We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cassandra Williams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Cassandra , appreciate you joining us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.
Starting my own practice was passion project as I worked as a therapist in community mental health. Fresh out of graduate school and participating in agency work I noticed a glaring lack in trauma informed and attachment based therapy practices. I realized the common place cognitive strategies and interventions weren’t meeting the needs of the clients I had grown to care for. Through tons of research, any mentorship I could find and a lot of self-teaching I found new ways to support people. Unfortunately, not everyone in agency work loved it… and so my practice was born! All of that to say the early days were filled with juggling, push back, and a lot of trial and error; it also didn’t take long before my practice was booming. To any young professional I would say if you develop a skill set that is authentic and put your passion behind it to propel forward you are bound for success.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My educational background is in Social Work. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) which means I have a Masters in Social Work and completed a minimum of two years of supervised work accumulating over 3,000 hours and passed an exam in order to practice in the state of Colorado. I provide individual (including play), couples, family and group therapy.
My area of specialization is trauma and attachment. Both attachment and trauma change the way our brain and body work and feel; this type of therapy requires a whole-person, research backed approach. In my practice much of this is also highly intuitive. We can’t just talk about “it” repeatedly, in fact that could make it worse! Instead we use things like EMDR, mindfulness, imagery, body movement and so much more.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn perfectionism, and I think I’ll be continuing to unlearn this indefinitely. Not only is it an unrealistic expectation, it’s a useless one. Healing is messy and people learn nothing from a pretty package. The depth and breadth of any healing or self actualization exists in the mistakes and experience. I thought being a therapist looked like blazers, stoic expressions and note pads. I’ve come to find through work and research that trauma healing exists in safe relationships so I need to have the courage to show up as a human first, therapist second. Any time I have entered the therapeutic space trying to be someone I’m not, I end up slowing down my clients healing and that’s not something I’m willing to compromise.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
A balance between empathy and boundaries. Too much of either will hurt client relationships or burn you out. This profession has to remain a heart-centered endeavor, and it also cannot be all consuming. Client’s do not need us to be saviors and we can’t afford to allow our work to take over our personal life or override self care. On the flip side, having too many boundaries with clients removes the opportunity for experiencing a safe, trusting dynamic. It’s a daily tight rope walk.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bondingandbehavior.com
- Instagram: @lcswcassandrasays
Image Credits
Kevin Banker Phillip Carnevale