Working with Children of Immigrants in New Jersey

Growing up as the child of immigrants can come with a unique set of experiences: balancing family expectations, cultural identity, relationships, and your own sense of self. For many South Asian clients, these experiences can shape how you understand yourself, your relationships, and what it means to build a life that feels natural to you. Many adult child of immigrants realize they may not have a voice or know who they are outside of their identity connected to their family.

How I Can Help Children of Immigrants in New Jersey

As a therapist, I provide culturally responsive, compassionate support for South Asian children of immigrants who may be navigating anxiety, depression, identity concerns, family conflict, relationship challenges, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or the pressure to meet cultural and family expectations.

Therapy can be a space to explore the parts of your identity that may feel difficult to talk about elsewhere, especially with someone like me who has lived experience. We can work together to better understand your relationship with family, culture, tradition, boundaries, and your own goals without asking you to choose between your cultural identity and your individuality.

My approach recognizes that being a child of immigrants can involve holding multiple identities and navigating different cultural worlds. Whether you are struggling with family expectations, feeling caught between cultures, questioning your identity, or simply wanting a deeper understanding of yourself, therapy can help you create space for both where you come from and where you want to go.

If you are a South Asian child of immigrants looking for a culturally sensitive therapist, I encourage you to reach out to schedule a free consultation or schedule your first session. Together, we can work toward greater self-understanding, healthier relationships, and a life that feels aligned with who you are.

FAQ

-Why would I need therapy as a child of immigrants?

Being a child of immigrant is a deeply unique and intricate experience. Just like our parent(s) had a unique experience, we may have unknowingly picked up or learned certain behaviors or experiences from our parents. Being a child of immigrant often results in the experience of balancing two cultural identities. There may be certain behaviors that you may have picked up unintentionally such as people pleasing, making yourself small, having one identity with your family and one identity at school, work, with friends, etc and therapy can be a helpful place to work through these aspects.

-What does therapy look like for a child of immigrant? What if I want to go to therapy but I don’t know where to start?

Each therapeutic relationship is different but to start, while building rapport and trust in the therapy relationship, I would work with you to get a better understanding of your unique story, what makes you you and what things you are noticing about yourself that you want to change or are not happy with. We would also create a treatment plan in session based on culturally sensitive goals you’d like to work on in.

-I am open to coming to therapy but my parents are not open to the idea of therapy.

Therapy is a confidential space and your parents don’t necessarily need to know you are in therapy. In order for me to talk with your parents, I would need a signed release from you and you don’t even need to necessarily disclose to them that you are in therapy if you don’t feel ready to!