Yvonne Castañeda. Courtesy photo.
She serves as director of community-based initiatives at the Boston College School of Social Work, leading efforts to strengthen the systems, organizations, and community networks that deliver health, education, and human services to residents of Lawrence, Massachusetts.
She runs a private practice, SoulFuerza Therapy, providing trauma-informed psychotherapy to individuals, couples, and families in English and Spanish.
And she tells deeply poignant stories, writing for Psychology Today and chronicling her journey through addiction, depression, and bulimia in her memoir Pork Belly Tacos with a Side of Anxiety, which popular Latinx author Junot Diaz praised as “overflowing with compassion, honesty, and hope.”
Now Yvonne Castañeda can add another notable achievement to her resume, having recently been named to Amplify LatinX’s third annual ALX100, a list honoring the top 100 Hispanic and Latin American leaders in Massachusetts.
“Growing up, I was taught to stay humble, not draw attention, and to be very modest, so receiving this kind of recognition felt uncomfortable at first,” said Castañeda, who graduated from the master’s program at BCSSW in 2018 and now teaches Basic Skills in Macro Social Work to students in the Latinx Leadership Initiative in addition to her responsibilities as a staff member at the School. “But I also recognize the importance of representation. I don’t know what kind of impact this might have on someone else, and that’s more important to me than my discomfort.”
Her recognition came after Amplify LatinX, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to expand Hispanic leadership, issued a call for nominations to its network of more than 10,000 people. An independent committee selected honorees based on community impact and other variables, including diversity of geography, industry, and gender identity, and the winners were revealed by The Boston Globe on September 15 in honor of the start of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Castañeda joined a wide-ranging group of honorees that included Melisa Valdez, the entertainment host for the Boston Celtics, Lyria Garcia, an independent film producer, and Carlos Febres-Mazzei, the managing principal at QuakerLane, an enterprise that helps investors raise capital for big developments.
“As a therapist, I am giving people a space, and as the director of community-based initiatives, I am offering individuals in the community an opportunity to let us know what they need so that we can connect them to resources that help them. I just want to give.”
She finds a throughline in her diverse roles, from leading the Gateway Initiative to strengthen nonprofits in Lawrence through community-driven capacity building, data equity, and workforce development, to supporting Latinx people on their journeys toward healing and growth as a trauma-focused clinician.
In both cases, she is driven by a commitment to listen, respond, and create meaningful opportunities for people to thrive. “As a therapist, I am giving people a space, and as the director of community-based initiatives, I am offering individuals in the community an opportunity to let us know what they need so that we can connect them to resources that help them,” said Castañeda. “I just want to serve.”
Her favorite part of directing community-based initiatives at BCSSW is being in the community and building relationships with people on the ground. Since 2022, when she took on the role, she’s watched these relationships deepen, validating a key principle in social work: meaningful transformation takes time.
As she put it: “You just have to really be patient, be with the community, and not try to intervene when you don’t know the whole story.”
And the skills she uses to build relationships with communities in Lawrence—listening with intention, respecting autonomy, and staying grounded in real lived experiences? They’re the same skills she uses as a clinician.
“I never necessarily feel tired because I feel like I just live in one space,” said Castañeda. “I’m just doing different things, but it’s really just the same space.”
Her central professional goal is to empower individuals—students, clients, and communities—to move forward with conviction. True growth comes from learning through experience, she said, not simply being told that you have what it takes to succeed.
Castañeda attributed her own success to staying open and flexible rather than rigidly adhering to a single path. Before deciding to return to school for social work at age 44, she served as a personal trainer, yoga instructor, and a life coach.
“I’ve had goals but remained open to new opportunities,” said Castañeda, who also serves on the boards of North Suffolk Community Services, Doc Wayne, a nonprofit focused on sports-based therapy, and the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. “This requires faith and trust—listening deeply whenever opportunities arise and asking whether they align with purpose, whether they are ego-driven or spirit-led.”
Reflecting on her own journey, Castañeda offered a piece of advice to aspiring social workers: Learn to follow your purpose while remaining open to new paths that present themselves.
“I hope more people can trust that they will arrive where they need to go without forcing it,” she said.
Castañeda, for her part, has taken a path that has led to one of the most selective honors in the state—and to a career of giving back.
