Meet Cassandra Hesse, LCSW-S, CST
I’m a sex-positive Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Board Approved Supervisor, and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist. I was drawn to sex therapy through my work with adult clients navigating challenges related to sex and love.
I’m passionate about deconstructing societal norms around sexuality and supporting individual adults and couples as they work through concerns involving intimacy, relationships, and sexual well-being. I welcome clients from all cultural backgrounds and across the spectrum of gender, sexual orientation, and relationship diversity.
My academic journey began with a degree in Sociology, where I explored human behavior, social dynamics, and cultural patterns. After earning my undergraduate degree in 2011, I began working at a psychiatric hospital with children and adolescents—an experience that inspired me to pursue my Master of Social Work (MSW) with a clinical mental health focus at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Based in Greater Austin with an office in Round Rock, Texas. I also offer virtual therapy, making sex-positive support accessible to clients across Texas.
In my work with couples, I am trained in the Developmental Model of Couples Therapy, which draws on Attachment Theory, Differentiation Theory, and Neuroscience. I also incorporate Sensate Focus Therapy, a valuable experiential approach that helps partners reconnect with physical intimacy through guided exercises and at-home practices.
For individual adult clients, I take a person-centered approach, integrating evidence-based modalities to support your journey toward greater self-awareness, intimacy, and confidence. Therapeutic methods I use include Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT). My training in the Developmental Model of Couples Therapy helps me approach my individual clients with a relational lens as well; whether you’re struggling with an intimate partner, family member, friend, or colleague.
Curious to see if we’re a good fit? Reach out today to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation—I’d love to connect.
Professional Qualifications —
License | LCSW-S in Texas #61700
AASECT Certified Sex Therapist
SHA Certified Sex Therapist
The Developmental Model in Couples Therapy Graduate
Degrees —
Master of Social Work
University of Texas at Arlington | 2015Bachelor of Arts in Sociology | Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi | 2011
Professional Affiliations —
American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT)
Gottman Relationship Checkup Approved Member
Continuing Education Training
2025
October 2025-April 2026 (In Progress): Internal Family Systems Online Circle
(In Progress): NATC Certification - Legal and Ethical Considerations for Working with Narcissism and NA/ARS with Dr. Ramani Durvasula, PhD, LCP
(In Progress): NATC Certification - Working with Clients Experiencing NA/ARS: An antagonism-informed treatment approach (Part 2) with Dr. Ramani Durvasula, PhD, LCP
September 28: Tired, Triggered, and Traumatized: Being a Therapist in the Age of Dysregulation with Dr. Ellyn Bader
September 27: NATC Certification - Working with Clients Experiencing NA/ARS: An antagonism-informed treatment approach (Part 1) with Dr. Ramani Durvasula, PhD, LCP
September 6: NATC Certification - Being Culturally and Intersectionally Informed When Working with Clients Experiencing NA/ARS with Dr. Ramani Durvasula, PhD, LCP
August 10: NATC Certification - Working with the Fallout of Narcissistic Abuse with Dr. Ramani Durvasula, PhD, LCP
July 27: NATC Certification - Dynamics of Narcissistic and Antagonistic Relationships with Dr. Ramani Durvasula, PhD, LCP
July 27: NATC Certification - Trauma and Narcissism: Personality Disorders as Trauma-Related Disorders with Dr. Janina Fisher, PhD
July 19: NATC Certification - Narcissistic Abuse In-Depth Workshop with Dr. Ramani Durvasula, PhD, LCP
March 7: Affirming Care in Uncertain Times: Legal Issues & Ethical Guidance for Texas Therapists Supporting LGBTQIA+ Clients & Families with Soliz & Coleman, PLLC
January 25: Values Based Supervision: An Approach that Transforms the Supervisor and Supervisee with Samantha Zuniga Thompson, LCSW-S and Brenda Keller, LCSW
January 25: Creative Clinical Supervision with Linda Openshaw and Libby Kay
2024
December 22: Common Issues in Couples and Partners Sex Therapy with Institute for Sexuality Education and Enlightenment
December 13: Top Five Ethical & Legal Hazards in Private Practice Settings with Dr. Jonathan Impellizzeri
November 1: Abortion in the US: Realities, Laws, and Healing with ANTE UP!
October 13: Clients Experiencing Grief: A Solution-Focused Approach with Dr. Anne Lutz, MD
July 14: Professional Wills with Dr. Benjamin Caldwell, PsyD, LMFT
June 22: Victims and Victimology 2 with Dr. Carol L. Clark, PhD
June 1: Victims and Victimology 1 - Domestic Violence with Dr. Carol L. Clark, PhD
May 3: Ethics- Determining an ethical operating system/ Ethical consideration for trauma- informed practice with Dr. Erin Basalay, PsyD and Katherine Martin, LCSW-S
April 28: Completed 1-year of The Developmental Model of Couples Therapy: Integrating Attachment, Differentiation and Neuroscience with Dr. Ellyn Bader, Katherine Waddell, Sue Diamond, Kelly Scharver, Nancy St. John, and Tammy Van Hinte
2023
August 11: Clinical Practice with Transgender and Non-Binary Individuals with Kaitlyn O’Donnell, LCSW
June 23: Ethics, Stress & Self-Care for Clinical Supervisors with NASW/TX Chapter
2021
October 22: Sensate Focus: Refining Your Conceptualization, Structuring The Hierarchy & Addressing Common Difficulties with Linda Weiner
August 8: Informed Consent: New Additions with Dr. Benjamin E. Caldwell, PsyD, LMFT
June 11: Giving teens a voice: Lessons about sex, sexuality, and the internet
June 11: Social Justice Plenary Towards Collective Liberation: with Dominique Morgan and Eli Green
June 11: When Pornography is an Issue: Couples in Conflict and People Who Watch Too Much
June 11: Let the Circle Be Unbroken: Addressing Religious Guilt and Sexual Shame
May 6-8: State of Texas LCSW-S Training and Certification with Dr. Carla Groves, LCSW-S
March 15: Setting Ethical Limits: For Caring and Competent Professionals with Lisa Hutchison, LMHC
2020
October 16-17: Sexuality Attitude Reassessment (SAR) with Dr. David Ley, Heather McPherson, LPC-S, LMFT-S, CST and Jen Meyer, LPC, LMFT, CST
October 9-10: Confronting the Unconventional: Sex Work, Trauma & Kink with Jasmine Johnson, LCSW
April 24-25: Our Intimate Selves: Exploring Sex, Gender, Orientation, and Transgender Awareness with Lee Harrington
April 17-18: Sex, Anxiety, & Reproductive Health with Dr. Eli Sheff and Melissa Novak, LCSW, CST
April 11: Strength Based Approach to Helping Couples & Individuals with Gaps in Sexual Desire & Low Libido with Modern Sex Therapy Institutes
April 4: Excellence in Therapy with Kink-Identified Clients: Innovations 1 with Community-Academic Consortium for Research on Alternative Sexualities