Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassidy DuHadway.
Hi Cassidy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I didn’t start out wanting to build a group practice or train therapists. My story really began working with teenagers as a teacher, teaching math and music. What surprised me was that most of the students didn’t actually need to be taught math. Many of them were seniors taking Algebra 1 for the second or third time. What made the difference was helping them learn to trust themselves and believe that they were capable. That was the part that changed everything for them, and for me. I became more interested in helping people trust who they are than anything I was actually teaching.
I grew up in Utah as the oldest of eight in a very structured religious environment where there were clear expectations about who I was supposed to be. Looking back, I think that shaped a lot of my work. I understand what it’s like to learn how to show up in the “right” way while feeling disconnected from parts of yourself, and that’s a big part of why I’m so passionate about helping people come back to who they really are.
That pull to understand how people change and what actually helps them move forward is what led me to become a therapist. I wanted to understand how people change, how they heal, and what actually helps someone move forward in their life in a real way, not just temporarily, but in a way that lasts.
About six years into my career, I started Purple Sky Counseling because I wanted to create a space where we could do real, deep trauma work, not just surface-level coping, and where both clients and therapists could show up authentically. What started as a small private practice has grown into a multi-location group practice with clinicians and medical providers across Utah.
Now, my work has expanded beyond just seeing clients. I lead a team, create space for therapists to do meaningful, depth-oriented work, and train and consult with therapists and business owners who want to build something similar.
I am also the author of Becoming Me: Unraveling and Healing the Sacred Wounds of Religious Trauma, a book that gives language to experiences so many people have carried but haven’t been able to name. It weaves together my own story with the patterns I’ve seen in clients and is designed to help people understand the impact of religious trauma, reconnect with themselves, and begin to heal in a way that feels honest and grounded.
At the core of all of it is the same thing that started my journey, helping people trust themselves, understand their experiences, and create real, lasting change.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. A lot of this has been built without a clear roadmap, and I’ve had to learn as I go, both as a therapist and as a business owner.
One of the harder parts has been learning how to show up authentically and be transparent about who I am, while also letting go of the need to control how other people see me. There have been times where people made assumptions or believed things that weren’t true, and I’ve had to learn how to stay grounded in myself instead of trying to manage or fix every perception.
Another significant challenge has been being late diagnosed with ADHD. For a long time, there were things that felt harder for me than they seemed to be for others, but I didn’t have language for it. Getting that diagnosis shifted how I understood myself, but it also meant unlearning a lot of internalized beliefs and figuring out how to work with my brain instead of against it, especially while running a business and leading a team.
There have also been challenges in building a business that stays aligned with what I actually believe in. I’ve been really intentional about creating a space where depth matters, where therapists can do meaningful work, and where clients can experience real, lasting change, even when that isn’t always the easiest or fastest path.
Looking back, those challenges are what shaped both me and the business. They pushed me to be more intentional about how I show up and what I’m building, and that’s what allows the work to have the impact it does today.
As you know, we’re big fans of Purple Sky Counseling. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Purple Sky Counseling is a trauma-focused group practice with locations across Utah, offering therapy and medication management for individuals, couples, and families. We specialize in working with anxiety, depression, trauma, and more complex experiences like emotional neglect, dissociation, and neurodivergence, including ADHD and autism.
What sets us apart is the depth of the work. We’re not focused on quick fixes or surface-level coping. Our team is trained to look at the underlying patterns that keep people stuck and help clients create real, lasting change. That means we spend time understanding each person’s story, how their experiences have shaped them, and what healing actually looks like for them.
We also place a strong emphasis on creating an environment where both clients and therapists can show up authentically. That includes being neuro and queer-affirming, trauma-informed, and grounded in the belief that people make sense in the context of their experiences.
Beyond clinical work, I train and consult with therapists, particularly in EMDR and trauma. I’ve trained over 1,200 therapists in Utah in EMDR, and what I’m known for is the way I teach. I focus on helping therapists truly understand the work, not just follow a protocol, while also creating a space where they feel supported, capable, and confident in their ability to grow into strong, effective clinicians. I genuinely love helping therapists become the best therapists they can be, and creating opportunities for them to step into their voice, their confidence, and their impact.
What I’m most proud of is the culture we’ve built and the level of care we provide. Purple Sky isn’t just a place people come to feel better, it’s a place where people come to actually understand themselves and create meaningful, lasting change. We’ve been intentional about building a team and a model of care that prioritizes depth, authenticity, and growth, and that’s what continues to set us apart.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
One of my favorite childhood memories is going on road trips with my family. My mom would take all of us, there were 6 of us kids at the time, in a 15-passenger van. We drove cross country more than once and we also spent a week on the Outer Banks. We ate sandwiches and cereal, and I just remember it being so much fun and adventurous.
I also remember spending a lot of time outside with my siblings, coming up with really elaborate games and stories. We would play for hours and create entire worlds together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.purpleskycounseling.com and www.cassidyduhadway.com
- Instagram: @purpleskycounseling @therapywithcassidy
- Facebook: /purpleskycounseling and /therapywithcassidy
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassidyduhadway/
