Cassidy Connolly

If you are here because you’re ready to work with a therapist who just “gets it”, you are on the right page. I approach my work within my lived experiences as a Queer, neurodiverse, and anxious person! In sessions with me you won’t often have to over-explain your experiences (like educating me on what a bathhouse or neurodivergent burnout is).

If you have been looking for a therapist who doesn’t feel like a white-coat automaton, you’ve found the right page. I don’t provide one-size-fits all therapy or tell you what’s best for you. I aim for my therapy to be very tailored and personal. I bring a lot of my Self to my work, and one of my favourite compliments a client ever gave me was: “our sessions feel like sitting in my living room and having a cup of coffee together”. I don’t believe that coming to therapy needs to feel scary or invasive.

If you’ve been seeking a therapist who will give you a healthy balance of affirmation and challenge, you’ve come to the right page. I try to always lead from a place of nonjudgement and empathy. My favourite definition of empathy is: “I understand, even if I don’t agree”. I think it’s crucial that we start off by understanding and validating your experiences and emotions (even and especially if you struggle to do so for yourself). In addition, I will work to support you in identifying when your responses to valid emotions are unhelpful, and we can work together towards ones that are.

If you want a greater self-understanding, but the science of a diagnosis, medication or experience feels overwhelming, you are on the right page. My academic background in Brain and Cognition helps me to contextualize your experiences, and I love breaking the data down into actually-understandable language to help my clients build on their compassion for self and others.

If you have had therapy experiences that just didn’t seem like they fit for you or your real life, you may very well be on the right page. I strive for my therapy to be as accessible as possible. This can take many forms: crocheting together in session, speaking in metaphors/visual images, providing session summaries, and so much more! 

I understand our hurt and healing primarily through the lens of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy. This work says we all have many Parts to ourselves. We can notice these Parts in moments such as when we think: “I really want to be compassionate towards [somebody], but I can’t because part of me just feels so mad at [them]!”. For most of us, that’s when a Part is metaphorically jumping into the driver’s seat. As we get to know our Parts, we can identify where they are causing trouble in our world, what taught them they had to do the jobs they do, and eventually what they need from us so they will trust you to take the wheel and get to steer your own life again.

I’ve done front-line work in mental health for over 10 years in settings from shelters to inpatient rehabs to community agencies and now, private practice. I have had the privilege of meeting and learning from so many clients. Over the years I have supported folks with their gender and sexuality, anxiety, depression, addiction, self-esteem, relationships, communication skills, spiritual concerns, assertiveness, body image, disordered eating, grief and loss, trauma symptoms, big life changes, becoming (or debating becoming) parents, and much more.

If you’re ready to take the first step together in therapy or just want to learn more about me and how I approach care, I offer free 15-minute telephone consultations so we can explore if we’d be a good fit.