Dr. Cassia Mosdell

I began my career as a special educator in Head Start programs, where I immersed myself in the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. This philosophy views children as active, curious co-creators of their learning. I learned to work alongside children, listening closely to their questions and carefully introducing experiences which would extend their thinking and guide further exploration and discovery. 

It was undoubtedly in this environment that I learned the beginnings of play therapy, spending hours sitting on the floor with children, deeply attuned to their emotional lives.

Through my work in child care and infant mental health, I’ve developed a profound respect for families, recognizing the challenges they face in a society full of systemic inequalities. I approach each family with a nonjudgmental stance, believing that they are doing the best they can within the constraints of a world that often feels overwhelming. This belief shapes my approach, which is grounded in principles of liberation and community psychology. 

• I received my Bachelors from Columbia University in Anthropology and my Masters in Special Education with a specialization in Infant Mental Health from the University of Colorado, Denver. 
• I received my doctorate from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University, where I was a Ruth and Mel Schulman Endowed Fellow. 
• I completed externships at the Center for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis and Youth Consultation Service. 
• I completed my APA internship at North Central Bronx Hospital. 
• I worked on the Rutgers Assessment Team and completed a Neurodevelopmental Assessment rotation at Jacobi Medical Center. I have expertise in autism testing and evaluation. 
• I worked as part of the Child Development Team at the Boulder Mental Health Center providing mental health consultation to child care centers, schools and families. 
• As part of my background in infant mental health and dyadic work with mothers and infants, I have published scholarship in the area of maternal substance use and the harms of child removal.