A life coach for women in NYC who are ready to want something for themselves
If you are searching for a life coach for women in NYC, there is a good chance you are not falling apart. You are functioning. You are probably the person everyone else relies on. And somewhere along the way, you stopped knowing what you want.
Coaching with Rubina is for that moment. It is practical and forward-facing: where are you now, where do you want to be in a year, and what is genuinely in the way. Because she is also a licensed therapist who grew up between cultures, she won't hand you a generic plan that ignores your family, your community or the guilt that shows up the minute you put yourself first.
- LCSW
- CASAC-2
- Author of Stop Being Okay
- Urdu · Hindi · Punjabi
- In person in NYC
- Online across New York
What women bring to coaching
Most clients arrive with one big question and a lot of smaller ones underneath it. Common starting points:
- A career that looks right on paper and feels wrong every Monday, and the fear of what your parents will say if you change it
- Coming back to yourself after years of caregiving, marriage or motherhood, and not quite recognising who that is
- Saying yes to everyone and having no time, energy or money left for your own goals — see people-pleasing
- A big decision you keep postponing: a move, a business, a degree, a relationship
- Wanting more confidence in rooms where you are the only woman, or the only brown woman
- Building routines that survive real life, not just the first week of January
Coaching for South Asian women
Many South Asian women were raised to be capable, accommodating and quiet about what they want. Those skills built successful lives. They also make it hard to ask for a raise, take a weekend off or tell your mother that you are not moving back home. A coach who doesn't understand that will tell you to just be bolder.
Rubina works differently. She starts from respect for where you come from, and helps you separate the values you actually hold from the ones you are carrying out of fear. Then you build a plan you can live with, at work and at the dinner table. If you want a group setting instead, the Good Daughter Burnout circle covers similar ground with other desi women.
Life coaching or therapy: which one do you need?
The difference is mostly about direction. Therapy looks at where the pain comes from and how to heal it, and it is the right place for depression, trauma, grief, anxiety that stops you functioning, or relationship crises. Coaching assumes you are basically steady and focuses on goals, decisions and action.
Because Rubina is both a coach and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, she can tell when a coaching question is really a therapy question, and say so honestly. Sometimes clients start with coaching and move to individual therapy; sometimes it is the other way round. If you are unsure, read life coaching vs. therapy, or simply ask in your first conversation.
One practical difference: coaching is not clinical treatment, so it is not tied to New York licensure in the same way therapy is. Women outside New York State, including New Jersey, can ask about coaching even when therapy is not possible.
How the coaching process works
The first session maps the ground: what is working, what is not, and what a good year would look like in concrete terms. From there you agree on two or three priorities. Each session ends with one or two specific steps, small enough that you will actually take them, and the next session starts by looking honestly at what happened.
Rubina will notice the stories that keep you stuck, such as "I'm not the type of person who…" or "I'll do it once things calm down", and help you test them. You will leave with a written plan, and with the habit of checking in with yourself before you check in with everyone else.
What sessions look like
Coaching sessions are held online over secure video, so you can join from home, the office or anywhere that gives you an uninterrupted hour. Clients in New York City can ask about meeting in person. Sessions can be in English, Urdu, Hindi or Punjabi.
Most women meet every week or every other week for a few months, then taper off as the plan takes hold. To get started, book a session or send a message saying you are interested in coaching, and the team will help you choose the right session type. Current rates are on the fees page.
Rubina K. Singh, LCSW, CASAC-2
Rubina has spent more than fifteen years in mental health. She holds a BSW from Rutgers, an MSW from Capella and is completing her doctorate in social work. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New York, a CASAC Level 2 addiction counselor, and the author of Stop Being Okay. She grew up between cultures, and she speaks English, Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi.
Questions people ask
Is life coaching with Rubina the same as therapy?
No. Coaching is goal-focused and does not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Rubina is also a licensed therapist, so if what you need is therapy, she will tell you.
Do you only coach South Asian women?
No. Rubina coaches women of every background. Her understanding of South Asian and immigrant families is a strength many clients value, but it is not a requirement.
Can I do coaching if I live outside New York?
Yes, you can ask about coaching wherever you live, including New Jersey. Therapy, by contrast, is only available to clients in New York State.
How long does coaching usually take?
Many clients work together for three to six months. You decide what is useful and can stop or pause at any point.
Is coaching covered by insurance?
No. Coaching is not a health service, so insurance does not cover it. The practice is private pay for all services.
Last reviewed October 13, 2026 by Rubina K. Singh, LCSW
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