Remote Child and Adolescent Therapist

Job Overview

Virelia Health connects licensed child and adolescent therapists with opportunities across virtual pediatric mental health, telehealth youth counseling, and digital family therapy programs.

We are seeking qualified Child and Adolescent Therapists for remote opportunities supporting teletherapy companies, virtual behavioral health organizations, school-based mental health programs, health systems, and digital pediatric mental health programs.

A Remote Child and Adolescent Therapist provides pediatric mental health therapy — child therapy, teen counseling, and family-involved treatment through secure telehealth platforms. Working within their state licensure and scope of practice, the child and adolescent therapist conducts developmental assessments, provides play-based and talk-based therapy, involves parents and caregivers in treatment, and coordinates with schools, pediatricians, and the family's care team.

This position is well-suited to a licensed therapist with child and adolescent therapy, pediatric mental health, or youth counseling experience who wants to practice in a virtual setting — providing meaningful pediatric mental health care with schedule flexibility and without the demands of a facility-based environment.

The specific telehealth child therapy program, patient population (children, adolescents, transitional-age youth), clinical model, and scope of responsibilities will depend on the employer and assignment.

This opportunity may be suitable for professionals searching for remote child therapist jobs, work-from-home adolescent therapist jobs, remote child and adolescent therapy jobs, virtual pediatric therapist, or remote teen counselor roles.

What You'll Do

As a Remote Child and Adolescent Therapist, you may support children, adolescents, and their families across the full virtual pediatric mental health lifecycle.

• Conduct virtual developmental and diagnostic assessments — developmental history, mental status exam for children, and DSM-5 diagnosis.
• Develop individualized treatment plans based on developmental assessment and family goals.
• Provide child therapy using play-based and developmentally appropriate therapeutic approaches.
• Provide adolescent therapy using talk-based and age-appropriate therapeutic approaches.
• Provide family-involved treatment — parent coaching, parent-child therapy, and family sessions.
• Provide therapy for children and adolescents with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and behavioral concerns.
• Provide therapy for children and adolescents with trauma, grief, and adjustment concerns.
• Provide therapy for children and adolescents with autism spectrum needs as applicable.
• Use evidence-based modalities — trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT), child-parent psychotherapy (CPP), and behavioral therapy.
• Coordinate care with schools, pediatricians, and the family's care team.
• Document all patient encounters accurately using the EHR.
• Provide parent and caregiver education on child development, behavioral support, and mental wellness.
• Support children and families in crisis — following crisis escalation protocols.
• Maintain compliance with state licensure, telehealth regulations, and mandatory reporting requirements.
• Participate in clinical supervision, peer review, and quality improvement.
• Maintain current knowledge of child development, evidence-based pediatric therapy practices, and licensure requirements.
• Protect patient privacy and maintain HIPAA compliance across all virtual pediatric encounters.

Child and Adolescent Therapy Focus

Virtual pediatric mental health therapy is one of the fastest-growing areas of behavioral health practice — driven by increased demand for children's mental health services, payer coverage for teletherapy, and the recognition that child and adolescent therapists are essential to closing the youth mental health provider gap. Remote child therapists extend pediatric care reach, improve access to youth therapy, and provide evidence-based pediatric mental health care for children and families who may otherwise wait months for an in-person appointment.

Depending on the program, child and adolescent therapy may focus on:

The child and adolescent therapist's role is to provide pediatric mental health therapy within their licensure and scope of practice — including developmental assessment, child and adolescent therapy, family-involved treatment, parent coaching, documentation, and coordination with the care team. The therapist does not prescribe medications; the therapist provides therapy and coordinates with psychiatric prescribers when medication management is needed.

This structure keeps the role focused on developmental assessment, child and adolescent therapy, family-involved treatment, documentation, and appropriate crisis escalation.

Play Therapy, Adolescent Therapy & Family-Involved Treatment

Effective virtual pediatric therapy depends on strong developmental skills and family-involved treatment — the therapist's clinical judgment and developmental expertise determine how to help each child or adolescent achieve their mental health goals.

Depending on the program and clinical focus, you may support children, adolescents, and families by:

• Conducting comprehensive virtual developmental and diagnostic assessments — developmental history, mental status exam for children, and DSM-5 diagnosis.
• Developing individualized treatment plans based on developmental assessment and family goals.
• Providing child therapy using play-based and developmentally appropriate therapeutic approaches.
• Providing adolescent therapy using talk-based and age-appropriate therapeutic approaches.
• Using trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT), child-parent psychotherapy (CPP), and behavioral therapy as appropriate.
• Providing family-involved treatment — parent coaching, parent-child therapy, and family sessions.
• Providing therapy for children and adolescents with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and behavioral concerns.
• Providing therapy for children and adolescents with trauma, grief, and adjustment concerns.
• Coordinating care with schools, pediatricians, and the family's care team.
• Documenting all patient encounters accurately and consistently.
• Providing parent and caregiver education on child development and behavioral support.
• Following crisis escalation protocols when children or adolescents present with acute safety concerns.

