The American Dream Is Being Able to Rest With Dr. Janice Castro - Ep. 156

Welcome to episode 156 of The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants Podcast. I am your host, Heidy De La Cruz, and I am on a mission to change the narrative of immigration one immigrant story at a time! Dr. Janice Castro shares her journey growing up in Maryland as the daughter of Peruvian immigrants and how those experiences shaped her passion for mental health advocacy and culturally affirming care. Today, she is a licensed psychologist specializing in adult ADHD, the founder of JC Psychological Services, a speaker, and the host of the Latina ADHD podcast. In this episode, Dr. Janice reflects on her upbringing in a deeply Peruvian household filled with music, food, language, and cultural traditions while navigating life as a bicultural and bilingual Latina in the United States. She opens up about the emotional impact of her father’s deportation when she was 13, her mother’s journey to citizenship, and how those experiences shaped her understanding of privilege, resilience, and identity. Dr. Janice also shares her experiences navigating predominantly white academic spaces as a first-generation Latina student and the pressures that came with constantly having to prove herself. Dr. Janice takes us through her journey from discovering her passion for psychology in high school to earning advanced degrees and building a career focused on supporting neurodivergent adults. She shares the challenges she faced during graduate school and a difficult internship experience that led to burnout, self-doubt, and ultimately deeper self-advocacy. Dr. Janice also discusses her passion for creating culturally affirming mental health spaces, her work with adults with ADHD, and the inspiration behind launching her podcast, Latina ADHD, to help normalize conversations around mental health in BIPOC communities. With Love, Heidy   Connect with Dr. Janice Castro: Website Instagram LinkedIn Podcast   Sign up now and join our exclusive community on Substack!!! 💛 Check out the full list of different ways you can support the podcast.    *This podcast is sponsored by  Far From Home Podcast Kaza Law Immigration Barbara Perez Law 360 Immigration Law   For sponsorship opportunities, send an email to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] Make a one-time donation here: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=2C3JDALUGTS6E Because a podcaster in 6-weeks or less with The V.O.I.C.E. Method Podcast Launch Course! Learn everything from tech, podcast hosting sites, editing, Podcast SEO, and more! Find out more information here. And if you refer a client to me and they sign up for the 1:1 Podcast Launch Strategy, you will receive $50!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.