Cassandra Boccardi

Cassie joined Take Heart in the summer of 2024 as a master’s level counseling intern. She discovered Take Heart in 2020 as she was starting to sense and discern a call to the counseling field.

 

One day, after talking with God for practically her whole drive home from work about whether she should go back to school, she parked her car and heard a commercial advertising a counseling degree program. A bit startled by the timeliness, God certainly had her attention. Once inside, without thinking she pulled up social media and the first thing she saw was a suggested page, Take Heart Counseling. God seemed to be laying small stepping-stones in front of her one by one, asking her to “walk out on the water.”

 

A year prior, Cassie decided to start volunteering at an equine rescue. Though she had little horse experience, she had been drawn to their beauty and strength from a young age and chose to finally follow that spark! Embracing the belief that it’s never too late to start something new, Cassie embarked on a journey with horses that sent her down a path of self-discovery, growth, and healing. Finding Take Heart, she knew God had been leading her here all along.

 

Cassie has worked in the ministry with adults and adolescents for over 15 years with a desire to bring hope and to help lighten the load that we sometimes find ourselves carrying. She particularly cherishes her time as a high school theology teacher, carrying so many warm memories of silliness, banter and laughter. She considers it a privilege that for almost a decade she had the opportunity to journey with teenagers through their big questions about life and their place in the world. Their experiences and stories of their family life, recovery and sobriety, abuse and trauma, struggles with mental health, and relational highs and lows left a lasting impact on her.

 

Cassie began working as a counseling intern in January of 2024. She takes a neuro and trauma informed approach that utilizes both “bottom up” and “top down” therapeutic interventions. Convinced that we thrive and heal in authentic connection and meaningful relationship, Cassie also incorporates attachment-based interventions. She has experience working with clients who face relationship or family issues as well as symptoms and the effects of trauma, stress, anxiety, depression, and mood disorders. Cassie also welcomes clients who are interested in healing their relationship with God after any kind of spiritual wounding, from negative experiences to spiritual abuse.

 

Cassie has completed the national counselor preparation comprehensive exam and master’s coursework. She will graduate from Kutztown University in May of 2025 with her master’s in clinical mental health counseling when she completes her current internship. She is currently working on her level 1 in Natural Lifemanship, a trauma focused equine assisted psychotherapy training.

 

To contact her, email Cassandra@TakeHeartCounseling.com.