Sattva is a Sanskrit term for the qualities of truth, self-reflection, balance and harmony. In the therapy room, this means accepting our true self as well as feeling empowered to make changes we wish to see.
Medha S. Kudaisya, LCSW, PMH-C
I’m Medha (she/her) and I enjoy working with folk at all stages of their parenthood journey. Parenting is hard, whether your kids are infants, toddlers or adolescents and the road to becoming one can be even harder. In some ways, modern parenting is even harder than previous generations have had it; we have access to so much information and resources, but also so much judgement and implied “you’re doing it wrongs”. Information can be powerful, but it can also exacerbate anxiety, and cause you to live with constant self-doubt. What do you do when you feel stuck-or worse, trapped between a rock and a hard place?
Therapy can be a source of insight and support, and with me, therapy is aimed at fostering resilience. In other words, it can help loosen what is stuck, unravel what seems jumbled, and give relief to symptoms that are deafeningly loud.
Maybe you are pregnant or postpartum and discovering that this “parenthood” deal isn’t what you thought it was going to be. Maybe you have experienced pregnancy or infant loss and feel like the pain will never cease. Perhaps you are trying to conceive, and are discovering that “just relax and it will happen” isn’t necessarily true. You might have experienced trauma during your pregnancy, birth, or your baby has spent time in the NICU. Or maybe you are an immigrant, living far away from your village of supports, and your experience of parenthood is tinged with loneliness and grief.
Whatever your story, I’m here to offer support. I am a licensed clinical social worker and am certified in perinatal mental health. I trained as a trauma therapist and have competence in EMDR, a form of therapy that can rapidly reduce trauma-related distress. I also use a multi-modal, holistic approach, drawing from training in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), psychodynamic, ego state and humanistic as well as mindfulness, meditation, yoga and the emotional freedom technique (EFT tapping). Theraspeak aside, this means, I look at you as a complex individual with a rich inner life, and tailor treatment to your unique needs. I am caring and compassionate and merge empathy with action.
I identify as South Asian Indian, and was born and raised in India. I emigrated to the United States in my twenties and have lived here ever since. I’m a mom and a PMAD (perinatal mood and anxiety disorder) survivor, which is what inspired me to switch careers and retrain as a therapist. Although working with adults on their parenthood journey is my passion, I have also worked with survivors of interpersonal and domestic violence and supported families with children who have mental health challenges. I’m a local NJ mom, doing my best to keep one foot in two disparate, yet rich cultures and I get how tough that can be. Alongside English, I am fluent in Hindi and Bengali, with a working knowledge of Urdu. When not working or parenting, I enjoy playing with my dog, reading mysteries, watching medical TV dramas and knitting.