Counsellor Therapist (Graduate Students)

Department: Student Wellness Services
This position is represented by the agreement between the Professional Staff Association and the University of Guelph

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 Career Opportunities (sapsf.com)

General Purpose

The Counsellor/Therapist, Point Person for Graduate Students is a clinical counsellor position who also focuses on graduate student mental health needs and develop programming to address those needs.  The incumbent will provide clinical work with students, primarily graduate students, on an individual and group basis.  In consultation with the student and through professional assessment, counsellors offer brief counselling for a variety of developmental and mental health presenting concerns. The Counsellor/Therapist also provides crisis intervention, training, consultation and support to students, faculty, and the larger university community as it relates to student mental health.

Duties and Responsibilities

The focus of the role is primarily clinical work with students.  As a Point Person for Graduate students, the counsellor will also focus on the mental health and wellness needs of graduate students:

• • Provide a prebooked appointments for Graduate Student Drop-in.
  • Develop and inform programming and service pathways for graduate students such as workshops, groups, website content development.
  • Consult with staff/faculty working with graduate students to provide information, clinical guidance or training as required.
  • Collaborate with Colleges, Graduate Studies Office, and the Graduate Student Association to inform service options and communication pathways to increase accessibility and awareness for graduate students to mental health resources.  The incumbent will also work collaboratively within SWS to coordinate graduate services as a team and provide clinical knowledge when required.
  • Collaborate with other university units such as Student Experience and the Library or other departments offering specific graduate student supports.

Requirements

• Masters level in Social Work, Counselling, or equivalent; membership in a regulated professional college required; and a minimum of three years supervised clinical experience in individual and group therapy.
• Previous post-secondary experience, an asset.
• Demonstrated brief therapy and group therapy skills as well as experience with drop-in counselling and single session work.  Triaging and organizing a busy caseload within a brief clinical context are essential.
• Experience working with individuals with diverse and intersecting identities and/or lived experience within equity seeking communities that contributes to the team’s anti-oppressive, anti-racist and trauma-informed practice with students.
• Experience with the breadth of problems presented by students, (anxiety, depression, interpersonal problems, trauma, loss) as well as the complexity. Experience in Mental health service an asset.
• Experience in crisis intervention, risk assessment and management as well as case management. 
• Experience with community development work, creating collaborations, developing curriculum or service ideas.  
• Understanding the broader mental health system, including emergency mental health services, procedures, and legislation. Clear understanding of privacy legislation.
• Ability and willingness to consult with and develop the interdisciplinary team.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills; strong written, oral and presentation skills.
• Electronic record keeping skills; proficiency with computers, MS Office or other word processing, and presentation software.
• Counsellors will work in different locations in the university depending on service need.

Flexible work hours, some evenings.

This appointment is regularly performed on campus.  There is presently an option for one virtual day per week which is dependent on operational requirements.

Employee Type: Regular 
Position Number: 10927490 
Classification: P&M FT- Band 06    
Professional/Managerial Salary Bands 
The target hiring salary for this position is minimum and up to 96% of midpoint for the salary grade.

*Tentative evaluation; subject to committee review. 

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

Posting Date:  07/21/2026  
Closing Date:  07/28/2026