Cassaundra Popek, LMFT

Mental Health Clinician

Education:
Masters of Family Therapy – Drexel University
Bachelor of Art, Psychology with a minor in Health and Wellness – Cedar Crest College

Licensure/Certification:
CT & MA Licensed Marital and Family Therapist
CT/NREMT Licensed Emergency Medical Technician

Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician (ERPSCC)
Certified Perinatal Mental Health Clinician (PMH-C)
Trained in Critical Incident Stress Management through the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc (ICISF)

Professional Memberships:
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
Connecticut Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (CTAMFT)
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc (ICISF)
Lexipol / National Emergency Responder & Public Safety Center
Postpartum Support International (PSI)
National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT)

Therapeutic Approach:
I utilize a strength-based, solution-focused, trauma-informed approach to therapy. As a Couples and Family Therapist I utilize a systemic perspective identifying both internal and external systemic factors that may affect our mental health. I pull from several therapeutic approaches to meet my students where they are emotionally and support them in a manner that relates to them best. I frequently utilize techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Reinforcement Based Therapy (RBT), psychoeducation, Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM).

Professional Interests:
My clinical interests include but are not limited to working with people who have struggled with traumatic experiences, crisis intervention/de-escalation, substance misuse, dual diagnosis, relationship distress, ADHD, anxiety and depression. I enjoy working with clients who are or have family members that are emergency responders such as Law Enforcement, Firefighters, Emergency Medical Services, Military and Veterans. I am trained in working with Critical Incident Stress Management techniques and have supported numerous clients that have experienced critical incidents at work or in their personal lives. I also work with the perinatal population, supporting families who are working towards, currently in, or adjusting to expanding their families.

I enjoy individual, couples, family and group therapy in addition to presenting about mental health, substance misuse and critical incident related topics. I enjoy providing others with education on these topics to better understand some of the challenges they may be experiencing and ways to work through them more effectively.

Language spoken: English

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers