About Dra. Nancy Castellon

Soy la Dra. Nancy Castellón—hija de inmigrantes Salvadoreños, lesbiana, profesora universitaria, investigadora, defensora de mi comunidad y orgullosamente bilingüe. I hold a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision and practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Texas.

My work is grounded in creating a space where clients feel seen, understood, and supported—without needing to over-explain the nuances of culture, identity, or the experience of living in the in-between. Clients often describe my style as soft yet direct, warm yet grounding. I integrate cultural humility, Relational Cultural Therapy, EMDR, and narrative approaches to support healing and growth.

I believe counseling is a tool that everyone deserves access to. My role is to walk alongside you for as long as you need me—supporting your healing while also empowering you to step confidently into your own story.

My clinical experience is wide-ranging and includes work with immigration-related concerns, maternal mental health, 2LGBTQ+ communities, complex trauma, first-generation experiences, high-achieving women’s mental health, and culturally rooted issues. While therapy can feel intimidating, together we’ll create a space where you can breathe, feel safe, and yes—sometimes even laugh—while we also navigate the difficult moments with honesty and care.

As a researcher, my work reflects my commitment to the clients and communities I serve. My research areas include Mexican American positive psychological functioning, immigration experiences, victims of crime, bilingual counseling, and bilingual clinical supervision.

Qualifications

I have provided counseling across a wide range of settings, including private practice, governmental agencies, schools, and university counseling centers. I was trained in a CACREP-accredited program, which emphasized clinical excellence, cultural responsiveness, and evidence-based practice. My experience includes working with diverse populations across ages, identities, and cultural backgrounds, allowing me to support clients with a wide variety of emotional, relational, and life challenges.

As a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Texas, I am qualified to provide professional mental health counseling to individuals, couples, and families. I am trained to assess concerns, offer therapeutic treatment, and support clients through emotional and psychological challenges. I practice under state standards that ensure ethical, effective, and client-centered care.

Licensed Professional Counselor
Clinical Experience
Certified Bilingual Counselor
EMDR Trained

I am a Certified Bilingual Counselor through the University of Texas at San Antonio, a program that required cultural immersion in Spanish-speaking communities and in Mexico, along with coursework in culture, history, and bilingual clinical practice. This training equipped me to provide counseling that is culturally grounded, linguistically accurate, and responsive to the needs of Spanish-speaking clients. I am able to conduct sessions in both English and Spanish, offering clients the flexibility and comfort of using the language that feels most natural to them.

I am EMDR-trained through an EMDRIA-approved program, ensuring I meet national standards for trauma-focused clinical practice. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy that helps clients process and heal from traumatic or distressing experiences by using bilateral stimulation—such as guided eye movements—to support the brain’s natural healing process. I incorporate EMDR when it aligns with a client’s needs and readiness for deeper trauma work.

Psychological Immigration Evaluator

I am trained in conducting psychological immigration evaluations through the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative (HILSC) and the Galveston-Houston Immigration Representation Project (GHIRP). This training prepares me to provide culturally informed, trauma-responsive assessments for cases such as asylum, VAWA, U-Visas, T-Visas, and hardship waivers. My evaluations prioritize clinical accuracy, clear documentation, and compassionate understanding of each client’s lived experience.

Counselor Educator & Researcher

I am a full-time university professor, often recognized as the “ethics professor” in my program, and I love mentoring future counselors. My experience as an educator keeps me current on best practices, ethical standards, and innovative counseling approaches, which directly benefits my clients by ensuring they receive informed, evidence-based, and culturally responsive care. I am also an active researcher with over five peer-reviewed publications, which allows me to integrate the latest findings into my clinical work to better support my clients’ healing and growth.