— Employment —
Build a career that makes a difference — and lasts.
Real Life Counseling and its sister company, Real Life Community Behavioral Health (RLCBH), share a hiring pool and a career pipeline — so clinicians and staff can find meaningful impact and lasting professional growth, with an entry point for every stage.
— Why work here —
A community united by purpose, enriched by diversity.
There are many pathways here — from clinical internship to full licensure to administrative leadership. Retention matters to us, so we invest in long-term development and keep the pathways flexible and purpose-driven, shaped around each person's professional journey.
This is a clinic built by counselors, for counselors: we invest in professional growth, expanding competency, and real training — and those advancement pathways extend to our administrative team too.
Built by counselors, for counselors — with room to grow at every stage.— The Real Life way
— Our culture —
A culture of care & collaboration.
Clinicians and administrative staff alike are meant to feel seen, supported, and valued.
Strengths-based communication
We lead with what's working — naming strengths first and building conversations on them.
Transparency in leadership & process
Open communication about decisions and direction, so no one is left guessing.
Individual strengths, passions & voice
We encourage each person to bring their own gifts and perspective to the work.
Unconditional positive regard
Every person on our team is welcomed and respected without judgment.
Humility-driven leadership
Leaders here stay teachable, serve their teams, and lead the practice with humility.
— Roles —
Positions & contracts.
Two sides of the same mission — clinical care and the operations team that makes it possible.
— Clinical roles —
Clinical Internship
Comprehensive onboarding, a steady stream of referrals, supervision, weekly group consultations, peer access, and full administrative support. Onboarding leads into supervisor pairing, admin support, and proactive graduation & career planning.
Associate Licensed Clinician (1099)
A supportive entry point for new graduates: licensure-supervision contracts, training, and clinical support, on systems that meet state, HCA, and insurance standards — a sustainable start into practice.
W-2 Clinician (RLCBH)
A post-internship employment bridge in a community mental-health setting: structured onboarding, access to licensure supervision, and the ability to retain your internship caseload for continuity of care.
Incident-To-Billing (ITB) 1099 Contractor
For early-stage independent contractors building a private practice: clinical support through a credentialed clinician, consultation, and guidance on licensure, credentialing, and business formation.
Licensed 1099 Clinician
For fully licensed, credentialed, autonomous practitioners: back-end support for intake scheduling, billing, referrals, marketing, and credentialing, plus access to a clinical-consultant network.
Clinical Supervisor
RLC-contracted providers who mentor interns and ITB providers while maintaining their own private practice — shaping future clinicians and growing their own leadership.
Intern Supervisor
Licensed clinicians who guide interns through training, developing mentorship and supervisory skills and contributing to the next generation of clinicians.
— Administrative roles —
Admin Support
An entry-level operations role (often front desk) with hands-on training in our systems and values, and exposure to specialty departments: Referrals, Operations, Billing, Credentialing, Bookkeeping, HR, and Marketing.
Admin Support Lead
The next step: greater responsibility, department guidance, team support, and a focus on process improvement and efficiency.
Admin Lead
Department management and team leadership — fostering a healthy culture, operational efficiency, and value alignment, and helping shape policy.
Admin Manager
High-level oversight across multiple departments, working with ownership on vision and strategy, cross-departmental collaboration, and mentorship.
— The pathway —
Understanding the career pathway.
The pathway runs from internship, to full licensure, to launching a private practice through RLC, and on into clinical or administrative leadership — with entry points at multiple stages. RLC's vision is to empower clinicians to build private practices with the operational weight lifted off them, and leadership here follows an "upside-down," mentor-focused, values-driven model.
Train with us
Begin as a clinical intern with structured onboarding, supervision, and a steady flow of referrals. Dr. Melinda Johnson, our Intern Director, built our internship relationships with schools across the Portland/Vancouver area and helps connect interns with supervisors.
Get licensed
Move into associate and licensed roles with licensure-supervision contracts, training, and clinical support — on systems that meet state, HCA, and insurance standards.
Build your practice
Launch a private practice through RLC with the operational weight lifted off your shoulders — intake, billing, referrals, marketing, and credentialing handled, so you can focus on care.
Lead
Grow into clinical or administrative leadership through our "upside-down," mentor-focused, values-driven model — supervising, mentoring, and shaping the next generation of clinicians and staff.
— Now hiring —
Open positions & contract opportunities.
We're currently accepting applications for these roles.
Associate Licensed Clinician (1099)
A supported entry point for new graduates into licensure supervision and practice.
Licensed Clinician (1099)
For fully licensed, autonomous practitioners who want the support of a team behind them.
Clinical Internship
Next cohort starts January 2027. Comprehensive onboarding, supervision, and referrals.
Internship applications reopen in August 2026 for the January 2027 cohort.
— Let's connect —
Want to connect about your future with Real Life?
Not sure which role fits, or just curious about contracting with us? We're always open to meeting passionate people.
Thank you for your interest.
We're grateful you're considering building your career with Real Life Counseling and Real Life Community Behavioral Health.
Start a conversation Visit RLCBH →