all while improving access to mental health care from your home or preferred setting.
Daily: As a Lyra Care Therapist, you’ll provide short-term, evidence-based treatment via live video, maintaining a caseload of diverse and varied clinical needs. You’ll assign digital lessons, videos, and assessments to your clients to enhance learnings and monitor outcomes between sessions. An important note: Lyra's clients come from a multitude of different backgrounds and experiences, and have varying needs and abilities. We strive to continue to meet their unique needs by delivering culturally responsive care—an approach that accounts for the impact of cultural backgrounds on each person’s care experience.
Regularly: Our therapists enjoy connecting with their peers, who share a passion for providing evidence-based care. You’ll attend one-on-one and peer group clinical consultation meetings, conduct peer-based quality assurance reviews, and attend robust training to enhance your clinical skills. You’ll always have access to expert consultation and support for your most complex clients. It’s like a safety net of resources to help plan the best options—from specialty consultations to culturally responsive care—you’re not alone, even while working remotely within the US.
This role is a great fit if you're a licensed clinician with excellent interpersonal skills, who wants continuous learning and development in their professional career, and thrives in a feedback rich environment. If you have experience with caseloads that include a comprehensive spectrum of mental health needs, from milder presentations to more complex and severe support, we encourage you to apply. If you're comfortable with evolving processes and excited by a rapidly growing business, then this role is for you!
Requirements
- Master’s degree from a clinical track (e.g., MSW, MFT, MC, MMHC)
- Unrestricted LCSW, LMFT, LPC, PsyD, PhD, or equivalent license (i.e., able to work independently, without supervision from a licensed supervisor) without current, past, or pending disciplinary action
- Experience and commitment to providing evidence-based treatments (e.g., ACT, CBT, CPT, DBT) and clinical best practices (e.g., measurement based care, promoting skills practice)
- Experience managing risk and responding to clinical crises, as needed
- Experience providing telehealth therapy services in a virtual environment (video and teletherapy) preferred but not required
- Computer and live video tools literacy (e.g., Zoom, Google Meets, DoxyMe, Skype, etc.)
- Experience maintaining a full clinical caseload of adult and/or adolescent clients/week (30 potential bookable calendar spots)
- Ability to work full-time, approximately 40 hours per week
- Full-time resident of the United States
Benefits
As a full-time Licensed Mental Health Therapist, you will be employed by Lyra Clinical Associates P.C. We manage the business operations so you can focus on providing high-quality mental health care. Here are just some of our perks and benefits:
- Competitive base pay for your session work and administrative work
- Comprehensive healthcare coverage (including medical, dental, and vision, FSA/HSA, life, and disability insurance)
- Lyra’s benefits package includes gender-affirming surgery
- Access to Lyra for Lyrians; coaching and therapy services for you and your dependents
- Competitive time off with pay policies, including 4 weeks vacation, sick days, and company holidays
- Paid parental bonding leave for birthing and non-birthing parents
- 401k and retirement benefits
- Employee well-being program with additional perks like: fertility and family building, maternity program, employer discount marketplace, pet insurance, and financial planning tools
- Free live and recorded webinars with CE approval from APA, ASWB, and NBCC
- Malpractice liability insurance policy
- Licensure renewal reimbursement—up to 5 state licenses
- Opportunity for cross-licensure sponsorship and support, if eligible
- A caseload of motivated clients from diverse industries and backgrounds matched with your expertise using specific search features in the care platform
- A new Chromebook, dedicated business support from Operations, HR, and IT professionals, and a monthly technology stipend
- We like to spread joy throughout the year with well-being perks and activities, surprise swag, regular community celebration…and more!
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by law.
By applying for this position, your data will be processed as per Lyra Clinical Associates, P.C. Workforce Privacy Notice. Through this application, we will collect personal information from you including your name, email address, gender identity, employment information, and phone number for the purposes of recruiting and assessing suitability, aptitude, skills, qualifications, and interests for employment with Lyra. We may also collect information about your race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, which is considered sensitive personal information under the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). Providing this information is optional and completely voluntary. If you are a California resident and would like to limit how we use this information, please use the Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information form. This information will only be retained for as long as needed to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, as described above. Please note that Lyra does not “sell” or “share” personal information as defined by the CPRA. For more information about how we use and retain your information, please see our Workforce Privacy Notice.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, summarizing interviews, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.
The anticipated starting base salary for a full-time Licensed Mental Health Therapist at Lyra is $70,000 annually. The base salary is determined by role and placement within the range, and will depend on a number of job-related factors, including but not limited to your skills, qualifications, and location. At Lyra, base salary is only one aspect of an employee’s total compensation package, which may additionally include monthly variable measurement based compensation, comprehensive healthcare coverage, retirement benefits, and time off with pay.
