Profile
Cassandra Cicero
Birth:
1981
Training Location(s):
Mag., University of Vienna (2008)
Cert., Society for Critical Psychologists (GkPP) (2010)
Cert., Pro Mente Vienna (2008)
Primary Affiliation(s):
- SPADE Association – Self-help and communication group for people with mental health problems and illnesses (since 2007)
- Chairwoman of the SPADE association (since approx. 2009)
- Clinical and health psychologist at FEM Süd Frauenassistenz, work assistance for women with disabilities or chronic illnesses, Institute for Women's and Men's Health (since 2008)
- Work council (since 2021)
Career Focus:
Feminist Psychology, clinical and health Psychology, peer counseling, self-help, chronic illness and disability, work assistance
Biography
Cassandra Cicero is a feminist psychologist specializing in working with women with chronic illnesses and disabilities. In this context, Cicero is active in the Women's Assistance of FEM Süd, chairwoman of the association SPADE – a self-help and communication group for people with mental health problems and illnesses, as well as a peer counsellor and book author on living with chronic illness.
Cicero grew up in a feminist family and was therefore familiar with feminist ideas from an early age: "I knew what the Bechdel test was before I could read and write [...] So it was just a matter of course that we had Emma in the household. Moreover, I wrote feminist essays at school, which my teachers perhaps did not like so much." Cicero's mother, co-founder of the Women's Film Initiative and the Vienna animation film festival Tricky Women/Tricky Realities, which has been dedicated to film art by women and genderqueer people since 2001, provided the initial impetus.
Cicero initially began studying economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business in 1999, which she found "so hard, so impersonal, so boring" that she quit after three months to study psychology. While she initially wanted to write her thesis in clinical psychology or educational psychology, finding a suitable supervisor proved challenging.
Cicero then docked with a larger group of students on a professor's project on children and young people with special educational needs.
After completing her studies, Cicero began training as a clinical and health psychologist at the GkPP - Gesellschaft für Kritische Psychologinnen und Psychologen in 2009. This was a conscious choice, as Cicero wanted to join the GkPP instead of the established training centre of the BÖP – Berufsverband Österreichischer Psychologinnen und Psychologen in order to support a small organization and opposition. Cicero also identified with the "critical opponent" and says of herself: "I feel that criticism is always closer to me politically."
In 2008, Cicero advertised on the Internet that she was looking for a job as a psychologist with a disability. Shortly afterwards, Cicero was contacted by FEM SÜD Frauenassistenz, who wanted to recruit her, as they were in the process of setting up a peer counselling service at the time and were looking for a psychologist with a disability. Cicero, therefore, joined the team when it was founded in 2008 and has been working at Frauenassistenz ever since. Peer counselling is very close to Cicero's heart, and she emphasizes in the interview how crucial peer-to-peer support is, especially in the context of chronic illnesses and disabilities.
FEM SÜD Women's Assistance offers an individual and long-term counselling service with the aim of professional integration specifically for women. The Women's Assistance is linked to the Institute for Women's and Men's Health (consisting of FEM, FEM SÜD and MEN) in Vienna. In addition to offering multilingual psychological and social counselling, Cicero focuses, in particular, on working with women with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Cicero
critically notes that women's complaints are still often psychologized, whereby gender
medicine plays an essential role in their work.
In this context, Cicero often looks after female clients who have been diagnosed with an
anxiety disorder or depression, although it becomes apparent only during their counselling that the symptoms are due to chronic illnesses such as autoimmune diseases. Therefore, Cicero provides support in consultations with independent research into medical conditions to ensure the best possible psychological and medical treatment. Cicero emphasizes: "I have experienced this so often that it is no longer a coincidence. Most women know exactly whether they have a mental health problem or not, but the medical profession does not trust them to have this knowledge."
