Archives: Listings

Elsa Sasha Yu, LCSW, CCTP-II

When we want it to be sunny, it begins to rain. This is life - a full spectrum of events. All these events shaped us somehow and trigger various emotions - excitement and nervousness, happiness and sadness, or even anxiety, depression, and desperation, etc. No matter what it is, I truly believes that everyone has the potentials to turn them into what flourish life.
I am here to help dig out that potential and strength of yours. I have almost a decade of post-master experience of providing supportive counseling, psychotherapy. My clinical focuses have been on managing anxiety and mood disorders, coping with stress, parenting, grief, complex trauma and self-esteem issues to adolescents and adults.
Helping people help themselves is my vision in therapy. In the journey of therapy, you can expect a nonjudgemental and supportive environment for us to work together. Email me for a free consultation and interview me for your best fit.

Jessica Kim Gruber, LMFT

I specialize in working with emerging & young adults, young professionals, adoptees of all ages & their families, and those seeking culturally responsive services. I support individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, life changes/transitions, stress, trauma, relationship issues, self-esteem, and identity work. In therapy, you can expect me to provide both empathy and practicality in an environment free of judgement with the aim of not only gaining new insight, but developing new & healthy ways of meeting goals and relating to oneself and to others.

My approach is integrative utilizing clinical & professional training alongside my lived experience as a transracial intercountry adoptee. I recognize that we are each more than just our family, our relationships, our biology, or our circumstances, but also understand that our connection to each of these may profoundly impact our sense of wellbeing.
Together we will identify any aspects of one's life and harmful patterns contributing to current issues and create a path to move forward. I welcome and will walk alongside all with the courage to move toward health and healing. If you are wondering if we might be a fit or if therapy is the right step for you, please reach out for an initial consultation.

Kaoru Oguro, LCSW

I have extensive working experiences with Asian Americans, immigrants, and mothers in all racial groups with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and trauma (domestic violence/sexual assault/child abuse & neglect). My main expertise is helping Asian females (Americans & immigrants) who struggle with their unique life challenges such as intense pressure for high achievements, family conflicts, relationship/marital issues, and motherhood, and guiding them to find a more adaptive and fulfilling way of living.

In therapy with me, most clients reclaim their own strengths to find their own voice that has been ignored for a long time, heal from old and present pain, become able to feel more connected to their true-selves, and navigate their fulfilling life with more self-advocacy, healthy boundaries, and confidence.

While every Asian person's experience is different, I would like you to know that you are not alone with your pain you have endured for so long as an Asian person. As a bicultural and bilingual (Japanese & English) therapist, I would work with you by fully utilizing my deep compassions and understanding of unique Asian cultures that many of us find challenging to navigate in our life.

Being a mother has also significantly guided and shaped how I work with my clients. It is not easy for many of us to honestly talk about our vulnerable feelings about motherhood. We all hold complex feelings about balancing our lives as being our own person with our own needs and desires, and being a loving caregiver. With much respect for all of you who are mothers or future mothers, I would invite you to explore your vulnerable feelings held inside in a safe, non-judgmental space with me, and build compassion towards your own struggles and resilience that have supported you till today. Together, we can find how to balance your own needs and other responsibilities while staying true to yourself and your family.

Angela Chen, MPH, Ph.D.

You consider yourself to be a perfectionistic people-pleaser and often feel misunderstood. What’s keeping you there? You’re afraid of rejection and letting people down, so you over-compliment, do and say things that you think others expect, and struggle to say no even if it means sacrificing your time and energy when you already feel depleted. You’ve also had trouble making decisions and trusting yourself. It’s no surprise that you’ve been feeling drained and resentful for a long while.

My primary aim is to help you feel confident in living by their inner compass, reclaiming control over your life, and in giving yourself grace when things don’t turn out as expected. To achieve these goals, I draw from a few therapeutic techniques that will help me individualize treatment so I can meet you where you’re at. I offer a safe and nonjudgmental space where we can work together to: (1) build a repertoire of effective coping strategies, (2) unearth your core values and strengths, (3) challenge yourself to do the things that scare you so you can live authentically, and (4) engage in acts of self-compassion when you make mistakes. My approach is warm, collaborative, and conversational.

Getting started with me is simple: (1) email me for a free phone consultation, (2) meet for our first session and create a plan together, and (3) develop more confidence in living a life you feel good about.

Diana Rossoni, LCSW

You’re not where you thought you would be by this point in your life. Everyone else around you seems to have it together while you’re skating by. The anxiety and pressure of everyone’s expectations weigh heavy on you. You desperately want change but you find yourself in the same place over and over again. And you can’t seem to shake off this feeling of self abandonment – increasingly doubting yourself and your identity. You have tried to escape past scars of invalidation, abuse, and rejection but it feels like they’re catching up to you.

Most repeated traumas are relational traumas and therefore, it is so hard to heal without relationships. Unresolved trauma can often look like anxiety, depression, anger, relationship issues, substance use, and physical pain. These issues can be extremely distressing and isolating. I believe that change is possible for anyone and the good news is that it starts with just one question: “Could there be something better?”.

I provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive therapy. As a second generation Asian American, native New Yorker, and New Jersey transplant, I specialize in working with Asian American adults and Children of Immigrants who struggle with unresolved trauma, sexual abuse, anxiety, and depression. Having worked with trauma survivors for most of my career, my work is grounded in attachment, relational, and mindfulness theories.