- Please note that although our application mentions a cover letter, we do not require a cover letter in order to be considered for this role.
About Lyra
Lyra is transforming mental health care through technology with a human touch to help people feel emotionally healthy at work and at home. We work with industry leaders, such as Morgan Stanley, Uber, Amgen, and other Fortune 500 companies, to improve access to effective, high-quality mental health care for their employees and their families. With our innovative digital care platform and global provider network, 20 million people can receive the best care and feel better, faster. Founded by David Ebersman, former CFO of Facebook and Genentech, Lyra has raised more than $900 million in funding to support our mission of transforming access to life-changing mental health care.
FURTHER EXPANDING ACCESS: We are currently prioritizing hiring clinicians, counselors, mental health providers, psychologists, and therapists in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. We will continue to welcome applications from all other states, and sponsor cross-licensure across selected states to ensure clinicians are set up for success to support caseload goals. As always, thank you for your continued interest in Lyra Health!
About The Role
Lyra developed an innovative video therapy program called Lyra Care Therapy: blending live video sessions with between-session digital psychoeducation and customizable skill building tools. With this program, you’ll have the resources and support you need to ensure that your clients get better—all while improving access to mental health care from your home or preferred setting.
Daily: As a Lyra Care Therapist, you’ll provide short-term, evidence-based treatment via live video, maintaining a caseload of diverse and varied clinical needs. You’ll assign digital lessons, videos, and assessments to your clients to enhance learnings and monitor outcomes between sessions. An important note: Lyra's clients come from a multitude of different backgrounds and experiences, and have varying needs and abilities. We strive to continue to meet their unique needs by delivering culturally responsive care—an approach that accounts for the impact of cultural backgrounds on each person’s care experience.
Regularly: Our therapists enjoy connecting with their peers, who share a passion for providing evidence-based care. You’ll attend one-on-one and peer group clinical consultation meetings, conduct peer-based quality assurance reviews, and attend robust training to enhance your clinical skills. You’ll always have access to expert consultation and support for your most complex clients. It’s like a safety net of resources to help plan the best options—from specialty consultations to culturally responsive care—you’re not alone, even while working remotely within the US.
This role is a great fit if you're a licensed clinician with excellent interpersonal skills, who wants continuous learning and development in their professional career, and thrives in a feedback rich environment. If you have experience with caseloads that include a comprehensive spectrum of mental health needs, from milder presentations to more complex and severe support, we encourage you to apply. If you're comfortable with evolving processes and excited by a rapidly growing business, then this role is for you!
Requirements
- Master’s degree from a clinical track (e.g., MSW, MFT, MC, MMHC)
- Unrestricted LCSW, LMFT, LPC, PsyD, PhD, or equivalent license (i.e., able to work independently, without supervision from a licensed supervisor) without current, past, or pending disciplinary action
- Experience and commitment to providing evidence-based treatments (e.g., ACT, CBT, CPT, DBT) and clinical best practices (e.g., measurement based care, promoting skills practice)
- Experience managing risk and responding to clinical crises, as needed
- Experience providing telehealth therapy services in a virtual environment (video and teletherapy) preferred but not required
- Computer and live video tools literacy (e.g., Zoom, Google Meets, DoxyMe, Skype, etc.)
- Experience maintaining a full clinical caseload of adult and/or adolescent clients/week (30 potential bookable calendar spots)
- Ability to work full-time, approximately 40 hours per week
- Full-time resident of the United States
Benefits
As a full-time Licensed Mental Health Therapist, you will be employed by Lyra Clinical Associates P.C. We manage the business operations so you can focus on providing high-quality mental health care. Here are just some of our perks and benefits:
- Competitive base pay for your session work and administrative work
- Comprehensive healthcare coverage (including medical, dental, and vision, FSA/HSA, life, and disability insurance)
- Lyra’s benefits package includes gender-affirming surgery
- Access to Lyra for Lyrians; coaching and therapy services for you and your dependents
- Competitive time off with pay policies, including 4 weeks vacation, sick days, and company holidays
- Paid parental bonding leave for birthing and non-birthing parents
- 401k and retirement benefits
- Employee well-being program with additional perks like: fertility and family building, maternity program, employer discount marketplace, pet insurance, and financial planning tools
- Free live and recorded webinars with CE approval from APA, ASWB, and NBCC
- Malpractice liability insurance policy
- Licensure renewal reimbursement—up to 5 state licenses
- Opportunity for cross-licensure sponsorship and support, if eligible
- A caseload of motivated clients from diverse industries and backgrounds matched with your expertise using specific search features in the care platform
- A new Chromebook, dedicated business support from Operations, HR, and IT professionals, and a monthly technology stipend
- We like to spread joy throughout the year with well-being perks and activities, surprise swag, regular community celebration…and more!
