Cognitive Behavioral Therapist

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category

Academic Staff

Employment Type: Terminal (Fixed Term)

Job Profile

Researcher II

Job Summary

We are seeking a part-time Researcher to join the CBT+ Clinical Research Trial, a National Institute of Mental Health-funded study examining the effectiveness of combining standardized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with physical exercise or a comparison condition for the treatment of depression.

This position will contribute to the implementation of research protocols and the collection of clinical research data by delivering standardized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to study participants.

Working collaboratively with a multidisciplinary research team, the Researcher will support study coordination, participant engagement, and protocol adherence.

Key responsibilities include systematically assessing depressive symptoms and suicidality outcomes in accordance with established study protocols, maintaining accurate and confidential research documentation, and supporting data integrity and regulatory compliance.

The successful candidate will receive training and consultation in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for depression and follow a manualized treatment plan for all sessions.

This part-time position offers a flexible schedule, with participant sessions gradually increasing to approximately 10–15 per week, each lasting 50 minutes, in addition to research team meetings, training, consultation, documentation, and other study-related activities.

Preference will be given to candidates with afternoon and evening availability. Compensation is provided for therapy sessions as well as other activities required for this position (e. g., training, consultation, documentation).

Duties

• Provides individual counseling to participants struggling with depressive symptoms.
• Evaluate depressive symptoms, including suicidality, in each session.
• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism.
• Creates and maintains research records related to therapy sessions.
• Participate in a multidisciplinary team.

Key Job Responsibilities

Maintains secure, confidential research documentation of therapy sessions to support data integrity, protocol adherence, and research compliance.

• Collaborates with a multidisciplinary research team to support study coordination and protocol implementation.
• Follows protocols to systematically assess depressive symptoms and suicidality outcomes at study visits.

Provides standardized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to participants enrolled in the CBT+ Clinical Research Trial for treatment of depression.

Department

The Department of Kinesiology is a multidisciplinary department that includes undergraduate programs in Kinesiology, Physical Education, and Health Promotion and Health Equity as well as nationally ranked graduate programs in Exercise and Movement Science, Athletic Training, and Occupational Therapy. Graduates of our programs have gone on to careers as some of the most prominent researchers and scholars in the field, and leaders within their respective professions.

The Department of Kinesiology resides in the UW-Madison School of Education, which is regularly ranked as one of the top Schools of Education in the nation. The School is proud of the outstanding breadth of its programs, with departments in Education, Health, and the Arts. The School views this broad range of programs as a tremendous strength.

Compensation

Minimum: $75/HR 10-20 hours per week Commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Required Qualifications

• Graduate degree in psychology, social work, or mental health counseling or closely related field.
• Licensed or licensed-eligible as a mental health provider.
• Ability to work onsite at the Medical Sciences Center in Madison, WI.

Strong interpersonal and communication skills for effectively engaging with participants and collaborating with a multidisciplinary research team.

Ability to follow manualized treatment protocols while maintaining clinical judgment and flexibility in session delivery.

Ability to maintain accurate and confidential records in compliance with research and clinical documentation standards.

Ability to work independently and exercise sound professional judgment while contributing to a team environment.

Knowledge of ethical and legal standards related to mental health practice, including confidentiality, informed consent, and documentation.

Skill in conducting structured clinical interviews and evaluating depressive symptoms, including assessing risk and suicidality.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to treat depression or experience with manualized interventions.
• Involvement in previous research studies as a member of the study team and/or interventionist.
• Availability to see participants in the afternoons or evenings to accommodate study scheduling.

Education

Master’s degree in Psychology, social work, or mental health counseling or closely related field.

How to Apply

Please go to the “Apply Now” area and select your current UW Employment Status. Upload a copy of your current resume and a cover letter. If your application materials are incomplete at the time the posting closes, your application will be considered incomplete and may not be reviewed.

Contact Information

Jacob Meyer jdmeyer3@wisc.edu

Institutional Statement on Diversity

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies.

We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e. g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.