I am Dr. Kalya Castillo, a New York City-based psychologist licensed in both New York and Connecticut, providing specialized therapy to adolescents and adults. My practice focuses on helping people navigate trauma, anxiety, depression, and chronic stress- particularly as they relate to:

• Family dynamics & Relationships

• Multicultural (i.e. race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality) & Identity development

• Academic & Career Pressure

My Journey

My path to becoming a psychologist began while working as a counselor for first-generation college students. Witnessing their challenges became an opportunity to reflect on my own journey as a first-gen student and fueled my passion to address underserved mental health concerns.

I know firsthand what it feels like to bear the burden of cognitive overload or feel the pressure to suffer in silence. Through my own healing jouney with therapy, I learned that strength is not about carrying everything alone; it is about building deep self-understanding and anchoring yourself within a supportive community.

My Identity & Clinical Expertise

Like many of my clients, I have navigated the complex, meaningful, and often challenging realities of being bicultural and biracial. As a Black Japanese American woman, I bring a blend of personal lived experience, clinical insight and research expertise to the exploration of multiracial identity in therapy.

Having experienced the pain of being “othered” in both personal and professional spaces, I am deeply commited to creating a therapeutic space where you can feel grounded in your authentic self- no matter what spaces you occupy.

As a mother raising two multiracial children, my passions extend to supporting women navigating the profound transitions of motherhood and life balance, as well as young adults steering the phase of emerging adulthood.

Background & Credentials

In addition to private practice, I serve as a university psychologist providing therapy to graduate students, and teach as an adjunct assistant professor.

My prior clinical experiences have been within a variety of settings including hospitals, school-based clinics, and college counseling centers. Over my career, I have trained and worked within:

• New York Health and Hospital’s Jacobi Medical Center

• New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

• Weill Cornell Medicine

• Hackensack University Medical Center Hospital

• University of Michigan

• City University of New York