Therapy in San Diego, CA for people who were born elsewhere

You have crossed borders into a new culture and a new language. You have transitioned from the comfort of home to being a transplant in a new place. You’ve dreamt about being successful in “the country of unlimited possibilities”. You never imagined that integrating into this new place would be so hard; that your credentials would count so little in making you feel at home. You’ve been learning non-stop. You’ve made mistakes with the hardest ones being in social situations when needing to know cultural norms is essential. You’ve often felt inadequate, and everything seemed twice as hard as it should be. You’ve been wondering when you would finally fit in. How to make your spouse happy, how to care for your aging parents back home, and how to close the gap with your kids who are Americans, not like you. You’ve been working so hard, and you feel exhausted. You want to collapse a little bit in a safe space, where you don’t need to perform, where you are understood.

I am an immigrant too, and I can help!

My name is Rina, and I understand your experience from within. I am here to offer you my help. It’s not a cliché when I say that I have been there and done that. I immigrated to the US a while back and have worked on finding my place in what used to be a new and foreign culture. I jumped over many immigration obstacles, which made the process harder. I am bi-cultural and bi-lingual and provide therapy in both English and Hebrew!

I have experience helping immigrants and foreigners!

Professionally, I have worked with immigrants and foreigners for many years. I have provided therapy to international students and designed and led relevant educational workshops for students, staff and faculty. I also consulted to University officials on the plight of international and foreign students. I’ve developed expertise in working with individuals (and couples) who try to find their place in a new country, a new culture and with a new language. For more information, see here.

Working with me

My approach in therapy is warm, direct, and candid. As we talk about the challenges in adjusting to a new culture, you may find yourself both laughing and crying. We will discuss your aspirations and dreams, and how you may approach them. We will also cherish what you’ve left behind, and perhaps grieve that loss. Given my years of experience working with foreigners and immigrants, I can also help with practical advice, problem solving, resources and support. We will address depression and anxiety if these have gotten in the way. We will work together on making sense of your struggle, and figuring things out. As a result of our work together, you will become more optimistic about the prospect of belonging, and about having accomplishments and being successful. You will feel lighter and calmer. 

Contact me for a FREE phone consultation!

I invite you to discuss the option of therapy with me in a 15-minute free consultation at 858-330-0065. You can also click here to schedule your consultation. After a short conversation, I will let you know how I can help. If I am not the right person for you, I will direct you to others that can help or recommend resources. I provide online therapy (therapy through video) as long as you are anywhere in California at the time of the appointment. In San Diego, I provide in-person therapy as well. My specialties also include working with LGBTQ+ folks, college and graduate students and couples.