Dr. Cacciatore specializes in counseling those affected by traumatic losses, most often the death of a child. She is Certified in Bereavement Trauma by the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress.  Her therapeutic interventions include Mindfulness Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Logotherapy, and various therapies, such as Repeated Exposure Therapy, to manage Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). She is currently an Assistant Professor and researcher at Arizona State University.

As an advocate of “green” mental health care after a traumatic experience, she is a member of the American Psychotherapy Association, the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and the National Center for Crisis Management. She spearheaded and directs the graduate Certificate in Trauma and Bereavement program at ASU. 

Her research has been published in peer reviewed journals such as Death Studies, Omega Journal of Death and Dying, Social Work, Social Work and Healthcare, Birth, and Families in Society. 

Dr. Cacciatore received her Doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her Masters degree and Bachelor's degree in psychology from Arizona State University. Her work has been featured in major media sources such as People and Newsweek magazines, the New York Times, Boston Globe, CNN, National Public Radio, and the Los Angeles Times. She received the prestigious Hon Kachina Award in 2007, and has been listed since 2006 in Who's Who and Who's Who of American Women. She is a mother to five children, now mostly grown, she notes “four who walk and one who soars”. On a personal note, she has been a vegetarian since 1976 and enjoys hiking, reading, surfing, and rock climbing. 

Her life changed profoundly in 1994 when her daughter, Cheyenne, died.