Working on ourselves is challenging and uncomfortable. Therapy is an investment in yourself, which can feel foreign. It can also be the beginning of building healing relationships. Clients come to me looking for a trauma-trained, nonjudgmental, and compassionate therapist. My treatment method will always be tailored to you. You have already made an incredible step for yourself by being here and I hope to empower you to continue showing up for yourself.

Somaly Nou, LMSW

Are you feeling overwhelmed in areas of your life including career, relationships, family; or notice you are repeating the same patterns? Perhaps, you are looking for ways to create a more balanced life and build closer relationships. Maybe you are looking for more fulfillment and meaning than your job provides, or experiencing unhappiness but you are unsure what to do about it. I understand that life can be hectic and sometimes we can get caught up in the events of daily life, experiencing anxiety or doubts about ourselves.

I'm a first-generation queer Asian American clinician, and my practice is informed by an anti-oppressive lens. I use an interactive, focused, and affirming approach where all parts of you are welcome. My hope for you is to gain a greater understanding of yourself and build the intrinsic skills to create the kind of life you want.

If what you read resonates, I invite you to schedule a free 15-minute phone consult by emailing me. I look forward to taking the journey with you!

Rye Rin Cho, LMHC

My goal as a therapist is to be an individual where you can feel safe and talk without fear of judgment. Life is a journey with obstacles thrown at us at any moment. If you are struggling to maintain or achieve a quality of life due to emotional and/or mental distress, I’d like to join you in identifying your concern(s)/issue(s), collaborate with you to learn and implement positive life changes, to learn and/or strengthen skills that enable you to face present and future challenges, and to ultimately work together towards a life where you feel safe, healthy, and positive. I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. I believe that we are unique/different, that we can be faced with the same or similar situations, issues, concerns in life, but experience them differently. I believe that a genuine and honest relationship can be established, by being as objective, neutral, understanding, observant, and honest as I can be. I feel that my role as a therapist is not to be a teacher who instructs what is “right” or “wrong”, what you “should” or “could”, but rather someone willing to listen, brainstorm, challenge, and learn together.

Stephanie Alirkan, MHC

I practice a style of therapy that places front-and-center the natural processes of the body, breath, and senses to hold us in our healing, to ensure a deeper, lasting impact on nervous systems regulation. As a trained meditative breathwork and yoga teacher, I draw from an integrative, holistic view of therapy that holds the mind-body connection at its core. I prioritize relational attunement to create a gentle, warm and sanctuary-type of relationship that makes way for true collaboration. Together, we will process unpleasant feelings and belief systems to be better equipped to open up to new possibilities.

I work best with searchers–open-minded, curious seekers looking to explore a path toward greater self-commitment and embodied self-awareness, so they might more ease-fully move. The work I love to offer intends to sharpen your inner clarity, so that you may answer questions for yourself that might have once appeared unanswerable on your own. I’m passionate about working with trauma, relationship, and multicultural issues, and supporting clients in boundaries, increasing their self-esteem, and finding a strong sense of resourcing within themselves.

The North star of my work is the belief that in order to heal tension, stress, painful sensations and feelings, we first need to feel resourced and soothed in our nervous system. We’re familiar with the idea that trauma impacts our brains adversely, but growing in my understanding the physical impacts has been incredible for shaping my view of how to heal in a way that feels as if a heaviness has lifted, like a long sigh of relief – a true sensation of okay-ness. I see therapy as needing to incorporate the natural process of the mind, body, and the senses to truly move us forward in a meaningful, lasting way. It’s one thing to understand on a surface level, but reaching deeper, underlying parts of us is where real transformation can felt.

Kalya Castillo, PhD

While emotions like anger, sadness, or loss may be universally experienced, somehow they can also be alienating. This can be overwhelming and lead to emotional distress, leaving some feeling trapped, helpless, or even confused. Depending on your unique support systems, it can be a challenge to manage demanding personal problems.

My approach is identity-focused and multiculturally oriented in that I center on how your most salient identities shape your concerns and goals in therapy. As a biracial cisgender woman who is first-generation American and exploring motherhood in raising multiracial children, I understand the complexities of how identity interacts with mental health issues. Using a psychodynamic lens integrated with cognitive behavioral therapy, I explore maladaptive thoughts and unhelpful behaviors that may be rooted in early experiences and relationships. Most importantly, my priority is to ensure that our therapeutic relationship helps you feel safe, promotes confidence in navigating conflicts in your life, and fosters hope for the future.

Qian Cynthia Zhang, LCSW

Not only looking for coping skills? My work will help you to dig out rooted problems, reconcile with your difficult emotions, gain insight into your past and current experiences, and find closure to your psychological wounds. I am a bilingual therapist (English-Mandarin) who provides individual psychotherapy to address a wide range of challenges, such as depression, anxiety, relationship issues, low self-esteem, work stress, trauma, and life transitions. I have expertise working with young professionals, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ identified individuals. My approach combines psychodynamic, mindfulness-based, and LGBTQ+ affirming therapies. 15mins free consultation is offered to help you navigate your therapy needs. I provide video and phone sessions to adults living in New York state. I welcome hearing from you.