At the same time, Cicero also emphasizes that it is possible to "have lice and fleas at the same time" and that mental illnesses can go hand in hand with physical illnesses. For Cicero, it is therefore central to her psychological work to strive for the psychological stabilization of clients, to empower them in their perception, to take time for psychoeducation and to build a bridge to the medical health system. In this context, it is a top priority for Cicero's work to find out "what the clients are missing", because in her experience, a working life is only possible again if the underlying problem is adequately treated. For Cicero, a holistic view of mental and physical health and the ability to work is vital, so she also provides support in applying for a disability pass and obtaining medical reports and explains essential features of these.
In this context, Cicero also draws attention to structural and intersectional disadvantages, with her clients' experiences ranging from trivialization to harassment that is often accompanied by high financial costs on top of this.
Cicero is therefore keen to provide public information about the lives of women with chronic illness and disabilities, as described in her 2018 book "The Wisdom of the Snail. Joy (of life) as a strategy for dealing with illness and suffering." In the book, Cicero focuses on the particular challenges of living with a chronic illness, as these are often less visible and, depending on the day, can be more or less severe, making questions of coping with everyday life and energy balance central issues. In Cicero's experience, connecting back to the physical causes of chronic stress symptoms can reduce feelings of guilt and increase self-acceptance among those affected. Cicero emphasizes: "You cannot force yourself to produce serotonin with all your willpower. So, this guilt is huge, especially for women. Women are often told that they are to blame for everything. Furthermore, the feeling of guilt is even stronger in people
with chronic and mental illnesses." In addition, women, in particular, would also feel guilty if they were to claim the social benefits to which they are rightfully entitled, which in turn promotes a vicious circle of feelings of stress and guilt.
In addition to her work at Frauenassistenz, Cicero has been chairwoman of the SPADE
association, a self-help and communication group for people with mental health problems and illnesses, since 2009. The self-help group meets once a week in a neighborhood center so that "people can come together and talk freely. The group is for people with mental health problems. We do not check this either; if someone feels they are affected by themselves, they can join in." Some of the association's target groups cannot work, which is why there is no money for membership fees, making funding essential for the association. Cicero is therefore critical of the underfunding of psychosocial counselling for women and men, as well as the lack of structural equality measures, such as models for part-time work.
For Cassandra Cicero, a feminist-critical and interdisciplinary approach, such as specialist knowledge from medicine and social work, is central to her psychological work with women with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Through her own experiences with disability, she is proud to practice her profession, to have completed her studies in psychology and to have achieved her life's goal of publishing a book. In the future, Cicero hopes that chronic illnesses and disabilities, especially among women, will receive more attention and be taken seriously. In this context, she also emphasizes the crucial achievements of the Ninlil counselling center for women with learning difficulties (see also Elisabeth Udl). Despite interdisciplinary connections, the psychological-feminist approach of valuing individuals' emotions remains central to Cicero: "As a psychologist, my first and foremost obligation is to believe all female patients."
By Emelie Rack (2024)
To cite this article, see Credits
Selected Works
By Cassandra Cicero
Cicero, C. (2018). Die Weisheit der Schnecke. (Lebens-)Freude als Strategie im Umgang mit Krankheit und Leid. Ein unterhaltsames, wissenschaftlich-psychologisches Selbsthilfe-Ratgeber-Erfahrungs-Buch. Books on Demand.
Rader, S., & Cicero, C. (2010). Was Frauen (be)hindert. Lebenssituation und Empowerment von Frauen mit Behinderung. In: H. Wolf (Eds.), Frauen, Gesundheit, Soziale Lage. Festschrift anläßlich des 10-jährigen Bestehens von FEM Süd. Facultas Wien.
