FAQ

How long will it take to fix my problems?

The idea of “fixing” implies that there is something inherently wrong with you, which there is not. While therapy can increase coping skills and bring more ease into life, it will not eliminate distress 100%, because distress is a part of life. Therapy will make it easier to flow through the lows and periods of distress. The length of therapy is personal and different for everyone. We will periodically check in with therapy goals so that our time together is intentional. Most folks engage in therapy with me for an average of 10- 15 months, but it can be more and it can be less. There is no limit of how long we can work together and even after finishing therapy, the door to return remains open.

How is therapy with you different from other therapists?

My approach is very collaborative and active. That means that we are always working together. While I am an expert on mental health, you are the expert on you. From day 1, we will create therapy goals together to keep us on track and for sessions to feel intentional. I provide clients with resources (i.e., handouts, worksheets, recommendations for books, articles, podcasts) and home practice suggestions. I also set up [confidential] journaling spaces for clients to continue their reflection in between sessions, where I can add reflection prompts and check throughout the week. Therapy is only 1 step in further understanding yourself; in order to create meaningful change, engagement must also happen in between sessions and I’m committed to figuring out what tools and resources will support you in this process and become a regular part of your life. My main goal is for you to feel empowered to be your own therapist.

What does it mean that your approach is also “holistic”?

A holistic approach includes spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional forms of well-being, viewing the person as a “whole”. Integrating the body and spirit are important because they hold distress and joy the same ways our mind and emotions hold these. I encourage clients to engage in mindfulness and mind-body practices because I believe that simply talking about thoughts and talking about emotions is not enough; we all have the internal resources to self-regulate and its a matter of understanding how to use and access them. I will often lead clients through brief mindfulness and self-compassion practices in session so that you can understand what it feels like to embody concepts such as acceptance, presence, gratitude, and self-compassion.

How will yoga get integrated into our therapy sessions?

For interested clients, yoga can be offered as a complimentary healing service. I will conduct a yoga-intake, which collects information about your body, physical symptoms, and energy levels. You will also take an Ayurvedic assessment of your Doshas. Once all the information has been collected, I will created a customize yoga routine for you, based on these assessments, your therapy goals, and the distress you want to target. I will lead you through the yoga routine, offering guidance on poses and instruction on how to be present on the mat and integrate your intentions. Finally, I will send you the customized routine for you to practice on your own.

Yoga is a separate service from therapy, that can be requested at any time. Unfortunately yoga is not covered by insurance; therefore, for insurance clients, this would need to be set up as a separate service which is paid out of pocket.

While therapy is not initially part of our therapy plan, I will still weave in elements of breathwork, mindfulness, and self-compassion so that many of the holistic benefits are still there.

Why might I not be a good fit with your approaches?

I do not utilize psychodynamic/psychoanalytical approaches, which traditionally spend extended periods of time examining the past and childhood to understand unconscious behavior, as well as interpersonal dynamics. While we will certainly talk about the past, it’s contextualized in how it shows up today (in emotions, behaviors, core wounds, etc). '

You may also not be a good fit if you would like to rely on the therapist to lead all sessions for the entirety of treatment in regards to what we talk about. At the beginning of every session I ask clients what they want to focus on for that session. While there may be some occasions where you are unsure, which is perfectly fine as I always have an idea, essentially my approach relies on you bringing forward what you want to explore or improve, as part of a collaborative process. For those who find this challenging, I provide a Therapy Prep worksheet to guide clients on how to be intentional with this process.

Finally, I do not prescribe medication or perform psychological evaluations (i.e. to test for learning disabilities or ADHD).

If it appears that we are not a good match, either at consultation or later in treatment, I will discuss this with you and assist you in finding a provider who can better support your needs.

How do you work with BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ clients?

At the forefront of my work is the attention to diverse needs and identities of my clients. Most theoretical orientations are Eurocentric—they apply a White middle-class value system and are conceptualized in Western, individualistic terms. They do not take into account the reality of marginalized and BIPOC individuals and how much racism, microaggressions, and systemized oppression impacts one’s trauma and mental health. From the beginning of my training, I chose Columbia University because of the focus on multicultural competence within the faculty’s research and teaching, so that I could be better equipped to work with diverse clients. Integrating intersectionality into counseling work means that I take into account social identities when I conceptualize treatment for clients, adapting therapy models to fit the needs of clients, not relying on pathology, and exploring Indigenous healing of the client’s roots. I lean towards and not away from identity “differences” in the therapy room and process with clients what the differences are like for them. Finally, I keep in mind these identities when exploring both distress and fulfillment/values with the client. To support this intention, I continually attend trainings, BIPOC peer consultations, and experiential workshops where I can further my understanding of different populations and identify my own internal biases.

What is your experience working with South Asian clients?

More than 70% of my clients are South Asian. As a South Asian woman and child of immigrant parents myself, I understand the challenges of navigating multiple identities, experiencing microaggressions, and feeling confused as to where I “belong”. I also get that finding a therapist who looks like you goes a long way in feeling safe and understood. There are nuances and cultural/traditional facets of the South Asian diaspora that can be lengthy to explain to therapists who are unfamiliar, so many South Asian clients seek therapy with me to eliminate the exhausting explanations that might be present with a therapist of another background, so that therapy can be focused. At the same time, there are many cultural, racial and societal aspects that overlap with other BIPOC and immigrant communities, who I also work largely with.