SOUTH ASIAN CLIENTS
South Asian Therapist in Massachusetts, Online
Individual therapy for South Asian adults navigating family expectations, immigration, identity and belonging. You can care about your family and still need space to decide what you want.
BCBS · Optum · Harvard Pilgrim · United · Aetna · Cigna · Online across MA & RI
YOUR STORY FIRST
What Is It Like to See a South Asian Therapist?
It can mean you don't have to explain the culture, the stigma or generations of expectations before getting help. Ashti Mistry, LICSW, sees South Asian adults by secure video anywhere in Massachusetts and Rhode Island for family expectations, immigration, identity and belonging. Every family is different, and I won't assume yours.
WHAT WE WORK WITH
What Can We Work On?
These are themes people often want to talk about. You might be the one who did everything right on paper and still feels anxious, empty or never quite enough.
Expected to Succeed
Raised to make your parents proud, and now unsure what you want versus what's expected?
Two Cultural Worlds
Growing up between cultures can mean guilt and duty: translating for parents, carrying their hopes. See my guide to mental health support for immigrants.
Immigration & Racism
We can talk about how immigration and acculturation have shaped you and your family, about experiences of racism, and about complex dynamics in your family of origin.
Partners & In-Laws
Choosing a partner or living near in-laws can strain everyone. We look at your needs and limits.
Breaking the Silence
You may be the first in your family in therapy. That takes courage, and you decide who knows.
Identity & Belonging
A move, marriage or new baby can raise identity questions. See therapy for life transitions.
New Parenthood
If you're pregnant or have a new baby, see my page on perinatal and postpartum therapy for South Asian and immigrant families.
Low, Anxious or Stuck
Sometimes you simply don't feel OK. I offer therapy for depression and trauma therapy.
Looking for Community
It can be lonely when friends don't get it. Some people come to therapy wanting a sense of community with other South Asians, and that's worth talking about too.
What Success Means
What does success mean to you now, and which expectations still matter? We can explore those questions without deciding for you what to keep or reject.
Keeping What Fits
What do you want to keep as life changes, and what no longer fits? A transition does not need to become a vote on whether family or culture matters.
No Translation Needed
You need not translate every hard feeling into a cultural explanation before it is allowed into the room.
HOW THERAPY WORKS
Working on Your Choices Without Choosing for You
Therapy with me is warm, direct and paced by you. You don't need a neat summary, and you don't need to have decided whether your problem is "big enough." Plenty of people start with "I just don't feel like myself."
- 01
Your Story First
In our first sessions, I'll ask about what's bringing you in, your family and the things that shaped you, and what you'd like to be different.
- 02
Untangling Guilt
That might mean untangling guilt from genuine responsibility, or making a decision you've been circling for months, at a pace that feels manageable.
- 03
Hard Conversations
Practicing a hard conversation with a parent or partner, so you feel ready to have it.
- 04
Your Values
I adapt the work to your values rather than asking you to fit a one-size-fits-all model. The goals we set are yours.
- 05
Room to Breathe
Sometimes therapy is simply one hour a week where you don't have to hold everything together. That counts too.
- 06
Your Pace
You decide how much to share and when. The starting point can be what has been hardest to live with this week.
- 07
Gratitude and More
You can name what you appreciate about your parents' sacrifices and what has felt lonely. Gratitude does not need to be the only part of the family story you can discuss.
- 08
Limits That Fit
Which limit do you want to talk about, and what would make it fit within your family? You do not have to work out every difficult conversation at once.
- 09
What You Share
How much of the decision to seek help do you want to explain at home, and what would you prefer to keep for yourself? That can be a conversation in its own right.
WHO WE WORK WITH
When Keeping Everything Together Is Wearing You Down
You don't need a crisis to start therapy. I work with South Asian adults in individual sessions. It may be time if you notice any of these.
Guilt whatever you choose
You feel guilty most of the time, whatever you choose, and it's getting harder to tell duty from what you want.
Exhausted keeping peace
You're exhausted from keeping the peace at home, smoothing things over between relatives and putting your own needs last.
Sleep, appetite or focus
Sleep, appetite or focus has changed and isn't bouncing back, even when life looks fine from the outside.
Low, anxious or numb
You feel low, anxious or numb more days than not, and pushing through on your own isn't working anymore.
An old experience replaying
An old experience keeps replaying, or something reminds you of it and you shut down.
Unsure what you want
You can't picture what you want, only what you're supposed to want, and you'd like room to find out.
MY PERSPECTIVE
What Do I Bring?
Starting therapy with a South Asian therapist is like starting with someone who already 'gets it'. I understand the culture, the stigma, the words in Hindi that have no translation to English, the expectations that are set upon us generation after generation. You're not having to explain everything to me and that's a lot of extra work off the table for you.