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by law.
By applying for this position, your data will be processed as per Lyra Clinical Associates, P.C. Workforce Privacy Notice. Through this application, we will collect personal information from you including your name, email address, gender identity, employment information, and phone number for the purposes of recruiting and assessing suitability, aptitude, skills, qualifications, and interests for employment with Lyra. We may also collect information about your race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, which is considered sensitive personal information under the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). Providing this information is optional and completely voluntary. If you are a California resident and would like to limit how we use this information, please use the Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information form. This information will only be retained for as long as needed to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, as described above. Please note that Lyra does not “sell” or “share” personal information as defined by the CPRA. For more information about how we use and retain your information, please see our Workforce Privacy Notice.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, summarizing interviews, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.
The anticipated starting base salary for a full-time Licensed Mental Health Therapist at Lyra is $70,000 annually. The base salary is determined by role and placement within the range, and will depend on a number of job-related factors, including but not limited to your skills, qualifications, and location. At Lyra, base salary is only one aspect of an employee’s total compensation package, which may additionally include monthly variable measurement based compensation, comprehensive healthcare coverage, retirement benefits, and time off with pay.
- Please note that although our application mentions a cover letter, we do not require a cover letter in order to be considered for this role.
How to Get Visa Sponsorship in Mental Health Therapist
Clarify your licensure status upfront
Mental health employers prioritize licensure over immigration status in screening. Lead with your degree, supervised hours completed, and which license you're pursuing. Employers who understand clinical pipelines are far more likely to engage once they see your professional standing.
Target employers who have sponsored before
Community mental health centers, hospital systems, and large behavioral health networks have existing HR processes for work authorization. Smaller private practices often lack this infrastructure. Focusing on organizations with 50-plus clinical staff significantly improves your sponsorship odds.
Use your supervised hours as a negotiating asset
If you need additional supervised clinical hours for licensure, frame this as a shared investment. Employers gain a committed clinician who needs continuity of employment. That mutual dependency makes sponsorship conversations more natural and gives employers a concrete reason to commit.
Address OPT directly in your cover letter
Behavioral health hiring managers are not always familiar with OPT. One clear sentence explaining your authorization, your EAD validity period, and your H-1B eligibility removes ambiguity. Candidates who proactively address status concerns convert at higher rates than those who wait to be asked.
Prioritize NASW-affiliated and nonprofit mental health employers
Nonprofit community health organizations and federally qualified health centers frequently hire international clinicians and are experienced with sponsorship. These employers often value mission fit and clinical competence over citizenship status, making them a stronger starting point than private for-profit practices.
Mental Health Therapist jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Mental Health Therapist JobsSee all 1,269+ Mental Health Therapist jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Mental Health Therapist roles.
Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Mental Health Therapist on OPT without a clinical license?
It depends on the state and role. Many states allow unlicensed graduates to provide therapy under supervision while accumulating hours toward licensure. You can work in these supervised associate or intern-level positions on OPT. However, roles requiring an independent license, such as Licensed Clinical Social Worker or Licensed Professional Counselor, require active licensure before you can practice autonomously.
Is STEM OPT extension available for Mental Health Therapist jobs?
No. Mental health therapy degrees, including Master of Social Work, Master of Counseling, and related clinical degrees, are not classified under STEM-designated CIP codes. This means you are limited to the standard 12-month OPT period. Planning your job search and any visa sponsorship transition within that window is critical.
What visa typically sponsors Mental Health Therapists after OPT?
The H-1B is the most common pathway. Mental health therapy qualifies as a specialty occupation because it requires a specific graduate-level degree. Some employers in nonprofit or government settings may also be eligible to sponsor O-1 or pursue green card sponsorship directly. The H-1B lottery, filed in April for October start dates, is the primary transition route most OPT students pursue.
How do I find Mental Health Therapist employers who sponsor OPT students?
Migrate Mate is the most direct way to find mental health roles at employers open to OPT and visa sponsorship. Broader searches often surface roles where sponsorship willingness is unclear. On Migrate Mate, you can filter specifically for positions where employers have a track record of sponsoring international candidates, saving significant time in your search.
Does my clinical practicum or internship count as OPT-authorized work?
Pre-completion OPT can cover paid clinical practicums while you are still enrolled. Post-completion OPT covers employment after graduation. Your supervised clinical hours completed during OPT employment do count toward licensure in most states. Confirm with your DSO that your practicum site and supervisor arrangement are properly authorized under your specific OPT terms before starting.
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