Culturally Sensitive Therapy

I think it will be most meaningful to include a real patient review: “Dr. Ambardar has tremendous insight into personal & collective trauma & the impact of ancestral trauma on a person's life. It is not often you come across a professional who has an in-depth understanding of collective trauma & its impact on an individual's life. Her work & her insights have been supportive in my own healing journey. I highly recommend anyone wanting to connect with their ancestral histories to work with Dr. A"

In a culturally responsive and humble approach, I work to bring all aspects of your identity as strengths in the counseling environment. I believe that when we are in touch with all aspects of our identity, we are better able to proactively address the challenges that are facing us.

We are a diverse group of therapists, social workers, and counselors from various walks of life. Our collective experiences enable us to offer telemental health online therapy services and individualized treatment in a kind and compassionate manner.

I strive to let my client lead on what it means to be culturally aware in our practice. This includes using language, words, behaviors, and actions that feel important to respect your culture and orientation. I will always ask first before I assume. I believe all facets of ones identity, lifestyle, history, and experience in the world are valuable to understanding ones full potential to thrive and be well. It is important to me that your whole person is validated and seen in our work together.

I work with clients in a collaborative relationship to identify goals for therapy and treatment or growth plan. Together, we will identify what will be helpful, to explore how you relate to yourself (your thoughts, feelings, body, identity), the context within which you live, and how the heck to manage the societal structures we have to navigate. As a therapist I aim to practice with cultural humility, and will educate myself on topics important to you.

It is important for me to be culturally sensitive in my work as I have worked and will continue to work with people from different cultural backgrounds, values and traditions. Learning, respecting and implementing this into the therapeutic relationship is most important for clients to receive the highest benefit of services and feel seen, heard and understood. I am not an expert on all cultures but I am sensitive to cultural differences that will be welcomed and discussed as needed.

I encourage clients to share how their cultural experiences shape their identity and challenges. I'm open to discussing cultural issues and how they affect the client's mental health. In our sessions, it's important to foster a safe, inclusive space where clients feel comfortable expressing their cultural identity without fear of judgment or misunderstanding.

Sharing some of the most vulnerable parts of ourselves can feel high-risk, especially if you've experienced dismissal and shame for those experiences. Cultural sensitivity, therefore, is a must so that therapy feels safe and conducive to healing. Recognizing and respecting your unique histories, values, and cultural and familial norms validates and affirms your lived experience. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, therapy is highly tailored and modified to be inclusive.

I believe that we all see the world through our own cultural lens. Being allowed to learn about a client's world and belief systems is a truly humbling experience. With my experience as a former diversity coordinator coupled with being aware of the various cultural stipulations that exist in society allows me to provide you with the necessary and relevant interventions that would not only be respectful to your beliefs but also catered towards the system we are a part of.

Much of my graduate school training was in cross-cultural psychology, including understanding how culture is important in helping clients who struggle with various mental health problems. I use a cultural lens to view each of my clients and consider how culture has shaped them over time.

I specialize in culturally sensitive therapy because of my unique personal and professional journey. As a bicultural immigrant, spouse in a biracial marriage, and parent to American children, I have firsthand experience navigating the complexities of cultural identity and family dynamics. In addition, my therapy practice focuses on working with first- and second-generation Americans and immigrants, helping them address the challenges of intergenerational expectations and cultural transitions.

Beyond my preparation in social work and counseling, I also have a degree in anthropology which guides me through work with all clients, no matter their background. Much of my daily work is done within a department dedicated to international students. I've also taught master's level courses on social work with diverse clients, and have spoken at Chicago-area universities on the importance of culturally responsive work.

Culture plays a large role in how we express ourselves, how we are viewed by others, and how we experience our every day life.

I have special expertise in bilingual assessment and multicultural competence in both graduate school and internship training. I have extensive clinical experience working with culturally diverse clients and continue to stay current in culturally sensitive therapy through workshops. I have published, conducted workshops, and served as an expert consultant in several states in the area of bilingual assessment.

I believe strongly that our culture(s) play a huge role in our happiness as well as our dysfunction. I take social, cultural, family, and systems level factors into account when working with clients and believe that healing our relationships to our cultures is a major part of overall mental health.

Culturally sensitive therapy emphasizes the therapist's understanding of a client’s background, ethnicity, and belief system. Therapists can incorporate cultural sensitivity into their work to accommodate and respect differences in opinions, values, and attitudes of various cultures and different types of people.

I believe that understanding how sociocultural, systemic, and institutional forces influence the ways that you traverse this world. Examining such contexts can facilitate the harnessing of your internal wisdom as well as become more connected to your collective and ancestral experiences.

I use a culturally sensitive lens to allow clients to be the experts in their own lives, as coming from a place of non-judgement and understanding.

Completed multiple trainings in providing culturally responsive treatment across a variety of settings to include children, adults, adolescents of multiple ethnicities.