You carry more than one world. Your therapy should too.
Telehealth therapy in New York and New Jersey for first-generation, immigrant, and multicultural clients navigating family, culture, and identity.
Is this you?
You're the first in your family to do this, and no one has a map for it.
You translate for your family: the language, the paperwork, and the expectations.
Your success is supposed to make the sacrifices worth it, and the pressure never lets up.
You feel too much of one culture at home and too much of the other everywhere else.
In your family, love meant providing, not talking about feelings.
You've had to explain your background to every therapist before you could get to the real work.
How we help
First-gen and multicultural clients often carry family responsibility, cultural expectations, and their own goals all at once, while being told to be grateful. Therapy is a place to hold all of it without having to pick a side, and to figure out which rules you want to keep.
Elene Garay, LMSW, draws on years of international work and helps bicultural and immigrant clients, especially men, build a strong sense of self when cultures shift and values feel at odds. Andreah Moran, MHC-I, is a first-generation Latina who supports young adults balancing family responsibilities, cultural expectations, and their own goals. Shamarraa "Mars" Dudley, MHC-I, is a first-generation African American woman who works with clients from underserved and low-income backgrounds balancing cultural expectations and self. Sylvia Zhang, MHC-I, especially welcomes Asian and immigrant clients and helps them look at how culture and relationships shape what they're facing.
In the first few sessions, you'll talk about what brought you in, your family and cultural background, and what you want for yourself. Elene and Andreah also see clients in Spanish, and Sylvia in Mandarin. Sessions are by telehealth, so you can join from wherever feels most private.
Who you'll work with
Elene Garay
LMSW
Elene is a bilingual psychotherapist fluent in English and Spanish, specializing in international mental health, trauma, adolescents, and the men navigating competing cultural expectations around identity and masculinity.
Meet Elene
Andreah Moran
MHC-I
Andreah is a bilingual associate therapist who helps young adults and Latinx clients balance family, cultural expectations, and life transitions.
Meet Andreah
Shamarraa "Mars" Dudley
MHC-I
Mars is an associate therapist who helps women of color and people balancing culture and self with anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation, including DBT skills.
Meet Shamarraa
Sylvia Zhang
MHC-I
Sylvia is a Mandarin and English speaking associate therapist who helps young adults, Asian and immigrant clients, and LGBTQIA+ communities with anxiety, identity, and ADHD-related challenges.
Meet SylviaWhat it costs
Sessions are $75 with our supervised clinicians-in-training (Andreah, Mars, and Sylvia) and $200 with Elene. All four accept Aetna. If you're paying privately, we send a superbill every month so you can use your out-of-network benefits, and many PPO plans pay back part of each session.
See fees and how insurance reimbursement works.Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be first-generation to work with you?
Not at all. We work with immigrants, children of immigrants, international clients, bicultural families, and anyone whose culture shapes what they're going through.
Can I work with someone who shares my background?
Often, yes. Tell us what matters to you during your free consult, and we'll do our best to match you. Every clinician on this page works from a culturally responsive approach.
Can therapy happen in another language?
Yes. Elene and Andreah see clients in Spanish, and Sylvia in Mandarin. Vasilina also offers therapy in Russian.
My family doesn't believe in therapy. Do they need to know?
No. If you're an adult, your sessions are private. Many of our clients are the first in their family to try therapy, and working through how to talk about it, or not, is part of the work.
What if I need help right now?
If you're in crisis or worried about your safety, call 911 or call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It's free, available 24/7, and offers support in Spanish and interpretation in many other languages.