Clinical judgment, developmental expertise, and family engagement skills are essential — child and adolescent therapists are the clinicians who provide evidence-based pediatric therapy for children and families who need mental health care.

Virtual Pediatric Therapy Workflow

A Remote Child and Adolescent Therapist may follow a structured workflow across each virtual pediatric therapy encounter.

Depending on the employer's protocols, you may:

Required Qualifications

• Active clinical license in good standing (LCSW, LPC, LMHC, LMFT, or equivalent) in the state(s) required by the employer.
• Master's or Doctoral degree in counseling, social work, psychology, marriage and family therapy, or a related field.
• Previous clinical experience in child and adolescent therapy, pediatric mental health, or youth counseling.
• Strong developmental assessment, play therapy, and family-involved treatment skills.
• Comfortable with telehealth platforms, EHR systems, and virtual child/adolescent therapy workflows.
• Strong documentation and time-management skills.
• Ability to recognize situations requiring crisis escalation.
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and HIPAA compliance.
• Reliable internet suitable for real-time video and a private workspace suitable for confidential pediatric therapy sessions.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience or certification in any of the following may be beneficial:

Skills & Competencies

Clinical Pediatric Therapy Skills

Communication & Engagement

Digital Health & Technology

A Typical Day

A typical day may begin by reviewing your scheduled appointments — checking child and adolescent histories, prior therapy notes, treatment plan goals, and any new intake information from parents or caregivers.

You'll conduct virtual pediatric therapy sessions — providing child therapy, adolescent therapy, and family-involved treatment, using play-based or talk-based approaches as developmentally appropriate, and engaging parents and caregivers in the treatment process.

Between sessions, you'll document each patient encounter accurately, coordinate care with schools and pediatricians, respond to parent questions, and follow up on treatment plan items.

Throughout the day, you'll provide parent and caregiver education on child development and behavioral support, follow crisis escalation protocols when children or adolescents present with acute concerns, and ensure compliance with licensure, telehealth regulations, and mandatory reporting requirements.

The role combines developmental assessment, child and adolescent therapy, family-involved treatment, parent education, documentation, and appropriate crisis escalation.

Unlike adult-focused therapist roles, child and adolescent therapy requires developmental expertise, family engagement skills, and the ability to work effectively with parents and caregivers as part of the treatment team.

Remote Work Environment

This position is designed for remote teletherapy delivery.

Depending on the employer, you may work with:

Candidates should have a stable internet connection suitable for real-time video, a private workspace suitable for confidential pediatric therapy sessions, and comfort with multiple digital platforms.

Licensure & State Eligibility

Remote child and adolescent therapist roles are currently in highest demand in states with strong teletherapy adoption, pediatric mental health investment, and broad payer coverage for virtual youth counseling:

Top-demand states: California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Colorado.

Strong secondary markets: Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin.

Child and adolescent therapists must hold a current clinical license (LCSW, LPC, LMHC, LMFT, or equivalent) and must be authorized to practice in the state(s) where patients are located. Some teletherapy programs use multistate licensure through the Counseling Compact or Social Work Licensure Compact (where enacted); others require state-specific licensure for each patient location. Requirements vary by employer. Always confirm the specific licensure requirements with the employer before applying.

Want to know which states accept remote healthcare roles? Read our remote healthcare licensure guide.

Compensation & Benefits

This position offers $30–$58 per hour, based on experience, geographic location, licensure, certification, and assignment requirements. Remote child and adolescent therapist roles typically offer scheduled patient appointments and predictable clinical days.

Benefits are assignment-specific and may vary depending on whether the opportunity is full-time, part-time, contract, or direct hire. Depending on the employer, benefits may include:

Why Consider Remote Child and Adolescent Therapy?

Pediatric teletherapy is expanding rapidly — driven by increased demand for children's mental health services, payer coverage for virtual youth counseling, and the recognition that child and adolescent therapists are essential to closing the youth mental health provider gap.

Many child and adolescent therapists find remote teletherapy roles appealing because they offer:

• Meaningful pediatric impact — you're providing evidence-based therapy to children and adolescents who need it most.
• Predictable clinical schedule — scheduled patient appointments without facility floor assignments or physical demands.
• Pediatric therapy career pathway — experience translates into clinical supervision roles, school-based program leadership, and pediatric mental health leadership.
• Family-involved treatment — you work with the whole family, not just the child, supporting lasting change.
• Growing employer demand — teletherapy companies, virtual behavioral health organizations, school-based mental health programs, health systems, and digital pediatric mental health programs are all hiring remote child and adolescent therapists.

It may be particularly suitable for licensed therapists with child and adolescent therapy, pediatric mental health, and youth counseling experience who want to practice in a structured virtual setting with predictable schedules and family-involved treatment.