By and about Cassandra Cicero
Cicero, C. (March 25, 2021). „Du schaust aber gar nicht krank aus!“ – Über das Leben mit unsichtbarer Krankheit/ Behinderung. Wiener Gesundheitswoche. Available under: https://youtu.be/wRNVH7ZgQvI?feature=shared
Cicero, C. (October 16, 2020). Leben mit chronischer Krankheit. FEM Süd Gesundheitszentrum. Available under: https://youtu.be/CDdrKHQSvb8?feature=shared
Cassandra Cicero
Birth:
1981
Training Location(s):
Mag., University of Vienna (2008)
Cert., Society for Critical Psychologists (GkPP) (2010)
Cert., Pro Mente Vienna (2008)
Primary Affiliation(s):
- SPADE Association – Self-help and communication group for people with mental health problems and illnesses (since 2007)
- Chairwoman of the SPADE association (since approx. 2009)
- Clinical and health psychologist at FEM Süd Frauenassistenz, work assistance for women with disabilities or chronic illnesses, Institute for Women's and Men's Health (since 2008)
- Work council (since 2021)
Career Focus:
Feminist Psychology, clinical and health Psychology, peer counseling, self-help, chronic illness and disability, work assistance
Biography
Cassandra Cicero is a feminist psychologist specializing in working with women with chronic illnesses and disabilities. In this context, Cicero is active in the Women's Assistance of FEM Süd, chairwoman of the association SPADE – a self-help and communication group for people with mental health problems and illnesses, as well as a peer counsellor and book author on living with chronic illness.
Cicero grew up in a feminist family and was therefore familiar with feminist ideas from an early age: "I knew what the Bechdel test was before I could read and write [...] So it was just a matter of course that we had Emma in the household. Moreover, I wrote feminist essays at school, which my teachers perhaps did not like so much." Cicero's mother, co-founder of the Women's Film Initiative and the Vienna animation film festival Tricky Women/Tricky Realities, which has been dedicated to film art by women and genderqueer people since 2001, provided the initial impetus.
Cicero initially began studying economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business in 1999, which she found "so hard, so impersonal, so boring" that she quit after three months to study psychology. While she initially wanted to write her thesis in clinical psychology or educational psychology, finding a suitable supervisor proved challenging.
Cicero then docked with a larger group of students on a professor's project on children and young people with special educational needs.
After completing her studies, Cicero began training as a clinical and health psychologist at the GkPP - Gesellschaft für Kritische Psychologinnen und Psychologen in 2009. This was a conscious choice, as Cicero wanted to join the GkPP instead of the established training centre of the BÖP – Berufsverband Österreichischer Psychologinnen und Psychologen in order to support a small organization and opposition. Cicero also identified with the "critical opponent" and says of herself: "I feel that criticism is always closer to me politically."
In 2008, Cicero advertised on the Internet that she was looking for a job as a psychologist with a disability. Shortly afterwards, Cicero was contacted by FEM SÜD Frauenassistenz, who wanted to recruit her, as they were in the process of setting up a peer counselling service at the time and were looking for a psychologist with a disability. Cicero, therefore, joined the team when it was founded in 2008 and has been working at Frauenassistenz ever since. Peer counselling is very close to Cicero's heart, and she emphasizes in the interview how crucial peer-to-peer support is, especially in the context of chronic illnesses and disabilities.
FEM SÜD Women's Assistance offers an individual and long-term counselling service with the aim of professional integration specifically for women. The Women's Assistance is linked to the Institute for Women's and Men's Health (consisting of FEM, FEM SÜD and MEN) in Vienna. In addition to offering multilingual psychological and social counselling, Cicero focuses, in particular, on working with women with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Cicero
critically notes that women's complaints are still often psychologized, whereby gender
medicine plays an essential role in their work.
In this context, Cicero often looks after female clients who have been diagnosed with an
anxiety disorder or depression, although it becomes apparent only during their counselling that the symptoms are due to chronic illnesses such as autoimmune diseases. Therefore, Cicero provides support in consultations with independent research into medical conditions to ensure the best possible psychological and medical treatment. Cicero emphasizes: "I have experienced this so often that it is no longer a coincidence. Most women know exactly whether they have a mental health problem or not, but the medical profession does not trust them to have this knowledge."
