Hi, I'm Cassandra
Human, LPC-MHSP
As a therapist, I am a companion, helping people tune into their own wisdom
About Cassandra riddle
Meet Cassandra
My name is Cassandra Riddle (she/her), and I’m a therapist in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a privilege to practice in Georgia.
For nearly two decades, I built a life and career as an international opera singer. It was a chapter filled with beauty, challenge, discipline, travel, and profound experiences of what it means to be human. Eventually, though, I began to feel that something new was calling me. After a season of deep reflection and soul-searching, I realized that the work I was longing for was helping others navigate the complexities of their own lives.
So, I went back to school and earned my master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Today, I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and Mental Health Service Provider (LPC-MHSP) in Tennessee, with a privilege to practice in Georgia.
And while those credentials matter, they are only part of who I am as a therapist. I am a human being who has experienced my own seasons of uncertainty, change, loss, and growth. I see myself as a healer, a guide, and—most of all—an unshakable believer in the innate goodness and worth of every person who walks through my door.
I believe that pain, struggle, and uncertainty are inevitable parts of being human. They are rarely comfortable, and sometimes they can feel overwhelming. But I also believe we have more agency than we realize in how we meet these experiences. We can spend our energy fighting what is, or we can learn to make room for discomfort, listen to what it has to teach us, and find ways to move through it without losing ourselves along the way.
Drawing on decades of life experience, along with my work with adolescents and adults in a variety of settings, I bring empathy, curiosity, perspective, and depth to my work. I support individuals and couples navigating life transitions, trauma, grief and loss, adjustment difficulties, anxiety, and depression.
My hope is to create a space where you can come as you are—without having to perform, pretend, or have everything figured out. Together, we can become curious about what hurts, make space for what is difficult, and discover new ways of moving through life with greater compassion, authenticity, and freedom.
You don't have to navigate the hard parts alone. If you’re ready to explore what it might look like to meet your life with greater honesty, courage, and self-compassion, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.
Mission
Coming Home to Yourself
Deep down, I believe you already carry a wisdom that knows something about what you need—and a capacity for healing that is uniquely your own. You don’t have to earn these things or become someone different to deserve them. They are part of you, waiting to be remembered, trusted, and lived.
Being human is messy. Life can be confusing, painful, and sometimes overwhelming. Along the way, it’s easy to lose touch with the parts of ourselves that feel grounded, whole, worthy, and alive.
As your therapist, I don’t believe my role is to hand you the answers or tell you who you should be. Instead, I see therapy as a space where we can slow down, become curious, and listen deeply to what is already within you.
Together, we can create the conditions for you to reconnect with your own inner wisdom—to find your voice, trust yourself more deeply, and gently make your way back home to the truth of who you are.
You are not a problem to be fixed. You are a person to be known, understood, and supported as you find your way forward.
I draw upon the healing and transformative principles of Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), an emotion-focused, healing-oriented approach that helps clients process emotions safely and transform pain into resilience and growth. Through AEDP, I support you in reconnecting with your inner strength and capacity for authentic emotional experience, fostering lasting change and a deeper sense of self.
An advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, I am experienced in working with transgender and gender-diverse clients. My professional interests include interpersonal trauma, grief, eating disorders, body image, anxiety, and depression.
My therapeutic style is eclectic and relational, drawing from AEDP, Solution-Focused Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Gottman Method for couples, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Somatic and Attachment-Based approaches. All of my work is grounded in a Person-Centered framework that emphasizes empathy, autonomy, and the healing power of genuine human connection.
Personally
I have the best job in the world being a therapist. I’m also an outdoor enthusiast, athlete, rock climber, ultra runner, meditator, and perpetually curious human.
Music, movement, and connection have been threads woven through my life for as long as I can remember.
My love for music and the performing arts began with my years as a professional opera singer, an experience that taught me so much about courage, expression, discipline, and the power of being fully seen and heard.
Along the way, my path has taken me into many different spaces. I’ve owned and operated a gym focused on sport-specific training for athletes, and I’ve taught both middle and high school, where I had the joy of creating a vibrant choral music program and watching young people discover their voices.
Today, one of the things I love most is creating spaces for women and teens to come together and talk honestly about body image. I’m passionate about facilitating peer groups where people feel safe enough to be real, curious enough to explore, and supported enough to know they are not alone.
At the heart of all of this is a deep belief in the human capacity to grow, to find our voice, to reconnect with ourselves, and to experience the freedom that comes when we learn to inhabit our bodies with greater compassion.
I bring all of this lived experience into my work and take pride in my ability to have deep compassion for the struggles of others.
Pricing and Logistics
When you choose to work with me, you can be certain that I will be deeply invested in helping you succeed in therapy as quickly as possible. I charge a rate of $175/session for individual and $190/session for couples counseling. Both are the standard 50 min therapy hour. I have needs-based sliding scale pricing available, please ask about it if you have a need. I do take insurance with several insurances including BCBS of Tennessee. I also can provide you with a monthly superbill that you can submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement. I offer in-person sessions at my office in Chattanooga or telehealth via a HIPAA-compliant platform called SimplePractice in both Tennessee and Georgia.
Cassandra Riddle Offers
Individual Therapy
A one-on-one process aimed at improving emotional well-being, self-awareness, and coping skills.
Individual therapy helps people:
- Understand their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
- Cope with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, or trauma
- Navigate relationship challenges or major life transitions
- Build healthier self-esteem and emotional resilience
- Clarify values, goals, and identity
It’s a space for reflection, healing, and personal growth.
Couples Therapy
Helping romantic partners improve their relationship, resolve conflicts, and build healthier patterns of communication and connection. It can be used by couples at any stage—dating, engaged, married, separated, or co-parenting.
- To improve communication and help partners listen and express themselves more effectively.
- To resolve conflicts constructively rather than through blame, withdrawal, or escalation.
- To rebuild trust after betrayals or emotional distance.
- To strengthen emotional and physical intimacy.
- To decide the future of the relationship—whether to stay together, separate, or redefine boundaries.
Premarital Counseling
Helping couples prepare for marriage by strengthening their communication, understanding, and shared expectations. It’s a proactive, educational process that focuses on building a strong foundation for a healthy, lasting relationship—rather than only fixing problems.
Premarital counseling helps couples:
- Explore expectations about marriage, family, money, and roles.
- Improve communication and conflict-resolution skills.
- Identify potential areas of disagreement before they become major issues.
- Develop emotional intimacy and mutual understanding.
- Plan for long-term partnership goals, such as parenting, finances, and values.
Virtual Telehealth
Virtual Telehealth:
A form of psychotherapy conducted remotely through secure digital platforms such as video calls, phone calls, or messaging. It offers the same goals and structure as in-person therapy but provides greater accessibility and flexibility. Licensed to Practice in both Tennessee and Georgia.