Cassie Yackley

Cassie Yackley, Psy.D., has spent more than 25 years committed to understanding and effectively addressing the impact of societal oppression (and poverty) and adverse childhood experiences (including trauma) on children, caregivers/families, and systems.  She believes that people are more than their symptoms, which are our body's (and mind's) way of dealing with overwhelming adversity.  People do the best they can, given their circumstances.  Relational safety, compassion, opportunities for reflection, and empowerment allow us to transcend traumatic experiences.  Cassie has collaborated with individuals, providers, and agencies across the child-serving systems to employ this approach.

Cassie brings together recent discoveries from developmental neuroscience, attachment, and reflective practice to help audiences learn how a focus on our relationships and awareness of our reactions leads to better working environments and outcomes for both staff and the consumers they serve. Cassie’s projects have included: Partners for Change, working with NH Child Protective Services and Juvenile Justice to both actualize their commitment to trauma-informed care and more effectively coordinating efforts across systems; Safe Schools, Healthy Students, providing training in trauma-informed practices for five major NH school systems; Growing Healthy Families, developing sustainable capacity for ongoing training of NH mental health providers in Child Parent Psychotherapy one of the few evidenced-based treatments for children six and under and their caregivers; Trauma-Informed Early Childhood Services, Pre-school Technical Assistance Network, & State Systemic Improvement Plan, where she is developing a sustainable network of training and support for early-childhood care providers and pre-school teachers and staff. She has developed training and provided consultation with organizations and systems making the shift to a reflective, trauma-informed stance including NH DCYF, NH Hospital, Crotched Mountain Rehabilitative Center, and several schools and school districts. Yackley served 10 years as Director and Chief Psychologist for an APA-accredited doctoral intern program and continues to tremendously enjoy teaching and supervising growth-minded professionals.