At the same time, Cicero also emphasizes that it is possible to "have lice and fleas at the same time" and that mental illnesses can go hand in hand with physical illnesses. For Cicero, it is therefore central to her psychological work to strive for the psychological stabilization of clients, to empower them in their perception, to take time for psychoeducation and to build a bridge to the medical health system. In this context, it is a top priority for Cicero's work to find out "what the clients are missing", because in her experience, a working life is only possible again if the underlying problem is adequately treated. For Cicero, a holistic view of mental and physical health and the ability to work is vital, so she also provides support in applying for a disability pass and obtaining medical reports and explains essential features of these.
In this context, Cicero also draws attention to structural and intersectional disadvantages, with her clients' experiences ranging from trivialization to harassment that is often accompanied by high financial costs on top of this.
Cicero is therefore keen to provide public information about the lives of women with chronic illness and disabilities, as described in her 2018 book "The Wisdom of the Snail. Joy (of life) as a strategy for dealing with illness and suffering." In the book, Cicero focuses on the particular challenges of living with a chronic illness, as these are often less visible and, depending on the day, can be more or less severe, making questions of coping with everyday life and energy balance central issues. In Cicero's experience, connecting back to the physical causes of chronic stress symptoms can reduce feelings of guilt and increase self-acceptance among those affected. Cicero emphasizes: "You cannot force yourself to produce serotonin with all your willpower. So, this guilt is huge, especially for women. Women are often told that they are to blame for everything. Furthermore, the feeling of guilt is even stronger in people
with chronic and mental illnesses." In addition, women, in particular, would also feel guilty if they were to claim the social benefits to which they are rightfully entitled, which in turn promotes a vicious circle of feelings of stress and guilt.
In addition to her work at Frauenassistenz, Cicero has been chairwoman of the SPADE
association, a self-help and communication group for people with mental health problems and illnesses, since 2009. The self-help group meets once a week in a neighborhood center so that "people can come together and talk freely. The group is for people with mental health problems. We do not check this either; if someone feels they are affected by themselves, they can join in." Some of the association's target groups cannot work, which is why there is no money for membership fees, making funding essential for the association. Cicero is therefore critical of the underfunding of psychosocial counselling for women and men, as well as the lack of structural equality measures, such as models for part-time work.
For Cassandra Cicero, a feminist-critical and interdisciplinary approach, such as specialist knowledge from medicine and social work, is central to her psychological work with women with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Through her own experiences with disability, she is proud to practice her profession, to have completed her studies in psychology and to have achieved her life's goal of publishing a book. In the future, Cicero hopes that chronic illnesses and disabilities, especially among women, will receive more attention and be taken seriously. In this context, she also emphasizes the crucial achievements of the Ninlil counselling center for women with learning difficulties (see also Elisabeth Udl). Despite interdisciplinary connections, the psychological-feminist approach of valuing individuals' emotions remains central to Cicero: "As a psychologist, my first and foremost obligation is to believe all female patients."
By Emelie Rack (2024)
To cite this article, see Credits
Selected Works
By Cassandra Cicero
Cicero, C. (2018). Die Weisheit der Schnecke. (Lebens-)Freude als Strategie im Umgang mit Krankheit und Leid. Ein unterhaltsames, wissenschaftlich-psychologisches Selbsthilfe-Ratgeber-Erfahrungs-Buch. Books on Demand.
Rader, S., & Cicero, C. (2010). Was Frauen (be)hindert. Lebenssituation und Empowerment von Frauen mit Behinderung. In: H. Wolf (Eds.), Frauen, Gesundheit, Soziale Lage. Festschrift anläßlich des 10-jährigen Bestehens von FEM Süd. Facultas Wien.
By and about Cassandra Cicero
Cicero, C. (March 25, 2021). „Du schaust aber gar nicht krank aus!“ – Über das Leben mit unsichtbarer Krankheit/ Behinderung. Wiener Gesundheitswoche. Available under: https://youtu.be/wRNVH7ZgQvI?feature=shared
Cicero, C. (October 16, 2020). Leben mit chronischer Krankheit. FEM Süd Gesundheitszentrum. Available under: https://youtu.be/CDdrKHQSvb8?feature=shared