Casandra (Cassie) Starback

Casandra (Cassie) Starback is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in Michigan with 22 years of professional experience focused on gerontology and caregiving. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, compassion fatigue, and major life changes. Cassie also concentrates on aging and geriatric issues, caregiver strain, hospice and end-of-life concerns, isolation, and life purpose.

Cassie’s background includes work in clinics, residential care communities, and community organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Association. That hands-on experience shaped how she supports older adults and the people who care for them. Her practice emphasizes clear, practical steps rather than jargon.

She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, often called ACT, which focuses on noticing thoughts and taking actions that reflect what matters most. Cassie also integrates self-compassion practices to reduce harsh self-criticism and build steadier coping skills. These approaches are used to address grief, chronic stress, and the hard decisions caregivers face.

In sessions she invites clients to identify values and try small, manageable changes that reflect those values. Conversations include building personal resources and strengthening support networks. Cassie describes clients as the experts on their own experience and works collaboratively to find workable next steps.

Her style is practical and grounded. She helps people who are figuring out what matters next after a life change, or who are worn down by caregiving and loss. Casandra welcomes questions about how her way of working might fit someone’s present needs.

How evidence-based approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that reflect their values. It is useful for anxiety, burnout, grief, and confusing life changes because it focuses on doing what matters despite difficult feelings. Self-compassion work teaches practical ways to soften self-criticism and respond to setbacks with kinder, more constructive inner dialogue. That supports coping when caregivers feel overwhelmed or when loss makes everyday life harder.

Finding the right approach is part of the collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they will try approaches and adjust them based on how useful they feel in practice.

Session format options are not listed in the biography, so confirm current session choices before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time for someone balancing caregiving or work. Licensed professionals can use adapted exercises, mindfulness practices, and values-based planning in remote sessions to keep work practical and focused on next steps.