As a South Asian mother myself, I enjoy making Rava with my children during Navroze. My father is Zoroastrian/Parsi, and I grew up eating Rava on Navroze (Parsi New Year). I find it a great way to teach the kids about my religion, make some memories with them and also I get to reflect on doing this same task with my own mother growing up.
Sessions are in English. If you'd be more comfortable in another language, please ask during your free consultation and I'll help you find the right fit.
How I Work
Approaches adapted to your values and goals
- CBT
- ACT
- Attachment-based therapy
- Trauma-informed care
- Compassion-based approaches
THE PROCESS
How Do I Get Started?
An individual space, not another family expectation. Here's what to expect.
- 01
Free Consult
A free 15-minute consultation to talk about what's going on and whether we're a good fit.
- 02
Check Coverage
I'm in network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Cigna, Harvard Pilgrim, Optum and UnitedHealthcare for sessions in Massachusetts; Rhode Island sessions are private pay, and I can provide a superbill for possible out-of-network reimbursement. Call the number on your card to check your telehealth mental health benefits.
- 03
Rhode Island
Rhode Island sessions are private pay, and I can provide a superbill for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
- 04
Video Sessions
All sessions are by secure video for adults who are physically in Massachusetts or Rhode Island during the session.
- 05
Your Hour
Sessions are one hour, with flexible appointment times. You lead on what we talk about.
TRUSTED BY COLLEAGUES
What Colleagues Are Saying
Endorsements from fellow clinicians on Ashti's Psychology Today profile.
I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Ashti! She is professional, compassionate and works hard to ensure all of her client's needs are met.
Kayla Butt, MSW, LICSWClinical Social Work/TherapistPsychology Today endorsement Ashti is a wonderful therapist who has a warm, empathetic presence. She is always thoughtful about meeting her clients where they are, and helping them use their strengths to make meaningful changes in their lives.
Madeline Waife, LICSWClinical Social Work/TherapistPsychology Today endorsement Ashti is a exceptional therapist who is passionate about the work she does. She demonstrates a great capacity of understanding and empathy allowing her to connect with her clients and help them achieve their goals.
Sarah Liming, LICSWClinical Social Work/TherapistPsychology Today endorsement Ashti has a way of making people feel truly seen and understood. Her warmth, insight, and cultural awareness create a space where clients can open up, make sense of what they're going through, and move forward with more clarity and confidence.
Paradise Health Services LLCPsychiatric Nurse Practitioner, PMHNP, AGNP, APRNPsychology Today endorsement I highly recommend Ashti to anyone seeking compassionate, welcoming and effective mental health support. She has a wide range of professional experience and a great tool set that very clearly benefits her clients!
Jennifer Royster, LICSWClinical Social Work/TherapistPsychology Today endorsement
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions We Hear Often
Is there a South Asian therapist in Massachusetts who does telehealth and takes insurance?
Yes. I'm Ashti Mistry, LICSW, a South Asian therapist who sees adults by secure video anywhere in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. I'm in network with these six plans for sessions in Massachusetts; Rhode Island sessions are private pay.
Do you work with children of immigrants dealing with family expectations?
Yes. Family expectations, guilt, duty and growing up between two cultures are common reasons people come to see me. We can work on what you want for yourself while respecting the family you love.
Can sessions be in a language other than English?
Sessions are in English. If you'd be more comfortable in another language, please ask during your free consultation and I'll help you find the right fit.
Should I see an LICSW, an LMHC or a psychologist?
All three can provide talk therapy. An LICSW is a licensed independent clinical social worker whose training looks at you in the context of your family, culture and circumstances, and a psychologist's training also covers psychological testing and assessment. For most people, feeling understood by the therapist matters more than the letters after their name.
Do you take my insurance?
I'm in-network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Harvard Pilgrim, Optum and UnitedHealthcare. Your cost depends on your plan's deductible, copay or coinsurance. For private pay, sessions are $200. I'm in network for sessions in Massachusetts only; Rhode Island sessions are private pay.
Can therapy help with holiday loneliness?
Yes. Festival seasons and holidays can be hard for many people. Seasonal loneliness is worth bringing to therapy at any time, whether you feel lonely even when you're around people or you're missing people far away. A culturally attuned therapist will hear you out.
Will you push me to cut off my family?
No. I won't push you to cut off your family or to choose one culture over another. Most of the people I work with want to stay close to the people they love and still have room to be themselves. Holding both is possible, and it's often what therapy ends up being about.
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Bring the Family Story and Your Own
Private pay is $200 per session, including your first (intake) session; full fees are on Services & Pricing. See services and pricing for details. Book a free 15-minute consultation or call (617) 603-0630.
Accepting new clients; typical wait is about a week.