Kim Padula, LCSW

Tennessee · 26 years in practice

Kim Padula is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, mood disorders, addiction, grief, relationship strain, and life changes.

License and registration

LCSW, Tennessee: 3352 · expires August 2026
NPI: 1467415018 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 26
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check the license with the issuing state board, and the NPI with the national registry.

About Kim

Kim Padula is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, mood disorders, addiction, grief, relationship strain, and life changes. She brings a steady, straightforward approach that aims to increase choice and movement when life feels stuck. Kim trained in psychology at Vanderbilt University and earned a Master of Social Work to pursue clinical practice.

She has worked as a therapist since 1995 and draws on 26 years of frontline experience with a wide range of concerns.

Background and approach

Her style emphasizes strengths as well as vulnerabilities. Early sessions focus on your history and the relationships that have shaped you. From there she helps set clear goals and a practical plan to reach them.

Techniques come from several established approaches including client-centered work, cognitive behavioral methods, and existential ideas about meaning and responsibility. Sessions are collaborative - the client and therapist decide together what to try and when to adjust the plan. Kim helps people build tools for coping, manage painful moods, and reduce harmful behaviors.

She also supports those dealing with caregiver stress, aging issues, first responder stress, and challenges around identity and life purpose. Her way of working is practical, respectful, and focused on measurable steps forward.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Kim lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Stress, Anxiety
Addictions
Bipolar disorder
Depression
Coping with life changes
LGBT
Relationship issues
Family conflicts
Grief
Anger management
Self esteem
Career difficulties
Coaching
Compassion fatigue
Aging and geriatric issues
Caregiver issues and stress
Co-morbidity
Codependency
Communication problems
Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
Divorce and separation
Drug and alcohol addiction
Family of origin issues
First responder issues
Forgiveness
Life purpose
Midlife crisis
Mood disorders
Panic disorder and panic attacks
Prejudice and discrimination
Self-love
Social anxiety and phobia
Women's issues
Workplace issues

Approaches Kim names

Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.

Online support

Approaches for online counseling and practical change

Existential Therapy helps people reflect on meaning, choice, and responsibility in their lives. It can be useful when someone faces major life questions, grief, or a sense of being stuck. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and support so the client feels understood and safe to find their own answers. It tends to help people build confidence and clarity about what matters to them. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on noticing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and practicing concrete skills to change them; it is often used for anxiety, depression, panic, and coping with stress.

Choosing the right mix of approaches is a team effort. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't worked in the past. Together they will try methods, review progress, and adjust the plan so the approach stays useful and relevant.

Online therapy offers flexibility in how sessions happen. Video calls let people meet face to face when schedules allow. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat or text-based messaging can fit into a busy day and allow ongoing support between sessions. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent around work, caregiving, and other demands.

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Questions people ask

What kinds of problems does Kim address?

Kim works with stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorders, addictions, grief, relationship and family concerns, anger, self-esteem, career and compassion fatigue. She also focuses on aging, caregiver stress, first responder issues, and related mood concerns.

What is her therapeutic style like?

Her approach is collaborative and strengths-based. She helps clients set goals, tracks progress, and adjusts the plan together as needed.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has been practicing since 1995, giving her 26 years of experience working with a range of mental health and life concerns.

What credentials and region are listed?

She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in Tennessee. Her profile lists Tennessee as the practice location.

Are sessions offered in other languages or internationally?

Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts international clients.

Which session formats are available?

Kim offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to meet different scheduling and communication needs.

How does cost and billing work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are billed through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

What are the first steps to begin therapy?

Use the Start Therapy button, complete a brief matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

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