Shaifali Sandhya, PhD. 

Multicultural Therapy for Individuals, Couples, and Global Families

 

Psychotherapy for the Multilingual, Multiracial, and Multicultural Living between cultures is rewarding, but it can also be overwhelming. Whether you are a first-generation immigrant, a global expat, a refugee, or returning “home” after years abroad, your sense of identity and belonging may feel stretched. For many, this shows up in relationships—with a partner, within family, or even in how you relate to yourself.

  

    •    Individuals often carry the weight of balancing careers, language, traditions, and expectations from their birth culture.

    •    Couples may discover that cultural values, family obligations, or even daily habits create unexpected friction.

    •    Even when both partners share the same cultural or religious background, differences in upbringing, generational expectations, or socioeconomic pressures can still cause conflict.

 

If you recognize yourself in these patterns, you are not alone. Seeking therapy or couples coaching is not a sign of failure—it’s an investment in building a healthier and more connected future.

 

Common Challenges Multicultural and Expat Clients Face

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    •    Struggling to balance traditional family values with personal independence

    •    Adjusting to life abroad, far from extended family and familiar support systems

    •    Navigating intercultural or biracial relationships, where different values, languages, or religious beliefs intersect

    •    Feeling pressure from the idea that “marriages are forever” while coping with disconnection or conflict

    •    Coping with assimilation stress, identity confusion, or difficulty communicating across cultural expectations

 

These challenges can feel isolating, especially when culturally fluent therapists are scarce. That’s why we provide a safe, supportive space to explore identity, culture, and relationships with someone who understands.

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Specialized Support for Urdu and Arabic-Speaking Clients

 

For many South Asian and Middle Eastern individuals and couples, therapy must be sensitive to religion, gender roles, cultural history, and family expectations. Dr. Shaifali Sandhya offers therapy that reflects this understanding. She provides culturally informed support for:

    •    Second-generation Muslim young adults balancing traditional values with modern identity

    •    First-generation professionals navigating careers, gender roles, and family expectations

    •    Couples struggling with infidelity, infertility, or intimacy concerns

    •    Parents seeking guidance for children facing academic or mental health challenges

    •    Husbands and wives working to realign their intimacy, spirituality, and values

 

Your Therapist: Dr. Shaifali Sandhya

 

Dr. Sandhya is a US- and UK-trained psychologist, with over 20 years of experience working with multicultural families around the world. She has:

    •    A doctorate from the University of Chicago

    •    An M.A. from the University of Cambridge

    •    Academic expertise on the global family and lived experience interviewing families worldwide

    •    A warm, practical approach that translates complex ideas into tools you can use immediately

 

She works with clients online via Zoom or in person. 

 

What to Expect in Your First Session

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    •    Length: 50 minutes (a standard therapeutic hour)

    •    Process: You and/or your partner will share your story, goals, and concerns in a safe, structured space.

    •    Approach: Dr. Sandhya may ask clarifying questions, highlight patterns, and suggest options for ongoing work.

    •    Next Steps: You can choose a tailored 7–12 week journey focused on communication, healing, and growth.

 

Feeling nervous? That’s normal. Many clients arrive unsure of what to say. Dr. Sandhya’s warmth and experience will help guide the conversation at your own pace.

 

How Therapy and Coaching Can Help

 

Therapy is more than just talking. It helps you:

    •    Build communication skills such as active listening, perspective-taking, and reframing

    •    Explore family history and cultural influences that shape present struggles

    •    Learn techniques to reduce conflict and strengthen intimacy

    •    Rebuild trust after infidelity or betrayal

    •    Navigate fertility issues, postpartum depression, or other life transitions

    •    Find alignment around values, money, parenting, and extended family

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Our Philosophy

 

Strong relationships are not accidents—they are co-created through effort, listening, and compassion. We help individuals and couples cut through the noise of rumination, negative filters, and cultural pressures to rediscover clarity and connection.

 

Whether you are:

    •    A third culture kid adjusting to life abroad

    •    An expatriate couple facing distance from extended family

    •    A multicultural or biracial couple navigating differences   

    •    Child of immigrants wishing to understand the impact of personality versus culture

    •    A multicultural or biracial couple navigating differences   

    •    Or an individual seeking clarity on identity and belonging

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…this is a safe space to pause, reflect, and reimagine your story.

 

Ready to Begin?

 

You don’t have to navigate cultural complexity and relationship stress alone.

Click here to make an appointment or email our office to schedule your first consultation.

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VIGNETTE

*names/identifying details have been changed

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"I just want to be a normal college kid but then my eyes happened...."

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When Adib, 20-years old was in his first semester at college, he realized he "had trouble listening" "would overthink" and experienced "social anxiety where I would have trouble talking to girls." His parents are first-generation immigrants from Pakistan who worked hard to open many grocery stores around the country; his father who had battled with depression too, told Adib, "You just need a positive mindset," or "you need to wake up at 6 am everyday, and then you watch, things will get better" or "I am tired everyday too, you just have to pick yourself up and keep moving." When home-grown remedies did not work and after much valuable time was lost, Adib's parents took him to a psychiatrist who prescribed him Effexor, a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) commonly prescribed for depression. Although his mood improved but his energy level continued to sag. "Mentally and physically I was always exhausted," says Adib. "I would try going to the gym to workout to improve my self-esteem, but that left me more tired." In the meantime, Adib's situation was deteriorating. Now, his eyes were drying up, he wasn't producing "any tears" and Adib was unable to get out of bed. Suspecting something else was going on, his third semester at college, he sought out a specialist who diagnosed him with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease where your immune system attacks parts of your own body by mistake. In Sjogren's syndrome, it attacks the glands that make tears and saliva. Feeling overwhelmed with varying diagnoses from different specialists, Adib is seeking therapy to figure out healthy tools to manage the growing stress in his life.