Yvonne Castaneda is the author of Pork Belly Tacos with a Side of Anxiety: My Journey Through Depression, Bulimia, and Addiction (Santa Monica Press), a memoir for young adults, and a part-time faculty member at the Boston College School of Social Work where she teaches Basic Skills in Clinical Social Work and Social Welfare Policy. She is the founder of SoulFuerza. As a clinical social worker and therapist, she has worked primarily with the Latinx population in community health centers in Boston, with a focus on providing therapeutic support and treatment to adverse populations suffering from complex trauma. Yvonne's passion is working with under-served populations and providing a level of clinical care that is culturally competent, an approach to patients and clients that focuses on respect and authenticity. Having worked for many years in the fitness and wellness industry before getting her masters in social work from Boston College, Yvonne approaches her work with an eye on the mind-body connection and the effects of trauma on both the physical body and the brain.

Her holistic, culturally sensitive approach is rooted in respect, truth and compassion.  She respects the unique way in which you show up in the world. She believes there is power in discovering your truth, and showing compassion. She uses different treatment modalities to treat symptoms that are triggered by any number of life stressors: family conflicts, relationship concerns, medical conditions, work related stress, acculturation difficulties, existential angst.  Yvonne is also a certified EMDR therapist and offers treatment for PTSD and other trauma-related disorders.

In this two-part episode, Yvonne shares her story, including why she went to get her masters in social work when she was 45, after a fitness and wellness career.  And we dig into self-love, how to start working on deep transformation and healing, and what to do with all the baggage you’ve been carrying for too long, that contains beliefs and attachments to stories that aren’t helpful to you.

CONNECT WITH YVONNE

SOULFUERZA: https://www.soulfuerza.com/about

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonne-castañeda-licsw-a45b3214/

CONNECT WITH ARIVEE

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