- Grief and loss
- Caregiver stress
- Acceptance and commitment
About Casandra
Casandra (Cassie) Starback is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in Michigan with 22 years of professional experience. She has worked extensively in gerontology and in settings that include clinics, residential care communities, and community organizations. Her practice focuses on stress, anxiety, grief, depression, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue, with attention to aging and caregiver concerns.
Cassie draws on long experience supporting older adults and people who care for them. She has worked alongside organizations such as the Alzheimer's Association and in hospice-related settings. That background shapes how she notices practical challenges, like managing caregiving demands, facing end-of-life decisions, and coping with loss.
Her approach uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, and practices drawn from self-compassion. In sessions she helps people notice what matters to them, accept difficult feelings that come up, and take small steps that match their values. She treats those techniques as tools rather than labels and focuses on what the person wants to do next.
Cassie usually helps people who are dealing with life transitions, persistent worry, or feelings of isolation. She talks through concrete coping strategies, routines that ease stress, and ways to strengthen supports around caregiving and aging issues. The work is collaborative and paced to the person's needs.
People who contact Cassie begin by completing a short matching questionnaire and scheduling an initial session. She aims to translate decades of gerontology experience into practical help for everyday challenges related to life purpose and change.
How her therapeutic approaches translate to online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take committed steps toward those values even when feelings are hard. It often focuses on small, practical actions and mindfulness skills that can be practiced between sessions. Self-compassion techniques teach people ways to be less self-critical and to respond to stress with kinder, more constructive responses; these skills can reduce burnout and caregiver strain.Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively with the person to identify which techniques fit their goals and day-to-day life, and she will adjust methods based on what is most helpful over time.
The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current online options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy routine, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules require them. They also permit using exercises, worksheets, and mindfulness practices between appointments to reinforce progress. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT and self-compassion exercises to an online setting and decide together with the person how to pace the work and which tools to use.
Areas of expertise
Additional focus areas
Experience
22+ years
Listed in
Michigan
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue, with additional focus on aging, caregiver issues, end-of-life counseling, isolation, and life purpose.
How would she approach feeling stuck or directionless?
She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and self-compassion practices to help people notice values, accept hard feelings, and take practical steps toward goals.
How much experience does she have?
Cassie has 22 years of professional experience, largely in gerontology and community settings such as clinics and residential care communities.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) licensed in Michigan and practices from that state.
Which languages are supported and can she work with international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. She is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How does pricing work for sessions?
Cost varies with location, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.