Cassie McCarthy, LICSW

11/27/2025

Sometimes trauma shows up as perfectionism. Or people-pleasing. Or chronic anxiety. You may not even connect it to what happened years ago—but it’s there, underneath everything.

Sexual trauma can shape how you see yourself and how you move through the world. But it doesn’t have to define your future.

I help women unpack and reprocess trauma using Cognitive Processing Therapy—a method that helps you change the thoughts and beliefs trauma left behind.

💻 If you’re in MA, VA, VT, IL, or FL, I offer online sessions. 📞 Let’s talk. Free consults available.

11/24/2025

If your trauma wasn’t violent, it’s still trauma. If you didn’t fight back, it’s still trauma. If you’re still thinking about it, still feeling it in your body, still questioning yourself—it’s still trauma.

And you deserve support that takes your experience seriously.

I specialize in therapy for women recovering from sexual trauma. Whether you’re dealing with guilt, shame, confusion, or just feeling stuck, I help you move forward using a structured, science-backed approach.

🌐 Therapy available online in MA, VA, VT, IL, and FL. 📲 Schedule your free consultation now. You don’t have to do this alone.

11/21/2025

In trauma work, holiday stress isn’t “just stress.”
For many survivors, this season replicates the same conditions that conditioned their nervous system to stay in survival mode: disrupted routines, emotional labor, relational pressure, and unpredictable environments.

Yet many clinicians were trained to focus on trauma events, not these trauma-linked patterns.
And when we don’t understand these seasonal triggers, we risk misinterpreting symptom spikes as regression instead of what they truly are: the nervous system working overtime to stay safe.

This is why trauma-informed seasonal care matters — especially for women, whose trauma often stems from relationships, coercion, and emotional labor that intensify in December.

If we want to support survivors well, we need to name these patterns clearly, normalize them, and teach clients how to navigate them skillfully.

🔗 This week’s article breaks down exactly why holiday seasons amplify PTSD symptoms and what trauma-informed strategies actually help.

The holidays are marketed as joyful, connected, and warm — but for many people, especially those with trauma histories, this season brings pressure, emotional overload, and old relational wounds to the surface. If the holidays leave you feeling drained, anxious, or guilty for needing space… you....

11/20/2025

You’ve been carrying this for a long time. Maybe you’ve never told anyone. Maybe you’ve tried talking about it, but you didn’t feel heard—or worse, you were told to move on.

You don’t have to explain or justify your pain. Your trauma is valid. And your healing matters.

I work with women who are living with the effects of sexual trauma: difficulty trusting others, flashbacks, avoidance, anxiety, disconnection from their bodies, and more. Using Cognitive Processing Therapy, we create a clear plan for moving forward, not just rehashing the past.

📍 I offer online sessions in MA, VA, VT, IL, and FL. 📞 Reach out today. Let’s talk.

11/18/2025

The holidays can feel heavy if you’re navigating trauma, family stress, or people-pleasing patterns.
I put together a guide on setting healthy boundaries during the holiday season—written from a trauma-informed, compassionate lens.

If you or someone you support struggles this time of year, I hope this helps:

11/17/2025

Sexual trauma doesn’t always involve physical force. Sometimes it’s pressure. Sometimes it’s someone you trusted. Sometimes it’s silence when you froze and couldn’t say no.

If you’ve been trying to make sense of your experience—or if you’ve been living with shame, fear, or self-blame—therapy can help. I specialize in helping women heal from sexual trauma, using tools designed specifically for recovery, not just coping.

If you’ve been searching for a therapist who understands what trauma looks like in women, I’m here.

💻 Online trauma therapy in MA, VA, VT, IL, and FL. 📲 Schedule your free consultation today.

11/13/2025

or many trauma survivors, the holidays don’t feel joyful — they feel activating.

When you live with PTSD, the season’s routines, expectations, and family dynamics can recreate the same sense of chaos your nervous system was wired to fear.
Sleep changes, financial strain, and even “holiday cheer” can quietly push the body back into survival mode.

This isn’t about being ungrateful or oversensitive — it’s about how trauma changes the brain’s alarm system.

In this week’s article, I break down why the holidays can intensify trauma symptoms and share trauma-informed strategies to protect your peace and find stability through the stress.

If you work with trauma survivors — or are one yourself — this read will help you make sense of why this season can feel so heavy, and what you can do to navigate it with self-compassion.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-holidays-worsen-ptsd-symptoms-how-cope-cassie-mccarthy-swcre

For many, the holidays are a mix of excitement and stress. But for people living with trauma or PTSD, this season can do more than overwhelm — it can activate the nervous system in ways that make daily life harder.

11/13/2025

It takes courage to look for a therapist after sexual trauma. Many of the women I work with tell me they’ve spent years wondering if what happened to them was “bad enough” to count as trauma. If it’s still affecting you—your relationships, your body, your sense of safety—then yes, it counts. And no, you don’t have to carry it alone anymore.

I provide trauma therapy for women using Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), a structured, research-based method that helps you process your trauma and rebuild your confidence from the inside out. I work online with clients across MA, VA, VT, IL, and FL.

📞 Book a free consultation. You’re allowed to heal.

11/12/2025

When you live with PTSD, the season’s routines, expectations, and family dynamics can recreate the same sense of chaos your nervous system was wired to fear.
Sleep changes, financial strain, and even “holiday cheer” can quietly push the body back into survival mode.

This isn’t about being ungrateful or oversensitive — it’s about how trauma changes the brain’s alarm system.

In this week’s article, I break down why the holidays can intensify trauma symptoms and share trauma-informed strategies to protect your peace and find stability through the stress.

If you work with trauma survivors — or are one yourself — this read will help you make sense of why this season can feel so heavy, and what you can do to navigate it with self-compassion.

For many, the holidays are a mix of excitement and stress. But for people living with trauma or PTSD, this season can do more than overwhelm — it can activate the nervous system in ways that make daily life harder.

11/10/2025

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.

11/07/2025

Many women wonder if what they’ve been through “counts” as trauma.
Because it didn’t look like what they were taught trauma should look like.

But women experience trauma in so many ways — not just through violence or disasters, but also through betrayal, coercion, medical harm, emotional neglect, or repeated violations of trust.

When trauma is minimized or mislabeled, healing stalls.
Recognizing it is the first step.

That’s why I created a free guide —
“Does This Count as Trauma?” — to help women identify experiences that often go unseen or unvalidated.

🩷 Download it here → https://cassiemccarthy.com/trauma-checklist-for-women/

11/07/2025

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is one of the most effective treatments for PTSD—yet many women are never offered it because their trauma is mislabeled as anxiety or depression. When CPT is adapted to women’s relational and betrayal trauma, healing can be fast, measurable, and empowering. I’m focused on closing that gap and bringing evidence-based trauma care to the women who’ve been overlooked the most.