28/02/2026
The Journey of My Name, Returning to My Roots
I am writing this to you, my past, present, and future clients.
Many of you have known me as Diane Rooker from Pearl Counselling. Today, you will notice that I have returned to my birth name: Diane Cassee. I feel it is important to share why.
I believe every person’s story matters. This is part of mine.
Pearl Counselling – A Chapter I Will Always Treasure
Pearl Counselling has been deeply meaningful to me and will always hold a special place in my
heart. Over the past 15 years, I have grown not only professionally but also personally.
I have had the privilege of sitting with brave individuals and couples who trusted both
themselves and me in their healing journeys. You have been my teachers as much as I have
been your therapist. For that, I am profoundly grateful.
The Turning Point
In 2017, after 29 years of marriage and raising our four incredible children, my husband and I
separated. What followed was the most intense grief I have ever known. There was no way
around it; I had to walk directly through all the pain.
Over time, going from a family of six to living alone was a profound shift. Yet this is not a story of
loss. It is a story of love, growth, and transformation. My former husband has been one of my
greatest teachers, and I honour the years we shared.
Through deep pain, I also discovered deep joy. It took time, but both were necessary.
The Inner Journey
I have always been curious, asking “why?” and wanting to understand what makes me who I am.
That curiosity has guided my personal and professional life.
In 2022, I began a four-year formation in Spiritual Direction. After many years of training in
therapeutic modalities, I felt called to explore my own spirituality more deeply, to understand
what it truly meant for me.
In September 2026, I will graduate as a Spiritual Director. This formation has been one of the
most transformative experiences of my life. I have worked through unhealed parts of myself. I
feel stronger, more whole, and deeply aligned with who I am as a woman, a mother, an Oma,
and a therapist.
The Sabbatical
In November 2025, I took a bold three-month sabbatical. My practice was thriving, yet I knew I
had reached my physical and spiritual limits. When you do this work, burnout cannot be ignored.
So I stopped.
I did not travel. I did not distract myself. I stayed home, cocooned in stillness, making space for integration and rest. It was one of the most honouring and restorative seasons of my life.
Why I Returned to My Birth Name
As I emerged from these past years of deep transformation, I knew something needed to shift
externally to reflect the profound internal change.
At birth, my beautiful Dutch immigrant parents named me Diane Cassee. It is the name I was
born with. Over time, I realised that returning to it felt like completing a circle.
Keeping my married name no longer felt aligned, not because that chapter was wrong or
diminished, but because I have changed.
The woman who was Diane Rooker was brave, loving,
and strong. She will always be part of me. But I am no longer here in the same way.
Returning to Diane Cassee feels grounded, authentic, and whole. It reflects who I am today.
Moving Forward
I remain the same compassionate therapist, now shaped by even deeper life experience.
I remain endlessly curious about the human spirit. I remain a mother of four adult children and a
proud Oma to my grandbabies.
Most importantly, I remain committed to walking alongside you with presence, humility, and love.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story.
I look forward to continuing this next season with you.
With warmth,
Diane Cassee
