What it's like to be an associate at Creative Connections

Oct 5

Getting your hours is about more than a caseload. It's about who you learn from while you build your skills. A lot of associateships are technically fine, but they're not what we set out to build, so here's what we did differently.

Not a part-time gig you stitch together

Plenty of associate positions are part-time, which means you end up working for a couple of different places just to make it work. You're juggling schedules, systems and supervisors, and you never really feel like you belong anywhere.

Ours is a salaried position, with a true 32-hour workweek and benefits. We built it that way on purpose, so you can focus on growing as a therapist instead of piecing together a living.

You're a clinician on the team

You're not a placeholder or a pair of hands to fill a caseload. At Creative Connections you have an identity as a clinician on our team, and you're a valued member of it. Your voice matters, your questions are welcome, and nobody expects you to have it all figured out.

Mentorship and support, every week

Here's what associates get:

Weekly clinical supervision with experienced licensed therapists
Weekly business mentorship with our CEO, covering how a sustainable practice works, caseload management, documentation and time management
Group consultation with the rest of our licensed team, so you're thinking through cases with a whole group, not on your own
Structured onboarding and ongoing training
Administrative support, with billing, benefits checks, client matching and scheduling handled in-house
A pathway to becoming a licensed therapist within our practice

What it looks like day to day

Associates see clients in person at our Newhall office or by telehealth. Clients benefit too: when you see an associate, two therapists are on your case. You get consistent referrals, so you can build a full caseload without chasing clients.

We're a boutique-feeling group with a collaborative team and supportive leadership. It's the kind of place where you can ask a question without feeling judged.

Questions to ask before you accept any associate position

Whether you are looking at us or anywhere else, the details of an associateship shape your next few years. Here are questions worth asking, and writing the answers down.

How am I paid? Is it a salary, a per-session split, or a 1099 arrangement? What happens with cancellations and no-shows, and who covers the gaps?
Who supervises me, and how often? Is it weekly, individual or group, and who signs off on my hours? What happens if my supervisor leaves?
Who pays for supervision and training? If supervision is an extra cost, how much and when is it due?
Where do my clients come from? Will referrals be consistent, or will I need to market myself? How long does it usually take to build a full caseload?
What admin support is included? Billing, scheduling, intake, credentialing, benefits checks and documentation systems can take up an astonishing amount of time if you handle them alone.
What are the real expectations? How many client hours a week, how is documentation handled, and what happens when you are sick, on vacation or need to take a day?
Is there a path to licensure inside the practice? What happens after you are licensed, and are there any restrictions on what you can do afterward?
How will my hours be tracked? Who keeps the records? It is smart to keep your own copy of your hours log either way.

How to get the most out of your associate years

Bring a real case or question to every supervision, not just the cases that are going well.
Ask for feedback early, and ask what you could do differently, not just whether you are doing okay.
Set one clinical goal each quarter, like building skill with a certain population or learning a new way of working, and tell your supervisor so they can help.
Learn the business side while you are in a safe place to do it. Ask how scheduling, documentation and billing work so you are not starting from zero later.
Find peers. Colleagues going through the same stage make a huge difference for your confidence and your well-being.

Questions we hope you ask us

We would love to hear what you are looking for, what kind of supervision helps you grow, and what kind of clients you want to work with. If you are curious about what a week might look like, how supervision and mentorship work in practice, or what the path from associate to licensed looks like here, ask. You are interviewing us as much as we are interviewing you.

If you're an AMFT, ACSW or APCC looking for a place to grow, or a licensed therapist interested in joining us, take a look at our openings.

Associate positions: Associateship

Join our team: Employment

Continuing education: CEs for Therapists

Creative Connections, 24325 Main Street, Ste. 102, Newhall

Alexandra Field