Therapy Isn’t For Everyone

Sep 22
3 min read

If you’re a Desi living in the US — maybe in New York’s buzzing streets, the Bay Area in California, or juggling life between work in New Jersey and family back home in India — you’ve probably heard this line a hundred times: “Go to therapy.”

But let’s be honest. Therapy is not a magic pill. It’s not for everyone. And that’s perfectly okay.

At SEVEE, we’ve worked with thousands of clients across India, the US, Canada, and the UK. What we’ve learned is simple: therapy only works when you’re truly ready.

Don’t Go to Therapy If…

Therapy may not be the right fit if you are:

Convinced you already know everything. If you walk in with a “therapist can’t tell me anything new” mindset, you’ll leave the same way.
Unwilling to put in effort. Therapy is not like getting chai delivered to your desk. It’s like gym for the mind — you need to show up and practice even outside sessions.
Here for someone else. If your spouse, parent, or boss forced you in, you’re not really in it for yourself.
Looking for instant fixes. Just like no diet makes you lose 10 kilos overnight, no therapy session can erase years of patterns instantly.
Only wanting validation. If all you want to hear is “haan, you’re right,” therapy won’t give you real growth.
Hiding or lying. Desis are experts at “adjusting” stories for izzat (reputation). But therapy only works when you bring your raw truth.
Weaponizing therapy. Coming to collect labels to use in a fight, or later saying “therapy doesn’t work” without really trying.
Treating it as a trend. In places like LA or NYC, therapy is often a status thing. But if you’re doing it only for the tag, not the work, it’ll feel hollow.

desi man women in California and New York one hopeful another hopeless

Go to Therapy If…

Therapy can be transformative if you are:

Curious about yourself. Wanting to understand why you react a certain way, why family patterns repeat, or why stress shows up the way it does.
Willing to do the work. Journaling, reflecting, trying out small changes — these make therapy stick.
Ready to take responsibility. Not just pointing fingers at parents, partners, or society, but also asking: “What can I do differently?”
Open to new perspectives. You don’t have to agree with everything, but being willing to explore makes the difference.
Patient. Desi families often want quick results — “beta, 2 sessions and you should be fine.” Therapy doesn’t work like that. It’s small steps, consistent effort.
Looking for real change. Not just comfort or sympathy, but tools and clarity to live differently.

Why SEVEE?

For Desis in the US, finding a therapist who understands both worlds — the hustle of NYC, the tech grind of California, and the cultural weight of “log kya kahenge” (what will people say) — is rare.

At SEVEE, we:

Speak your cultural language (yes, literally and emotionally).
Get the family dynamics — joint families, expectations, guilt trips.
Work with NRIs, immigrants, and Desis abroad who juggle two worlds daily.
Offer online therapy across time zones, whether you’re in Chicago, Texas, Toronto, London, or Ahmedabad.