So how does a former TV host end up working in mental health?
It started with me coming to terms with my own mental health struggles, finally getting diagnosed with anxiety, depression and ADHD in my late 20s and early 30s. When I hosted my nightly talk show, Tonight With Cassidy, on KGW, Portland’s NBC affiliate, I prided myself on being authentic, and sharing my real experiences with anyone watching. So I knew that’s what I needed to continue doing, just in a new way.
I began talking about my mental health online, leading me to start my own podcast, Mentally Together, in 2021. This allowed me to continue sharing other people’s stories in a way that felt more meaningful and real than ever.
At the same time, I learned tools to support my own mental health, including therapy and mindfulness. And through this, I discovered a passion for sharing these tools and supporting others in these ways as well.
I also came to realize that mental health struggles had been prevalent in my life for years, whether or not anyone was talking about it. In 2021, we lost my mom to suicide. This heartbreak threw a giant wrench into the life I knew, and after I took many months to do nothing but grieve, I faced life with even more passion for supporting myself and others.
For the past two years, I’ve worked as a Peer Support Specialist for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Washington County, Oregon, and attended classes through the Brown University Mindfulness and Health Institute to become a certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher. Most recently, I have completed training to become a Certified Grief Educator. And this fall, I’m starting my Master’s program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Seattle University.
Whether I’m facilitating a support group, teaching a mindfulness class, recording a podcast episode, or producing TV somewhere around the world, I bring my compassion, connection, mindfulness, and curiosity, empowering others and helping them feel less alone.