Sandra Kakacek, Ed.D.

OVERVIEW

Prior to joining Adler University, Dr. Kakacek gained valuable experience as an assistant of training and has taught practicum and internship courses for seven years. She embraces the knowledge and diligence of site supervisors and welcome their expertise and commitment to Adler’s students. Working with a wide range of sites gives students a rich experience and helps prepare them to become future social justice catalysts for change.

Her teaching philosophy is grounded in her early experiences as a junior high school teacher and shaped by her ongoing work in the field. She incorporates principles of social constructionism in her instruction and draws on Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. She continually assesses students’ needs and evaluates their skill development and application.

Dr. Kakacek aims to create an open, accepting environment where students feel comfortable engaging in Dialogue — and even agreeing to disagree with one another and with her. She integrates multicultural and social justice principles into every class she teaches, with the goal of empowering students to become catalysts for social change. She works to support students’ learning processes through a multisensory approach, adjusting lesson structures as needed to best meet their needs. This flexibility fosters open Dialogue and encourages participation from all students. She does not position herself as the sole expert; instead, she views everyone as journeying and learning together.

Her areas of expertise include equine-assisted psychotherapy and child, adolescent, and family Counselling. Over the past 35 years, she has worked with clients experiencing a wide range of mental health disorders and transitional challenges, with most presenting concerns involving post-traumatic stress, sexual abuse, and anxiety disorders. When appropriate, she incorporates equines into semi-structured, non-riding therapeutic activities tailored to clients’ needs. She also had the opportunity to provide weekly equine-assisted Counselling to incarcerated juveniles for eight years. Additionally, she integrates metaphor-based interventions throughout her sessions.

Her goals for Adler University students are clear: she feels a strong responsibility, as a social catalyst for change, to help students uncover and strengthen their abilities to serve their communities and enrich the lives of those they encounter. She is honored to coordinate training and teach future practitioners, guiding them as they develop into impactful leaders for social change.

MEMBERSHIPS + ASSOCIATIONS

• Illinois Counsellor Educators and Supervisors,Secretary, 2013-15 and president 2015-16.
• Illinois Counselling Association, President-elect, 2015-16 and president 2017-2018.
• American Counselling Association.
• American Counselling Association for Child and Adolescent Counselling.
• American Counselling Association for Counsellor Education & Supervision.
• American Counselling Association for Creativity in Counselling.
• American Counselling Association for Multicultural Counselling and Development.
• American Counselling International Association for Resilience and Trauma in Counselling.
• American Counselling Military& Government Counselling Association.
• American Counselling International Association for Marriage and Family Counselors.
• American Counselling International Asocation.
• Illinois Counselling Association.
• Illinois Counsellor Educators and Supervisors.
• Illinois Association for Multicultural Counselling.
• Illinois Association for LGBTQ Issues in Counselling.
• Illinois Mental Health Counselling Association.
• Illinois School Counselling Interest Group.
• International Association of Counselors.
• North Central Association for Counsellor Education & Supervision.