How a Latina Social Worker, Author Tackles Stigma, Mental Health, and Recovery

This week on “I Live This: Transforming Mental Health through Personal Connection,” we speak with an author committed to pushing back on perfectionist ideals surrounding therapy and our personal experiences.

Yvonne Castañeda is a licensed clinical social worker, part time faculty member and Director of Community-Based Initiatives at Boston College School of Social Work, and author of “Pork Belly Tacos with a Side of Anxiety.”

“No such thing as a perfect therapist”

As a student, Yvonne shared an expectation that there was some standard formula to therapy. It involved structure, as an example.

“When a client is sharing something that stirs emotion for me, it’s an indicator that on some level I connect to that feeling,” says Yvonne.

That acceptance of feelings doesn’t have to lead to self-disclosure (on the part of the therapist or counselor) in the session, but can lead to further awareness and empathy – both of which Yvonne says are good qualities in a therapist.

Supporting mental health professionals

As mental health professionals progress in the field and reach a certain level of licensure, they no longer have regular access to the kind of clinical supervision that is often helpful to their own professional growth. Yvonne sees this as an area where her peers in the field could be better supported.

“I think in a perfect world, ideally, insurance would cover clinical supervision,” she says.

Yvonne sees clinical supervision as an excellent opportunity for practitioners to process things that come up for them during sessions, get feedback and further their knowledge, and return to practice better able to serve their clients. Currently, therapists need to pay out of pocket for this kind of supervision and support.

Trust in your truth

Self-awareness and acceptance appear as major tenets in Yvonne’s life. She explains that many of the challenges in her life stemmed from not trusting in herself.

The advice she gives: Trust your own journey. Trust the process. Trust your intuition. Be brave. And know your inner voice is never wrong.

Hear more - including the idea behind her book “Pork Belly Tacos with a Side of Anxiety” - in our full conversation with Yvonne Castañeda on "I Live This," available online and wherever you listen to podcasts.