About Me

Me (left) with my daughter Carina, mom Connie, and Chihuahua Gracie

My one-line bio:
“I am simply and beautifully human!”

Hello there ~

I have spent a good portion of my life safely shut down and protected by a thick layer of anger. Disconnection was the only way. It was better not to know what I wanted for fear of never being good enough to get it. If I never tried, then I could never fail. Of course, all of this led me to tax accounting!

Numbers and laws are safely predictable and measurable. I always knew where I stood; I could find my way around; and everything was neat and tidy. Then why was I so miserable? I kept counting, measuring, and tabulating. It just wasn’t adding up. Something was missing. But, what?

Through a series of fortuitous events, I discovered that behind the anger was fear. Behind the fear was loneliness. Behind the loneliness was love. And behind the love was me. It was me who was missing!

Step by step I reconnected with more and more of myself. Through the process, I discovered a passion for photography, painting, drawing, interior design, people, learning, relationships, and humanity. The rigid numbers fell away to reveal the flow of creativity, the spontaneity of people, and a love for humankind.

Today I am passionate about helping others build their own connections with their talents, their passions, their family, their friends, and most of all with themselves. I invite you to explore my website and blogs to learn more about me, my work, my journey, and how I help others.

Warmly ~
Cassandra

I am a mother.

I gave birth to my daughter Carina when I was 18. Although I was an independent adult at the time and married to her father, I was still a teenager. Carina and I have been through a lot together. When she began preschool I began junior college and single parenting (I divorced her dad when she was 2). When she began elementary school I began university. And when I began my first career as a tax consultant she began her first day at her 4th school. We have lived in Salinas, Berkeley, Davis, and Sunnyvale. In fact, Carina was the only constant for most of my adult life until I met my second husband, Will.

I am a wife.

I married my husband Will on my 30th birthday. I am a better mother, coach, friend, daughter, sister, wife, and person because of my relationship with him. He taught me how to laugh, how to believe in myself, how to tell the truth, and how to live with integrity. He always sees the beauty within me even when I feel messy, ugly, and disgusting. My life is monumentally better because of my husband and he is my hero!

I am a teen & family coach.

Our family connections affect all aspects of our lives.  They affect how we feel about ourselves, how we relate to others, and even which career we choose.  They can also be the most challenging – especially during the tween and teen years – and I am passionate about holding a safe space for people to learn how to come together where they see and feel each other eye to eye and heart to heart.  I run a private practice in Sunnyvale, California and I invite you to check it out at  SimpleWaysCoaching.com

I am an author.

I am pleased to announce the publication of my first book Discover Dialogue: embrace the beauty of your inner voice! In it I share my own personal challenges, fears, and experience while gently challenging you to explore yours as well. I chronicle my career transition from tax accountant to teen & family coach and share some of my personal techniques on how to transform conflict into connection.  If you are ready to embark upon your own journey of self-discovery, then this is the book for you!

My unique work experience:

1. Ironing clothes for 50 cents a garment
2. Cleaning the next door neighbors house for $5/hour
3. Fast food worker at Chick-Fil-A
4. One hour film processor
5. Sales associate at gift store
6. Cashier at pizza joint
7. Office work and manager at credit bureau
8. Unit secretary in the Intensive Care Unit
9. Tax consultant
10. Teen & Family Coach!!!!!!

This is just the beginning of my education because I love learning:

• Registered Pharmacy Technician through Hartnell Community Education
• Associate’s degree through Hartnell Community College
• Bachelor’s degree through UC, Berkeley
• Certified Professional Coach through International Coach Academy

Other random information about me:

My hobbies are:

• Journaling
• Blogging
• Exercising
• Photography
• Interior design
• Painting

Confessions of a life coach:

• I exercise at least 5 times a week
• I schedule family time
• I eat every 1 to 2 hours
• I like to clean
• I gave up Diet Pepsi (a former fanatic) because carbonation is not good for the body.  Now it is a “treat” I enjoy occasionally.