Mental Health

So how does a 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.

Here are the mental health trainings I have pursued and am currently pursuing:

Certified Peer Support Specialist (to support my work with National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Washington County, Oregon

Qualified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher through the Brown University Mindfulness and Health Institute.

Certified Grief Educator through David Kessler

(in progress) Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through Seattle University (grad. 2028)

(in progress) Certified Grief Coach through David Kessler