You love your family, but their expectations feel suffocating. You’re grateful for their sacrifices, but you’re exhausted from trying to honor their vision for your life while building the one you actually want.
Maybe you’re an immigrant who came to Chicago for opportunity but feels the constant ache of “home”, except you’re not sure where home even is anymore. Maybe you’re a second-generation American navigating the impossible balance: too “Americanized” for your parents, too “ethnic” for your American peers. Maybe you’re successful by every measure but feel empty because you’re living someone else’s dream.
As an immigrant myself, born in India, trained in the U.S., I’ve lived this tension. I understand the guilt of wanting something different than what your parents sacrificed for. I understand the loneliness of code-switching between home and the outside world. I understand the grief of leaving one country while never quite arriving in the other.
Therapy for immigrants and second-generation Americans isn’t about choosing between cultures. It’s about integrating both, honoring your roots while building a life that feels yours authentically.
You're not American enough for your peers, not Indian/Mexican/Polish/Korean enough for your family. You don't fully belong anywhere, and the loneliness is exhausting.
They gave up everything so you could have a better life. But their version of "better" isn't yours, and asking for anything different feels like betrayal.
You're supposed to be the successful doctor, lawyer, engineer, or whatever it is your family wants you to be. The one who makes it all worth it. But what if that's not who you are?
One version of you at home, another at work, another with friends. You're fluent in three languages and still can't say what you actually feel in any of them.
Your parents have a very specific vision for your life: who you should marry, what you should study, how you should live. Anything else is "disrespectful."
If you're an immigrant: You miss home but can't go back. If you're second-gen: You mourn a place you've never lived but somehow still ache for.
Yes, but you need support navigating the tension.
As an immigrant myself, I don’t just understand this work intellectually; I’ve lived it.
Session 1-2: Understanding Your Cultural Context
We’ll explore your family’s immigration story, cultural background, and the specific expectations you’re navigating. I’ll ask about your relationship with both cultures, what you love and what you struggle with. By the end of session 2, you’ll have clarity on what we’re working on.
Session 3-8: Unpacking Guilt, Obligation, and Identity
This is where we dig into the core tension: How do you honor your family’s sacrifices while building your own life? How do you navigate guilt without letting it dictate every decision? We’ll explore your bicultural identity and what integration (not assimilation) looks like for you.
Session 9-20: Building Skills & Setting Boundaries
You’ll learn how to set boundaries with family without abandoning them. How to express your needs in ways your parents can hear. How to make decisions based on YOUR values, not just inherited expectations. We’ll practice these conversations in session so you’re prepared.
Session 20+: Integration & Maintenance
As things improve, we shift to less frequent sessions. The goal is to help you live authentically, honoring your roots while building a life that feels like YOURS.
I’m not just culturally “competent”, I’m an immigrant. I was born in India, earned my degrees there and in the U.S., and built a life in Chicago. I understand the emotional tug-of-war, the guilt, the grief, and the complexity of living between worlds.
The guilt of wanting something different. The guilt of setting boundaries. The guilt of thriving when family back home is struggling. I don’t dismiss it, I help you navigate it with compassion.
You don’t have to reject your culture to be yourself. And you don’t have to sacrifice yourself to honor your culture. Integration is possible, we find the path together.
You’re navigating the impossible task of honoring your parents’ sacrifices while creating a life that feels authentically yours. Whether you’re dealing with the pressure to be “the successful one” who makes it all worth it, code-switching between cultures daily, feeling guilty for wanting something different than what your family envisioned, or carrying generational trauma from immigration, racism, and survival, I see you. Your experience of straddling cultures, languages, and expectations isn’t a problem to fix, it’s the context we’ll work within to help you find your own path forward.
Yes. While I’m Indian-American and deeply familiar with South Asian immigrant dynamics, I’ve worked with clients from Mexican, Polish, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Middle Eastern, African, and many other immigrant backgrounds. The core dynamics (guilt, identity, family conflict) are similar across cultures, even as the specifics differ.
That’s common in many immigrant cultures. You don’t need your family’s permission to seek support. Therapy is confidential, you decide what (if anything) to share with them.
Yes. We’ll practice conversations where you express your needs in ways that honor your parents’ values while asserting your autonomy. I’ll help you find language that bridges the cultural gap.
Guilt is one of the most common feelings among second-generation clients. Part of our work is unpacking where that guilt comes from and whether it’s serving you or keeping you stuck.
No. Language loss is a common part of immigration and assimilation. Many second-generation individuals struggle with this. We can explore that grief and help you reconnect with your heritage in ways that feel meaningful to you.
Intergenerational trauma is real. Children of immigrants often carry the unprocessed trauma of their parents (war, displacement, poverty). We work on breaking those cycles with compassion for both you and your parents.
Most clients see meaningful progress within 6 months (approximately 24 sessions for individuals, 12-24 for couples). We check in regularly to assess progress and adjust as needed.
Therapy only works when you have the right therapist and the right approach for YOU. If past therapy felt too slow, too vague, or like you were just rehashing the same stuff without progress, this will be different. Let’s talk about what didn’t work before so we can make sure this time does.
Yes! I provide secure online therapy throughout Illinois. Many clients prefer online sessions for convenience and flexibility.
I accept Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, United Healthcare, Cigna, and other major insurers. Contact me to verify your specific plan coverage.
in-person and online options throughout Illinois.
Friday 10 AM – 8 PM
Saturday 9 AM – 3 PM
1525 East 53rd Street
Suite 433
Chicago, IL 60615
Parking: Paid parking available behind Akira and paid street parking.
Public Transit: CTA and Metra
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
11 AM – 8 PM
125 South Wacker Drive
Suite 308
Chicago, IL 60606
Parking: Paid street parking or multiple public garages..
Public Transit: CTA & Metra.
Whether you’re navigating relationship struggles, identity questions, trauma recovery, or generational patterns you’re ready to break, I’m here to help. Fill out the form, and I will reach out to you as soon as I can.
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