Licensed to practice in California. Specializes in Addiction / Substance Use, Anxiety, Trauma and PTSD
(she/her)
New to Grow
I’m Cassandra White, LCSW, and I work with adults who feel stuck in patterns they understand intellectually but struggle to change. My approach is warm, collaborative, and trauma-informed, helping you explore the experiences, beliefs, and relationship patterns beneath anxiety, depression, and emotional distress. Together, we’ll work toward deeper healing, self-understanding, and lasting change.
Your first session is a chance for us to get to know each other and begin understanding what brings you to therapy. We’ll talk about what you’ve been experiencing, the patterns or concerns you’d like to work on, and what you hope will be different in your life. I’ll ask questions about your history and experiences while moving at a pace that feels comfortable for you. By the end of the session, we’ll have a clearer picture of your goals and begin creating a personalized direction for our work together.
I bring warmth, curiosity, and a nonjudgmental approach to therapy. I help clients look beyond symptoms and coping skills to understand the deeper patterns, beliefs, and experiences driving how they feel and respond. Drawing from trauma-informed care, Brainspotting, parts work, and other evidence-based approaches, I tailor therapy to each person rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. My goal is to create a space where clients feel understood while also gently challenged to grow.
My ideal client is an adult who feels stuck in patterns they can’t seem to change, even when they understand where those patterns come from. You may struggle with anxiety, depression, past trauma, relationship or attachment patterns, shame, or feeling disconnected from yourself. You might find yourself asking, “Why do I keep doing this?” or “Why do I react this way?” You’re looking for more than coping skills, you want to understand yourself on a deeper level, heal what is underneath the symptoms, and make meaningful, lasting changes. You don’t need to have everything figured out; you just need to be willing to get curious about yourself and the possibility of something different.
As a Certified Brainspotting therapist, I use Brainspotting to help clients access and process experiences that may be difficult to resolve through talk therapy alone. By using specific points in the visual field while noticing emotions and sensations in the body, we can work with experiences that may be held more deeply. I may integrate Brainspotting when working with trauma, anxiety, difficult emotions, negative beliefs, or patterns that continue to feel “stuck.” The process is collaborative and paced around your comfort, allowing space for your brain and body to process without needing to explain or analyze every part of your experience.
I integrate Internal Family Systems (IFS) concepts and parts work to help clients understand the different parts of themselves that influence their emotions, beliefs, and behaviors. Rather than judging or trying to eliminate these parts, we explore what they may be protecting and what they need. This approach can be especially helpful for understanding patterns such as self-criticism, avoidance, anxiety, shame, or difficulty in relationships. Through greater curiosity and compassion toward these parts, clients can develop a deeper understanding of themselves and begin responding in ways that feel more intentional and aligned with who they want to be.
I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients develop a different relationship with difficult thoughts and emotions rather than feeling controlled by them. Together, we explore what matters most to you, identify the ways fear, avoidance, or old patterns may be getting in the way, and work toward choices that align with your values. ACT is not about eliminating uncomfortable emotions, but learning to make space for them while still moving toward the life you want. I integrate mindfulness, acceptance, self-compassion, and values-based action to help clients build greater psychological flexibility and create meaningful, lasting change.
I use an attachment-based approach to help clients understand how early relationships and life experiences may influence the way they connect with others today. Together, we explore recurring relationship patterns, fears of rejection or abandonment, difficulty trusting others, people-pleasing, boundaries, and the beliefs you may hold about yourself in relationships. Rather than blaming yourself for these patterns, we work to understand where they came from and what purpose they once served. Through greater awareness, self-compassion, and new relational experiences, you can begin developing healthier, more secure ways of connecting with yourself and others.
I use Motivational Interviewing to help clients explore areas where they may feel stuck, uncertain, or conflicted about making a change. Rather than telling you what you “should” do, we work collaboratively to understand what matters to you, what may be getting in the way, and what change would look like on your terms. This approach helps strengthen your own motivation, confidence, and sense of autonomy. I may integrate Motivational Interviewing when working with behavior change, substance use, relationships, health goals, or other patterns that no longer align with the life you want to create.