Unmasking the Mind: Late Diagnoses, Lived Experience & Real Hope

School and clinical psychologist Christal Castagnozzi shares her deeply personal journey from high-achieving, anxious teen to receiving ADHD and autism diagnoses in adulthood — and how those discoveries transformed both her life and her clinical work. As a first-generation Canadian raised in a culture where mental health wasn’t openly discussed, Christal explains the impact of masking, burnout, perfectionism, and the emotional waves that can come with finally having language for your experience. She breaks down how thoughtful, person-centered assessments work, why lived experience matters in therapy, and how the right diagnosis isn’t a label — it’s a pathway to understanding, support, and sustainable mental health.