Kimberly Castillo-Perez, LCSW

Accepting New Clients for in-person appointments.  In a society where we are expected to spend so much of our time working, I am very fortunate to have a job I truly love. My work is not limited to one method or one issue facing individuals. I greater enjoy working with clients who are motivated to gain a higher level of understanding of themselves and find a place where their value and worth are recognized and celebrated. So often our gifts and talents and even the love & kindness we have to offer, goes unseen because we haven’t found a place for it to shine yet. I am a first generation college graduate who identifies as both mixed and Mexican American. I started my academic journey at Borough of Manhattan Community College and completed my BA at Hunter College, both CUNY schools. After graduating Hunter, I pursued my masters of social work at Columbia University. My journey through academia at three very different schools was enriching, illuminating, empowering, painful, intimidating, and at times very confusing. I often use my own experience in connecting with clients who may be going through similar life challenges in academic and professional settings. It can be very difficult to maintain personal and cultural authenticity along with one’s values, while successfully navigating the systems we are obligated to navigate to survive. Exploring the many facets of one’s identity and taking a closer look at how race, class, and gender influences our world views is something I often find myself doing in my practice. Silence often gives our burdens power over us & the inclination to be silent is understandable. It is not uncommon that I find myself working with clients suffering with the shame & isolation that sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse can bring to a person’s life. I work collectively with clients to brake the silence & create a present and future that differs from their traumatic pasts. I’m a strong believer that working with clients to change their relationship to the past is pivotal in creating a life worth living. This can be extremely challenging, but I believe far from impossible. There are endless ways in which life can be challenging and very painful. Finding meaning in this pain often leads us past the pain and towards whatever is on the other side of our suffering. I believe in a strength-based approach and welcoming every part of one’s self in work with clients. I have attended trainings in dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), internal family systems (IFS), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), sensory motor psychotherapy, as well as other modalities. I greatly enjoy helping clients better understand themselves and realize their unique gifts & value. It is meaningful to me to support clients in finding places, emotionally, socially, & professionally where they recognized and celebrated by themselves & others. https://headway.co/providers/kimberly-castillo-perez Kimberly Castillo-Perez, LCSW