Therapy for first-generation college students

You may be the first in your family to do this. You do not have to do it without support.

Being first-gen can feel like two jobs at once: being a student, and being the proof that the sacrifice was worth it. Often no one at home can tell you how this works, and no one on campus seems to need telling.

From the outside, the pressure rarely looks like pressure. It looks like a packed schedule, a job on top of classes, money you do not talk about, and a quiet rule that you are not allowed to struggle. Therapy can be a place to put some of it down.

Many of our first-gen clients are also children of immigrants, AAPI or BIPOC, or studying far from home. We keep all of that in the room, because it is rarely separate from the stress itself.

You might recognize:

Guilt about having opportunities your family didn't
Translating two worlds, and belonging fully to neither
Imposter feelings that grades never fix
Working while studying, and hiding how tired you are
Parents who are proud and can't quite advise
Pressure to pick the safe major or the safe career
Not knowing what's normal to ask for

What tends to be underneath

Family expectations built on sacrifice
Money stress nobody names out loud
Perfectionism as a way of staying safe
Loneliness in rooms full of people
Grief for the version of life your family imagined

You do not have to earn the right to rest, or to ask for help.

How therapy helps.

Room to be a person, not a project

In therapy, the question is not how you are doing in school but how you are doing. We work on anxiety, low stretches, and the identity questions that come with being between worlds, at your pace.

Practical tools for a packed life

We work on sleep, focus, panic before exams, boundaries with family, and saying no without guilt, using evidence-based skills from CBT and ACT adapted to your week.

How to start

You can text us, send the form below, or book directly. We will check your student plan or set up a sliding-scale rate, and the first session is a conversation about what is going on.

Questions before you start?

Does my student health plan cover this?

Usually, yes. We are in-network with Aetna Student Health and UnitedHealthcare StudentResources, the plans behind most New York college coverage, plus Aetna, Anthem, Oxford, Oscar, and United Healthcare. With in-network insurance you pay only your copay, and we check your benefits before the first session.

What if I don't have coverage, or can't use my family's plan?

We hold sliding-scale spots for clients located in New York: $30 to $80 a session, and you choose the amount. No proof of income.

Can I do sessions from campus or my dorm?

Yes. Sessions are secure video, and you only need a private space and a device with a camera. You must be physically in New York or Florida at the time of the session.

Start Your Therapy Journey

Sliding scale spots are currently open with Laila Siddiqui, MHC-I for clients located in New York — you choose what you can pay, from $30 to $80 per session. How the sliding scale works.

Who you'll work with.

Tina Liu, LMHC-D

Founder & Mental Health Counselor. EMDR-trained, culturally attuned, licensed in New York & Florida.

About Tina →

Laila Siddiqui, MHC-I

Mental Health Counselor. Works with teens and young adults in New York, under the clinical supervision of Tina Liu, LMHC-D. Sliding scale spots available.

About Laila →

Junli Xiao, MHC-LP

Mental Health Counselor. Works with adolescents and young adults in New York, in English and Mandarin, under the clinical supervision of Tina Liu, LMHC-D.

About Junli →

Not sure where to start? Feel free to send us a note, and we will help you find a good fit.