Dr. Michael Atella
is a licensed psychologist, practicing for more than 30 years. Since
1992, he has been President of Atella and Associates, an independent
practice in Psychology located in downtown Chicago and in
Schaumburg, IL. He is in practice with his wife, Tommy Carol Atella,
and other associates. He loves his work and is passionate about
building into people and helping individuals and organizations grow
to their potentials.
He has a PhD from the University of Chicago in Social and
Organizational Psychology, with additional emphasis in clinical and
health psychology. He did post-doctoral courses at Harvard
University Medical School and ongoing continued education. He
received his Masters in Psychology from Roosevelt University and his
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Northern Illinois University.
Has worked for the University of Chicago/Argonne National Laboratory
as the Mgr. of Psychological Services for 14 years, providing 200
management coaching and consulting interventions per year,
organizational change and strategic planning consulting. He started
an Employee Assistance Program for employee counseling, and
conducted psychological assessments for the Medical Department
there. He has worked with Motorola managers since 1993 in
confidential 6-sigma executive coaching. He is also a substance
abuse professional. For more than two decades he has performed
security consulting for the U.S. Department of Energy in areas of
nuclear non-proliferation and fitness for duty psychological
assessments. He has a Q-level national security clearance.
He has led strategic planning retreats for organizations. In this
regard, he received a national award by the American Psychological
Association (Div. of Health Psychology) for strategic planning and
organizational development he has done. He did OD consulting and
coaching for other divisions in APA, the Society of Psychologists in
Management, the International Council of Psychologists, and other
organizations. He recently was honored to be the keynote speaker at
the Society of Consulting Psychology Fellows Banquet in Pasadena,
CA. He served as the national chair for organizational renewal of
the APA Division of Consulting Psychology for 7 years. He uses the
term “catalyst consulting” for much of his work and has tried to be
a catalyst for assisting organizations, teams, and individuals to
make significant change and growth.
He served upon invitation by U.S. Department of Energy on national
committees to develop standards for personnel security at
approximately 50 national laboratories (including Argonne, Fermi,
Sandia, Lawrence Livermore, Brookhaven, etc.). Also served by
invitation on a similar committee for developing international
standards for Blind Rehabilitation Services, when he worked in this
field early in his career. In addition, he served on an APA national
committee to develop standards in higher education for the teaching
of consulting psychology, in order to apply psychological knowledge
to world problems.
Served as a member of the core leadership team in starting up the
International Science and Technology Consulting and Training Center,
a joint venture with the Chinese Science and Technology Commission
in Tianjin, China. Served as manager of the Training Department
there. Lived with his wife and children there for 2+ years.
He is an adjunct professor and supervising psychologist in the
Wheaton College Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program. He also served
as an assistant professor of psychology at Concordia
University-River Forest, IL, and he started a counseling center
there 25 years ago that still stands today. He has written several
articles for professional journals, including on Inspirational
Leadership, and on Case Studies in Organizational Hardiness.
He has done leadership training and coaching for two decades in his
church and was part of the core leadership team in his church that
started a satellite church in Chicago. He will be a Men’s Retreat
speaker this June, as he was at last year’s men’s retreat.
He was raised going to Blackhawk hockey games and loves the sport.
As a child he watched the Hawks win the Stanley Cup in 1961. He
coached his son’s hockey teams from age 4 to 10. His son was
playing-coach of the Kunming, China hockey team for 6 years. Dr.
Mike enjoyed being asked to be the off sides referee for a game. He
also coached his daughter’s girls softball team, a makeshift team of
girls who had not been selected to any team after the existing
coaches rejected them all and left them without a team. It was a
privilege to work with these girls and help them go to the Oak Park,
IL village championship finals the first year and win the village
championship the next year. He enjoys competition and participates
each year in stair climbing races in Chicago’s various skyscrapers.
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