Postdoc Fellowship in Psycho-oncology – UT Southwestern Simmons Cancer Center

UT Southwestern Simmons Cancer Center, an NCI-designated institute, is offering a post-doctoral fellowship in Psycho-oncology.

This supervised 12-month term position will begin approximately Tuesday, September 2, 2025 (flexible start date) and finish August 31, 2026.

The Psycho-oncology team at UT Southwestern Simmons Cancer Center places a high value on treating the mental health needs of cancer patients within the context of academic medicine.

Fellows receive specialization training in all facets of Psycho-oncology, including assessment, intervention, interdisciplinary consultation-liaison work, didactic instruction within and outside of psycho-oncology, supervision training, collaboration with oncology specialties including outpatient palliative care, and psycho-oncology research.

Training in multicultural assessment and empirically supported treatments are emphasized, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy, Supportive Psychotherapy, and Brief Dynamic Therapy.

Opportunities to engage in Group Therapy modalities are also available.

Benefits :

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• Salary competitive with current NIH postdoctoral fellowship funding standards (currently $61,008+).
• Financial stipend ($1500) for conference travel and / or continuing education, as well as 7 full workdays of allocated leave time for professional development.
• Access to full-time employee benefits, including access to employee health insurance, dental / vision, retirement options, paid vacation / sick leave, employee discounts, and wellness benefits.
• UTSW is a designated non-profit institution that may qualify as a valid employer for individuals seeking certain types of Public Student Loan Forgiveness.
• Multiple opportunities to apply for open psychology faculty positions at UT Southwestern after completion of post-doctoral year.
• Protected time to pursue licensure and / or board-certification process.
• Benefits of living in the vibrant and diverse urban metroplex of Dallas / Fort Worth.

Training Opportunities :

• Provision of direct clinical services (in-person and via telehealth), including consultation and triage, diagnostic intake assessments, both brief and longer-term psychotherapy, group therapy, and crisis intervention, within an NCI-designated cancer center.
• Frequent opportunities to consult with allied health professionals. Some examples include Oncology Palliative Care, the UTSW Addiction Psychiatry Clinic, and the UTSW Complex Pain Clinic.
• Opportunities to work with patients from diverse cultural backgrounds involving complex, intersecting diversity factors, such as cancer patients from rural communities in Texas who often experience substantial barriers to treatment due to physical isolation and low SES.
• Participation in weekly administrative team meetings, weekly case consultation meetings, didactic trainings, and other multidisciplinary meetings as needed.
• 2 hours minimum of weekly supervision by faculty supervisor, including the opportunity to receive supervision-of-supervision of established doctoral practicum student and / or interns.

The team prioritizes structured, formal feedback of clinical skills with supervision aimed at deep conceptualizations of patients and their symptoms.

• Supervision training opportunities, via interactions with interns that are part of our captive APA-accredited Internship program and / or practicum students in our APA-accredited Clinical Psychology Doctoral program.
• Opportunities for clinical program development (e.g., building group therapy treatment options, improving systems to address care access concerns).
• Administrative duties as assigned, including patient triage and brief consultation. Refine timely documentation practices in the electronic medical record (EPIC).
• Encouragement to participate meaningfully in our established, tiered Psycho-oncology research team, comprised of faculty and graduate dissertation students, as well as both graduate and undergraduate Research Assistants.

This involves the opportunity for presentation, publication, and mentorship.

• Teaching and guest lecturing opportunities within the Division of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Cancer Center, and / or other University or local organization outlets.
• Access to multiple educational and employee support opportunities through UT Southwestern (e.g., multiple grand rounds, wellness events, specialty celebrations, discounts for local products and entertainment events).

Typical Schedule : 40 hours per week, primarily on-site at two of our cancer treatment centers at UT Southwestern, located in Dallas and Fort Worth.

Approximately 70% of time will be spent in direct clinical care activities (including documentation and consultation). This would include a combination of therapy intake sessions, brief consultations, individual therapy, and, on occasion, psychological testing.

This is typically reflected in 20-25 scheduled hours of direct clinical care per week. The remaining 30% of time will be intended for research, program development, continuing education, supervision training, and / or teaching activities, depending on specialty interests of the candidate.

Requirements :

Candidates must be current Ph.D. or Psy.D. candidates in good standing, with an anticipated degree completion date of August 2025, including completion of dissertation well in advance of postdoctoral start date.

Prior training experiences in health psychology and / or medical settings is required (oncology-specific experience desired, but not mandatory).

Future career interests in academic medicine and / or research interests in health / medical psychology are also preferred.

Please note that applicants with a doctoral degree award date of August 2025 or later should plan to obtain a letter of attestation from the Dean of your college stating that you have completed all requirements for your degree.

• Experience with providing diagnostic assessment and brief, empirically supported therapy.
• Commitment to providing multicultural counseling and conceptualizing from multiple perspectives.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a diverse population of patients, families, and medical team providers.
• Dedication to learning about the field of Psycho-oncology within academic medicine.

Application Deadlines : Begin December 1, 2024 Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis :

Interested individuals should send via e-mail a current CV, cover letter that includes a statement of interest, and 3 letters of reference (1 from the current clinical training director of the graduate program, 1 from a clinical supervisor at a medical / health-oriented rotation, and 1 from a current internship supervisor) to :

Laura Howe-Martin, PhD, ABPP UT Southwestern Medical Center 5323 Harry Hines Blvd. Dallas, TX 75390

[email protected]

https : / / utswmed.org / cancer / support-services / psycho-oncology /

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community.

• In accordance with federal and state law, the University prohibits unlawful discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of : race;
• color; religion; national origin; sex; including sexual harassment; age; disability; genetic information; citizenship status;

and protected veteran status. In addition, it is UT Southwestern policy to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

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