When Cassandra Perri began her studies in the Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology program at Yorkville University, she was a single woman working full-time as a project manager.
Four years later, as she prepares to address her classmates as Student Graduation Speaker at Yorkville University’s upcoming convocation ceremony in Fredericton, she reflects on the profound personal transformation she’s undertaken during her time at Yorkville – one that saw her become not only a psychotherapist, but also a wife and a mother of two young daughters.
Perri’s path to counselling psychology wasn’t direct. With a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Health and Psychology from the University of Toronto and a Master’s in Health Informatics from the University of Waterloo already under her belt, she once thought her calling was medicine. She had even been accepted to medical school but deferred, sensing it wasn’t the right fit.
“I knew I still wanted to help people,” she explained, “and I realized with time that my passion was Psychology and providing support for mental health concerns.”
That passion for helping others navigate difficult conversations is evident in her self-published children’s book, Doctor, What is Cancer? , which provides families with a compassionate resource for discussing a challenging and emotional topic. And it’s a commitment she brings to her work at the Canadian Standards Association, as well. There, Perri facilitates culturally sensitive workshops focused on understanding the lived experiences of vulnerable and minority populations, using compassion, cultural humility, and reflective listening to empower participants.
Now, as she stands ready to launch her own counselling practice while maintaining her project management role, Perri credits her time at Yorkville not just with providing clinical skills, but with helping her become “a new version of myself.”
In this Q&A, she shares her journey, the tools that transformed her, and her advice for incoming students seeking their own path in the field.
What brought you to Yorkville University? Where were you in your life/career when you decided to continue your studies with us?
I valued the flexibility of the program and the ability to complete it while also working full time as a project manager for the Canadian Standards Association. I started the program while it was COVID. The epidemic gave me the push I needed to start doing something that I had pushed aside for long enough. Over the course of the program, I got married, got pregnant twice and had two beautiful girls. I have formed a completely different identity from the start to the end of the program, becoming a mother, wife, and Psychotherapist.
What made you decide to pursue your Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology?
The mind and human behavior have always been topics of interest to me. Originally, I thought I wanted to be a doctor and help people with physical conditions. I applied to medical school years ago and was accepted, but something about it did not feel right and even after deferring my acceptance a year, I still did not feel like it was the right path. I knew I still wanted to help people, though, and I realized with time that my passion was Psychology and providing support for mental health concerns.
What is the most important thing you’re taking away from your studies at Yorkville University?
The most important thing that I’m taking away from my studies is a new version of myself. I have internalized so many of the tools that Yorkville has given me, and I have become the identity that I want to be. I have never felt so secure and confident in who I am. This school, the content, the professors, and the time in my life that I did it was ideal for me. So many changes happened in my life during my studies, all monumental and life changing. So, when I think of my studies I will also think of the best and most exciting chapter of my life. I will look back on it with pride that I was able to complete my education while expanding my family and building my home, alongside my career.
What are your plans after graduation, both immediate and long term?
I have registered my business and plan to pursue counselling while also keeping my full-time job at the Canadian Standards Association. I will be a mental health ambassador and help manage mental health standards while also providing mental health services to clients part time. My hope is to provide counselling full time and pursue various additional certifications, and perhaps eventually my PhD.
If you offered one piece of advice to an incoming student, what would that be?
You will find that professor, topic, or modality that speaks to you. Immerse yourself in the experience so that you can grow into the unique counsellor that you are meant to be. No two counsellors are the same, so practice mindfulness and accept the type of counsellor that suits you best.
