Dr. Thomas Kadela

Dr. Thomas Kadela is a licensed clinical social worker in Illinois (LCSW #149007447) with 30 years of assessment and treatment experience. He maintains a professional yet approachable style and limits his online caseload to one or two clients at a time because he works full time with the Department of Veterans Affairs and serves as a United States Army National Guard Behavioral Health Officer - neither of which he formally represents here.

Before joining the Department of Veterans Affairs, he specialized in work with children and families. On-line sessions with Dr. Kadela are shaped by the client - he views the relationship as a partnership in which the client is the expert on their own life and he brings clinical expertise to the process. Whether a person wants executive coaching, a sounding board consistent with Gestalt approaches, or focused treatment for issues such as depression, trauma, anxiety, sleep disturbances, communication difficulties, or anger, the format and goals are chosen collaboratively.

When a targeted, evidence-based approach is preferred, Dr. Kadela is formally trained in several proven therapies, including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression (CBT-D), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP), Social Skills Therapy (SST), Anger Management (AM), Solution Focused Brief Psychotherapy (SFBP), and Problem Solving (PS). These interventions frequently include practice or homework between sessions to reinforce progress.

He takes a holistic approach that attends to Body, Mind and Spirit (however a person defines Spirit). When one domain is out of balance the others are often affected - the result can feel as awkward as driving with three round tires and one square one. In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Kadela has taught at both graduate and undergraduate university levels, published in journals, earned board certification in his discipline, and worked in or supervised inpatient, outpatient, and residential treatment settings. He has presented at conferences and held leadership roles such as Chief Clinical Officer of National Programs, State Director, Chief Administrative Officer, Training Director, and Supervisor of Specialty Programs. A U.S. Army combat veteran, he is willing to provide additional professional details on request and looks forward to the possibility of working together.