Cindy M. Hernandez Castro, MS

Dr. Hernandez Castro is also counseling psychology PhD candidate at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her research and clinical interests have been shaped by her experiences living and working alongside immigrants who face a scarcity of culturally and linguistically congruent mental health care. She is committed to providing culturally resonant trauma-informed care to underserved communities, with clinical training centered on bilingual (Spanish/English) service delivery in integrated primary care settings. 

Dr. Hernandez Castro is particularly interested in the treatment of stress and anxiety disorders, substance use and co-occurring disorders. Her career goal is to become a health service psychologist specializing in immigrant and refugee behavioral health through primary care-based clinical work and translational research. Her dissertation research focused on examining the family, cultural and sociopolitical factors influencing Latine adolescent nicotine use.

Outside of her graduate studies, Dr. Hernandez Castro enjoys gardening, ethnic cuisine, listening to music and spending time in nature.