Online South Asian therapist for Upstate New York
If you are searching for an online South Asian therapist in Upstate New York, you have likely found plenty of good therapists and very few who know what it is like to be desi in Buffalo, Rochester or Syracuse.
Rubina is licensed across New York State, so she can work with you from Albany, Troy, Buffalo, Amherst, Rochester, Syracuse or anywhere in between, entirely through secure video. Whether you are a graduate student far from home, a resident physician on brutal hours or a parent who moved upstate for a job, you can talk to someone who understands the family and culture behind what you are feeling.
- LCSW
- CASAC-2
- Author of Stop Being Okay
- Urdu · Hindi · Punjabi
- In person in NYC
- Online across New York
Who reaches out from upstate
Upstate cities draw South Asian students, researchers and professionals to their universities, medical centers and technology employers. Many arrived alone. Some came with a spouse and small children and no relatives within a day's travel. Others have lived here for years and raised families who feel fully at home in snow country while they still feel slightly out of place.
The common thread is distance — from parents, from familiar food and language, from a community that would understand without being told. That distance does not always feel like a problem until something goes wrong: a breakup, a failed exam, a difficult pregnancy, a parent's illness back home.
What this can look like
These composite stories, not real clients, reflect what upstate clients often describe:
The graduate student who cannot tell home
A doctoral student in Rochester is falling behind, barely sleeping and dreading every call with her parents, who believe everything is going well. She is afraid that admitting she is struggling will undo everything they sacrificed. Together they work on anxiety, perfectionism and how to tell the truth gently.
The resident running on empty
A young doctor in Buffalo works long shifts, eats in the car and feels nothing on his days off. He grew up believing that tiredness is the price of success. Burnout therapy helps him notice the difference between dedication and depletion.
The new wife far from everyone
A woman who moved to Albany after an arranged marriage loves her husband but feels invisible — no job yet, no friends nearby, long winters indoors. Individual sessions, and later couples work, help her build a life that is hers as well as theirs.
Language, faith and family, without explanation
Sessions can be in English, Urdu, Hindi or Punjabi, and switching between them mid-sentence is completely normal. Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian and non-religious clients all work with Rubina; faith comes into the room only if you bring it.
Rubina is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and CASAC-2 counselor, and the author of Stop Being Okay. She has spent more than fifteen years with clients who learned early that their feelings came last. She will not ask you to choose between your family and yourself. She will help you find a way to keep both.
Pages written for you
- Urdu & Hindi speaking therapist →Therapy in the language you think in.
- Children of immigrants →For the ones who carried their family's hopes.
- South Asian women →For women who hold everyone else together.
- Burnout therapy →For students, residents and professionals running on empty.
- Life transitions →New city, new marriage, new country, new role.
- Trauma therapy →For experiences you may never have called trauma.
What sessions look like
Every upstate session is online, over a private, secure video link. You only need to be in New York State at the time of the session and somewhere you can speak openly. Students often use a booked library room or their apartment; professionals often use a parked car or home office.
Individual sessions run 50 minutes and couples sessions an hour. The practice is private pay — see the fees page. If you are not sure whether therapy is right for you yet, Rubina's Quiet the Storm course and her book, Stop Being Okay, are gentler first steps.
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
Can you see me if I am a student from another state or country?
Yes, as long as you are physically in New York State during sessions. Where you are from, or where your permanent address is, does not matter.
Do you speak Urdu with clients in Buffalo?
Yes. Rubina offers sessions in Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and English to clients anywhere in New York State, including Buffalo and Amherst.
What if I travel home for the holidays?
Rubina is licensed in New York, so sessions need to happen while you are in the state. Many clients pause while away and pick up again when they return.
Will my university or employer know?
No. The practice is separate from any university or employer and does not bill insurance, so nothing is reported to them.
Last reviewed October 13, 2026 by Rubina K. Singh, LCSW
Reaching out is the whole first step.
You don't need the right words. Leave your name and number, or book a session directly — Rubina's team replies personally, usually within 24 to 48 hours.
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