Online therapy in New York, from wherever you can close the door
Online therapy in New York means you can work with Rubina K. Singh, LCSW, from your living room in Buffalo, your parked car in Hicksville or your office in Midtown, as long as you are in New York State when the session happens.
For a lot of people, the hardest part of therapy is not the talking. It is the commute, the childcare, the forty minutes each way and the explaining at home about where you are going. Video sessions take most of that away. You open a link, the door is closed, and the hour is yours.
- LCSW
- CASAC-2
- Author of Stop Being Okay
- Urdu · Hindi · Punjabi
- In person in NYC
- Online across New York
How telehealth therapy works in New York
Rubina is licensed as a clinical social worker in New York. That license covers clients who are physically located in New York State at the time of the session, whether they live here, study here or are staying here for work. It is the location of your body during the hour that matters, not your home address or the area code on your phone.
Sessions happen over a private, secure, HIPAA-compliant video connection. You receive a link by email after you book a session. There is nothing to download beyond what your phone or laptop already has, and you don't need an account on any social platform. A few minutes before the session, you click the link and wait for Rubina to let you in.
Individual sessions are 50 minutes. Couples and family sessions are an hour, and partners can join from the same room or from two different places if one of you travels or works late. The structure, the confidentiality and the clinical care are the same as they would be in person. Only the room is different.
Who online therapy suits best
Video sessions are not second best. For many people they are the reason therapy finally becomes possible:
- Mothers and caregivers who cannot leave the house for two hours, including new mothers working around feeds and naps
- Professionals whose only free hour is lunch, and who would rather not explain to anyone at work where they are going — see burnout therapy
- Clients outside the city, in counties where there are few therapists who understand South Asian or immigrant families
- Couples where one partner is reluctant; logging on from the couch feels less like a big step than walking into an office — see couples counseling
- People who want complete privacy from their community, and would never risk being seen in a waiting room
- Anyone who simply thinks more clearly at home, with their own tea and their own blanket
Online work may not be the right fit if you are in an active crisis or need a higher level of care. In that case Rubina will help you find in-person or more intensive support, and if you are ever in immediate danger, call or text 988 or call 911.
Counties and regions served online
Rubina sees clients in person in New York City and online across New York State. Each area page describes the communities there and how clients from that area usually work with her:
- Queens →Jackson Heights, Richmond Hill, Floral Park, Jamaica, Flushing
- Long Island →Hicksville, New Hyde Park, Westbury, Valley Stream, Syosset
- Manhattan →Murray Hill, Midtown, Upper East Side, Financial District
- Brooklyn →Kensington, Midwood, Bay Ridge, Park Slope
- The Bronx →Parkchester, Riverdale, Norwood
- Staten Island →St. George, New Dorp, Tompkinsville
- Westchester →White Plains, Yonkers, Scarsdale, New Rochelle
- Rockland County →Nyack, New City, Suffern, Spring Valley
- Hudson Valley →Fishkill, Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, Middletown
- Upstate New York →Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse
Privacy, technology and setting up your space
The video platform is secure and HIPAA-compliant, built for healthcare rather than social chat. Rubina joins from a private room. On your side, a little preparation helps: headphones so you can't be overheard, a charged phone or laptop, and a place where you won't be interrupted. Some clients sit in the car in a quiet parking lot. Others go for a walk in the park and talk with the camera off for a few minutes when it feels easier.
If you live with family or in-laws and privacy is hard, tell Rubina in the first session. Together you can plan around it: a code word if someone walks in, a time of day when the house is empty, or typing in the chat for the parts you can't say out loud. Nobody needs to know what the call is about.
If the connection drops, simply rejoin with the same link. Technology hiccups happen to everyone.
A note for New Jersey and out-of-state readers
Because Rubina's clinical license is in New York, she can only provide therapy to clients who are in New York State during the session. If you live in New Jersey, including Edison, Jersey City or Bergen County, you are still welcome to reach out about life coaching for women or the online group program for South Asian women, neither of which is clinical treatment. If you split your time and will be in New York for sessions, therapy is possible during those times.
What sessions look like
Your first online session is mostly listening. Rubina will ask what brought you in, what you have tried and what you hope will change. You can speak in English, Urdu, Hindi or Punjabi, and switch whenever it helps. You can be in New York City, upstate or anywhere in between.
After that, the rhythm is usually weekly or every other week, at a time that you choose from the open slots when you book. The approaches are the same ones Rubina uses in person, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), emotionally focused work for couples and family systems work, adapted to your culture and your life. Fees are the same for online and in-person sessions; you can see them 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 online therapy as effective as therapy in an office?
For most of the concerns Rubina works with, such as anxiety, depression, relationship stress and life transitions, clients find video sessions work well. What matters most is the relationship with your therapist and showing up consistently, and online sessions often make consistency easier.
Can I do online therapy if I live outside New York?
Therapy is only possible while you are physically in New York State, because that is where Rubina is licensed. Outside New York, you can ask about life coaching or the online group program.
Can my partner and I do couples counseling online from different places?
Yes, as long as both of you are in New York State during the session. Many couples join from the same couch; others log in separately when one works late or travels within the state.
What do I need for an online session?
A phone, tablet or laptop with a camera, a stable internet connection, headphones if possible, and a private spot. The secure link arrives by email after you book.
Can I switch between online and in-person sessions?
Yes. Some clients start online and meet in person in New York City later, or the other way around. Mention it when you book or in session.
Can couples or families do online counseling together?
Yes. Couples counseling online works from the same couch or from two different places, and families can join from separate homes, as long as everyone is in New York State during the session. Individual online personal counseling works the same way, from wherever you have privacy.
Last reviewed October 13, 2026 by Rubina K. Singh, LCSW
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