Cassie McCarthy, LICSW

11/03/2025

Not all trauma looks the same.

Sexual trauma invades the most personal parts of a person’s life — it doesn’t just affect the body, it changes how survivors see themselves, their relationships, and the world around them.

Unlike other forms of trauma, sexual trauma often involves violation, not visible violence — and that difference matters.
It’s why so many survivors minimize what happened or wonder if it “counts” as trauma at all.

But when we misunderstand sexual trauma, we risk treating it like any other trauma — and that can leave survivors stuck in shame and self-blame.

In my new article, I explore what makes sexual trauma unique, why it requires specialized treatment, and how evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) help survivors rebuild safety, trust, and self-worth.

🩷 Read the full article → https://cassiemccarthy.com/why-sexual-trauma-is-different-from-other-types-of-trauma-and-why-it-matters/

Sexual trauma uniquely affects survivors, impacting self-worth, relationships, and more. Discover why specialized treatment is essential.

10/30/2025

Three women who changed the landscape of trauma therapy —
Dr. Patricia Resick, Dr. Candice Monson, and Dr. Kate Chard, the creators of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT).

CPT has transformed how we understand and treat PTSD, particularly for women.
It’s an evidence-based therapy developed by women, proven to work for women, and used worldwide to help survivors reclaim safety, trust, and control.

Seeing these three pioneers come together at the first annual CPT Summit was truly special — both for our field and for me personally. It’s rare to witness this kind of legacy in one room, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn directly from the clinicians and researchers who built the foundation of my work.

A huge thank you to the organizers of the CPT Summit for bringing this event to life and for creating space to celebrate the people — especially the women — who have shaped modern trauma recovery.

10/30/2025

Day 3 of the CPT Summit, and I’m leaving inspired by how much our understanding of trauma continues to evolve.

One takeaway that really stayed with me:
➡️ Healing happens when we target the beliefs trauma leaves behind — not just the memories.

For so many women, those beliefs sound like:
“I can’t trust anyone.”
“It was my fault.”
“I should’ve seen it coming.”

When we help clients test and update those beliefs, their bodies finally get the message that they’re safe.
That’s where real change happens.

If you’ve ever experienced or treated trauma — what belief do you think is the hardest for clients to release?

10/30/2025

Reaching out for help after sexual abuse is incredibly brave. If you’re looking for a therapist who specializes in helping women heal from sexual trauma, I’m here to support you every step of the way.

Whether you’ve tried therapy before or this is your first time seeking support, my approach is designed to help you feel seen, safe, and empowered. I use Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) to address the beliefs trauma often leaves behind—like shame, self-blame, and fear—and help you build a new foundation of self-trust and clarity.

💻 Online trauma therapy for women available in MA, VA, VT, IL, and FL. 📅 Reach out to schedule your free 20-minute consultation.

10/29/2025

I’m spending the next few days at the Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) Summit, diving into the latest research and clinical applications for trauma recovery.

Even after years of using CPT, I’m reminded how powerful it is when evidence-based therapy meets deep human understanding.

It’s easy to get comfortable with the tools we already know, but trauma work demands that we keep learning — not just to refine our skills, but to do justice to our clients’ healing.

If you’re attending, what session are you most excited about?
If you’re not, what’s a topic in trauma therapy you’d love to explore more deeply?

10/28/2025

Excited to spend the next few days at the Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) Summit diving deep into the latest research &applications for trauma recovery.
CPT has been a cornerstone of my work with women healing from PTSD, and I’m looking forward to learning from the leaders who shaped this field — and connecting with others committed to evidence-based trauma therapy.
There’s always more to learn, and I love seeing how this model continues to evolve.

10/28/2025

If you’ve been living with the effects of sexual trauma—freezing during intimacy, avoiding relationships, or constantly feeling unsafe—therapy can help you reclaim your life.

As a trauma therapist who works exclusively with women, I understand how complex and confusing it can be to carry trauma that others might not see. I use Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), an effective treatment designed to help you move from survival mode to true healing. If you’ve been trying to find a therapist with deep experience in sexual trauma recovery, I offer online sessions that make it easier to get support from wherever you are.

📍 Serving women in MA, VA, VT, IL, and FL. 📲 Let’s talk. Book your free consultation today.

10/27/2025

So many therapists were never trained to recognize relational trauma — especially when it doesn’t look like “classic PTSD.”

Most of our graduate training focused on crisis or combat trauma: flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance.
But for women, trauma often hides behind “high-functioning” patterns — over responsibility, people-pleasing, emotional shutdown, or perfectionism.

When trauma happens in relationships, it shows up through relationships.
And if we’re not naming that pattern as trauma, we’re missing it — and our clients are internalizing the blame.

I wrote about this gap in my new article:
👉 Why So Many Therapists Miss Relational Trauma

It’s time we expanded how we define — and treat — trauma.

🩷 Read the full article here →

So many therapists were never trained to recognize relational trauma — the kind that doesn’t look like “classic PTSD.” In most graduate programs, PTSD was taught through a combat or crisis lens: flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance.

10/23/2025

So many therapists were never trained to recognize relational trauma — the kind that doesn’t look like “classic PTSD.”

Most of us learned trauma through a combat or crisis lens: flashbacks, nightmares, startle responses.
But for women, trauma often looks different.

It shows up in perfectionism.
In people-pleasing.
In over-functioning and self-blame.

These are trauma symptoms too — they’re just quieter ones.

When trauma happens in relationships, it shows up through relationships.
And if we’re not naming that pattern as trauma, we’re missing it — and our clients are internalizing the blame.

Relational trauma deserves the same recognition as every other form of PTSD.
When we expand our framework, we don’t just give clients a diagnosis — we give them language, validation, and hope.

🩷 I help women heal from PTSD, sexual trauma, and relational trauma using evidence-based therapies like Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). I also train clinicians to recognize and treat trauma through a female-centered lens.

10/23/2025

When you’ve lived through sexual trauma, it’s common to minimize your experience or assume it “wasn’t bad enough” to need help. But if the impact is showing up in your body, your relationships, or your thoughts—it matters.

I specialize in trauma therapy for women and offer a structured, supportive approach to healing. If you’ve been trying to find a sexual trauma therapist who understands how these wounds show up emotionally, physically, and relationally, you’ve found a safe place to start.

🌐 I provide online therapy for women across MA, VA, VT, IL, and FL. 📞 Book a free consultation today. Your healing is valid—and possible.

10/21/2025

Many women stay in unhealthy relationships — not because they don’t see the red flags, but because trauma taught them to ignore them.

When love has been tied to pain, control can feel like care.
Intensity can feel like intimacy.
Anxiety can feel like love.

Trauma wires the brain to seek familiarity, not safety. So if chaos was familiar, calm can actually feel uncomfortable — even threatening.

That’s why it’s so common for women to say, “I know this relationship isn’t good for me, but I can’t seem to leave.”
It’s not weakness. It’s survival wiring.

The good news? You can rewire it.

Through trauma-focused therapy — particularly evidence-based methods like Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) — we help your brain learn that safety doesn’t have to feel dangerous.
You begin to trust your instincts again. You stop mistaking intensity for connection. And you finally understand what it feels like to be safe in your body and in your relationships.

Healing doesn’t just mean leaving unhealthy relationships — it means never losing yourself in one again.