Welcome to Soft Reins Counseling
A place for connection, growth, and meaningful change. We believe everyone deserves to feel seen, understood, and supported through life's challenges. Our approach is rooted in compassion, authenticity, and the belief that growth happens when we feel safe enough to explore, learn, and move forward at our own pace.
About the Practice
Soft Reins Counseling is a mental health practice dedicated to providing compassionate, evidence-based therapy in a calm and supportive environment. Services are offered via virtual platform and in-person sessions to teens and adults who are navigating stress, trauma, life transitions, addictions, neurodivergence, relationship challenges and more.
Rooted in the belief that healing happens through safety, connection, and trust, Soft Reins Counseling offers thoughtfully paced, trauma-informed care that honors the whole person—not just the challenges that bring someone to therapy. The practice is inspired by the idea that meaningful growth often begins when we soften our grip, build confidence, and move forward with greater self-trust.
About the Founder
Hi, I’m Cassandra, the founder of Soft Reins Counseling, a Licensed Professional and National Certified Counselor in Virginia and Florida.
I strive to create a calm, supportive space where teens and adults can slow down, feel understood, and begin making sense of what they’re carrying. My approach is compassionate and practical, grounded in evidence-based care while honoring the whole person—not just the challenges that bring you to therapy.
I believe healing happens through safety, connection, and trust. Therapy with me is collaborative and thoughtfully paced to meet you where you are, whether you’re navigating stress, trauma, addiction, neurodivergence, relationship challenges, or simply seeking greater balance and clarity in your life.
My clinical focus centers on trauma and PTSD, Autism, ADHD, support for first responders, men’s mental health and other neurodivergent-related needs. As the spouse of a first responder and a mother to a neurodivergent child, I bring a personal understanding of the challenges individuals and families navigate. These experiences deepen my commitment to approaching each client with empathy, authenticity, and compassion.
To maintain a clear and effective scope of practice, I do not provide treatment for personality-disorder-focused treatment or play therapy and instead offer referrals to clinicians who specialize in this care.
Evidence-Based, Individualized Care
At Soft Reins Counseling, we draw on evidence-based, trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming approaches tailored to each client's unique needs, goals, and experiences. Our work may incorporate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and other somatic approaches to support emotional regulation, process difficult experiences, and build meaningful change.
We believe therapy is most effective when clinical knowledge is paired with compassion, collaboration, and respect for each person's pace of growth. Treatment is individualized to support greater self-understanding, resilience, and lasting well-being.
ACT — Developing psychological flexibility, clarifying personal values, and taking meaningful steps towards the life you want to live.
EMDR — Using a structured therapeutic approach to help process distressing experiences and trauma-related concerns.
Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) — A listening-based intervention designed to support regulation and social engagement as part of an individualized therapeutic plan.
Trauma-Informed & Somatic Approaches — Exploring the connections between life experiences, bodily responses, emotions, and nervous system regulation.
Neurodiversity-Affirming Care — Adapting therapeutic approaches to respect individual strengths, needs, sensory experiences, and ways of processing the world, including those associated with autism and ADHD.
Accessibility at Soft Reins Counseling
Service Dog in Training in Session
To support accessibility and provide the highest quality of care, a service dog/service dog-in-training may be present during some therapy sessions at Soft Reins Counseling. My service dog-in-training, Sullivan (Sully) is currently training to assist me with disability-related needs. While on duty, he remains by my side and continues developing the skills needed to work calmly in a clinical setting.
To help Sully remain focused on his work, clients are asked not to pet, call to, feed, or otherwise interact with him during sessions unless invited to do so. He may occasionally perform trained tasks, briefly alert, or respond to my disability-related needs during an appointment. His presence and any necessary tasks are managed to minimize disruption to our work together.
Sully may occasionally need a brief break for water or toileting. These needs will be managed with consideration for the continuity and privacy of your session.
If you have concerns about a service dog's presence, including allergies, fear of dogs, or sensory sensitivities, please contact me before your appointment so we can discuss your needs and available accommodations.
Additional Information
Clients who use a trained service animal are welcome at Soft Reins Counseling. If you plan to attend therapy with your own service animal, I encourage you to contact me before your appointment to discuss any logistics needed to ensure a safe, comfortable, and effective environment for everyone involved.
Soft Reins Counseling is committed to providing an inclusive, accessible environment where every client feels respected, supported, and able to fully engage in the therapeutic process. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me for more information.