Kasandra David MSW Lisw-S, MA

Hello everyone! If you are looking to learn more about RO DBT, consider enrolling in my virtual CEU, RO DBT Crashcourse. You can sign up on Mindfully Academy's website! We offer so many excellent courses at a reasonable price and have ASWB accreditation, so social workers in all 50 states can get CEU credit towards their license renewal.

RO-DBT Crash Course Join us for an overview of Radically-Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (RO-DBT) and how it can have a positive impact on your clients' lives!

I wrote a holiday-themed blog all about protecting your boundaries. It is news we can all use, folks. Enjoy and happy holidays.

mindfully.com With the holiday season upon us, it is extra important to keep a close eye on mental health. The holidays are the mental health crisis season: days are shorter, weather cools, additional financial expenses pile up, and there is societal expectation for contact with family.

Good morning! Are you interested in polyvagal theory? Have you ever wondered how these insights might be integrated into your practice? Are you familiar with Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy? Would you like to be familiar with it but never knew how? Luckily for you I am doing a live webinar in December to address all these concerns and more! Consider enrolling in my course, "Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy Crash Course" through Mindfully Academy. A good time is guaranteed! 🤓🤓

Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy Crash Course In this training we will review Radically-Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (RO-DBT) as an evidence-based approach to treating clients reporting multiple different diagnoses. We will define what RO-DBT is, explore its philosophy, and provide concrete examples of RO-DBT skills. RO-DBT will be linke...

It's been a long time since I've utilized this space -- but I am still kicking it doing my therapy thing! Same agency offering high-quality services under a new name: Mindfully. I also have exciting news: I am accepting clients for in-person services right here in Toledo, OH. 🥳 I work with individuals ages 13 and up and offer couples therapy as well! Now is a great time to get connected before the busy school year really takes off.

Looking for a change? Consider joining a thriving and supportive practice!

Working hard recently on becoming a more competent couples' therapist. Please enjoy this lovely clip from one of the "OG" couples therapy researchers, John Gottman!

How Can I Improve My Marriage in 30 Seconds? | Dr. John Gottman In May of 2000, Dr. John Gottman was in New York to meet with publishers about his upcoming book "The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work," which would...

Born to be kind!

We Are Built To Be Kind Human nature is often portrayed as selfish and hungry, but research by Dacher Keltner finds that we are hard-wired to be kind.Subscribe! http://bit.ly...

TGIF! May the force be with you this weekend

I think therapy works best when it is both evidence-based and literary. Enjoy a snippet from Fromm's "The Art of Loving"

As with so many things in life, I legitimately don't understand how to use Facebook in this context. But that's okay because I am still having fun. :) Don't forget to be silly this Wednesday!

So true.

For your edification! https://www.compasspointcounseling.net/blog/is-a-career-in-the-mental-health-field-right-for-you

Pursuing a career in the mental health field is a virtuous choice for those who like helping other people. But it’s not a career for everyone. If you’re wondering if a mental health career is right for you, first ask yourself these six questions. Pursuing a career in the mental health field is a virtuous choice for those who like helping other people. But it’s not a career for everyone. If you’re wondering if a mental health career is right for you, first ask yourself these six questions.

Getting trained in Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy [RO DBT]. Polyvagal theory is integral to this treatment! Here's a bit on polyvagal theory -- enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec3AUMDjtKQ

Dr. Stephen Porges: What is the Polyvagal Theory Dr. Stephen Porges explains Polyvagal Theory in his interview with PsychAlive.org.

The holidays are a risk factor for increased mental health symptoms. It is a stressful time for the general population, clients, and therapists alike. I have been very busy managing my caseload this holiday season -- but I have also been very happy to help people through this challenging time. Hang in there!

It's been quite some time since I've posted an update. Just busy serving clients and helping them live their best lives! As we head into the holiday season -- which is a well established risk factor for increased depression and anxiety -- please consider developing a support network for yourself. Tele-therapy is convenient and effective, and Compass Point Counseling Services is accepting new clients!

