Does this sound familiar?
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"My family sacrificed so much for me to be here. I can't let them down."
You carry their hopes into every exam, and there's no room to admit you're struggling.
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"Everyone else seems to have it figured out."
Your classmates look fine, and you're quietly wondering if you even belong here.
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"I don't feel at home here. And when I go back, I don't feel at home there either."
You've changed, and it's hard to explain who you're becoming to anyone.
It's a lot to carry. A new culture, pressure to succeed, relationships, and often no one around who really understands where you come from.
So you keep going. You keep it together. You tell everyone back home you're fine.
I'm here to tell you this: you don't have to hold it all alone.
Maybe you've tried handling it on your own.
Pushing through. Talking to friends. Calling home, then saying you're fine anyway. Maybe you've even tried campus counseling, and it helped for a while. But the sessions ran out, or you spent half the time explaining your culture instead of getting support.
Working with someone who's been there changes that. I was an international student in the U.S. for 9 years. Keeping my grades up to hold onto scholarships. Applying for grants. Taking every single paper to the writing center to check my grammar. So you won't have to explain why disappointing your family feels impossible, or why you feel like a slightly different person in each language. We can start from understanding, not explaining.
What we can work on together
Academic pressure and perfectionism
Homesickness and loneliness
Family expectations and guilt
Culture shock and identity
Relationships and dating, including cross-cultural relationships
Anxiety, stress, and burnout
I've lived through every one of these myself.
How sessions work
Sessions are online, so you can join from your apartment, your car, or anywhere private. We'll find a time that works around your classes.
Along with talking, I'll sometimes invite you to notice what's happening in your body. The tension before a presentation. The tightness after a call home. That's often where the real change happens.
We'll end each session by connecting what came up with what you brought in that day, and choosing a small "experiment" to try during the week. Something you can actually do between classes. Working with both your mind and your body is how deeply ingrained patterns start to shift, and how real, lasting change becomes possible.
How to get started
1
Book a free consultation
A 15-minute call to talk about what's going on and whether we're a good fit.
2
Find your time
We'll choose a regular weekly session time that works around your classes.
3
Start where you are
You don't need to have it all figured out. We'll begin with whatever feels heaviest right now.