1293: From Therapist to Tech CEO: The Future of Mental Health is Here w/ Carlos Castaneda
Dr. Carlos Castañeda is revolutionizing the mental health industry by bridging the gap between clinical expertise and cutting-edge technology. In this episode, he shares his journey from licensed counselor and professor to the founder and CEO of ThinkAITA, a digital health company using AI to support, not replace, therapists. He breaks down how he identified a critical gap in patient care—the time between sessions—and built a HIPAA-compliant AI platform to provide support when it's needed most. For any entrepreneur, this episode is a masterclass in turning deep industry knowledge into an innovative, scalable, and ethical business that genuinely cares for the people it serves.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
- 🚀 How to transform academic research and professional expertise into a high-impact startup idea.
- 🤖 Why framing AI as a supportive tool—rather than a replacement for humans—can unlock new markets and build trust with customers.
- 🤝 The power of building a "village" through strategic partnerships with universities, incubators, and other organizations to accelerate growth.
- 🧠 A powerful mindset shift for overcoming the fear of taking risks and why the biggest leaps often feel like a "giant abyss" but are really just a small step.
- VALIDATE: The crucial role of stress-testing your product with outside perspectives to overcome founder bias and ensure market fit.
- 💼 The key differences between being a solo practitioner and a scalable entrepreneur, and how to make the transition.
- 💰 How to identify and monetize the "in-between" moments in your customer's journey where they need the most support.
📝 About Dr. Carlos Castañeda
Dr. Carlos Castañeda is the Founder and CEO of ThinkAITA, a pioneering digital health company developing PSYTA, a HIPAA-compliant AI platform that extends therapeutic care beyond the session. As a licensed professional counselor and assistant professor of psychology, he combines over a decade of clinical expertise with deep research into AI's role in behavioral health. Dr. Castañeda’s unique perspective as both a practitioner and a tech innovator allows him to build solutions that are not only technologically advanced but also safe, ethical, and grounded in the real-world needs of clinicians and their clients.
🎯 Carlos’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"The leap toward an action might feel like a giant abyss between you and the road to success. But you should still take the leap because when you do and you turn around, you tend to learn that that giant abyss was actually just a small step."
📢 Memorable Quotes
- “We're getting hit with rejections all the time. And that's my ammunition to keep going. It's not something to let me hold me back.” – Dr. Carlos Castañeda
- “I think it honestly takes a village for us to help heal someone. And I think it takes a village for us as entrepreneurs. We need to find that right village and people to help us grow and thrive.” – Dr. Carlos Castañeda
- "We need to accept when things go wrong as well or if we are wrong. It's been great to be able to work with people who have helped me see what could happen and how we've immediately fixed those before we've launched." – Dr. Carlos Castañeda
🔗 Links & Resources