Compass Point Compass Point is a Private Practice Counseling Service with locations in Anderson, Centerville, Fairfield, Huber Heights, Kenwood, Mason, Western Hills and West Chester. Our diverse practitioners bring individual, family, couple and group counseling.

A painful but important read for clinicians and clients alike!

Emotional Abuse: Why Your Individual Therapy Didn't Help and Your Partner's Made it Worse Why is individual therapy risky in angry and abusive relationships?

Although it is difficult news, we cannot address that which we cannot mention. So in the spirit of "what is mentionable is manageable" I'd like to share this news about increased su***de risk during the pandemic. If you are experiencing suicidal ideations [thinking and/or fantasizing about your own death, planning for your own death, imagining ways that you might try in order to do so] please talk to someone you trust about it. I recommend seeking professional help whenever someone experiences suicidal ideations, but just letting a trusted friend or family member know can be a great start to protecting yourself. As for me, I consider myself a specialist in life-preserving psychotherapy and have an extensive history of treating self-harming and suicidal behaviors. At this time I accept Anthem, Medical Mutual, Cigna, Aetna, and self-pay clients for tele therapy.

Are We Facing a Post-COVID-19 Su***de Epidemic? Is the pandemic putting more people at risk for su***de?

Happy to report I am now accepting Aetna insurance. :)

In this blog I explore my personal problem of doin' too much, and the importance of negative space in your routine schedule. Check it out.

Doin’ too much No one can say for sure who said it first.  But at some point a very wise human said, “we make plans so God can laugh at them”.  I’ve been thinking on that hard this morning.  T…

Another Friday, another mental health meme, brought to you by Obi Wan! If Obi Wan were my client in this scenario, I would remind him that just like the Force itself, lightness and darkness coexist within him. We would brainstorm some of his strengths and positive qualities together.

It's an exciting day when you receive news that you're paneled and ready to go with another insurance. At this time, I am now accepting Anthem, Optum, Medical Mutual, and Cigna insurance. More to follow in the months to come too!

I am very serious about play! Turns out, we all need to do it, at every day. I hope you can make some time for play today. Enjoy Stuart Brown's TED Talk on adult play.

Play is more than just fun A pioneer in research on play, Dr. Stuart Brown says humor, games, roughhousing, flirtation and fantasy are more than just fun. Plenty of play in childhood makes for happy, smart adults -- and keeping it up can make us smarter at any age.

Isn't it frustrating that when we are depressed, exhausted, overwhelmed -- when we need sleep the most -- it can be most difficult to sleep? Luckily, there's a lot you can do during your waking like to make your sleeping life better. Next week, I'll be reviewing some research on sleep and dreams in my blog.

Although I do think things are becoming more transparent, and therefore more equitable, the world of therapy is still shrouded in mystique. If you have had multiple therapists in your life no doubt you've noticed no two practice the art exactly the same. That may be partly due to having different treatment philosophies. In this blog I explore what a treatment philosophy is and some of the ways I have worked on mine. :)

Cultivating a treatment philosophy I define a treatment philosophy as a clinician’s personalized set of priorities, assumptions, and moral beliefs regarding how to best develop a therapeutic relationship and admi…

A little humor for the weekend. With practice, you can quiet your inner "devil's advocate" so you don't end up like this guy!

The other day I completed a virtual CEU training on the best practices for tele-therapy. One of the issues addressed was clients using the internet to find personal information about their therapists. It is a common behavior and when polled clients identified doing this "just because they were curious". In my mind, there is a difference between personal and private information. Like many folks I try to keep private information off the internet, but I am happy to share personal, especially if it can be of use to others. In that spirit, here is a brief blog about me!

A little about me Hello there. I decided to make this blog to share my knowledge with others, with the goal of uplifting folks as much as I can during these strange times. The appearance of this social worker-philos…

Of course it can be difficult, but when it comes to parenting, it is so necessary to "reframe" challenging behaviors. By doing so we not only keep our cool, but keep our minds open to creative solutions to our little ones' problems.