Feel confident in your relationship
Therapy for Asian Couples in NYC
Get closer to the version of your relationship you hope may be possible.
Therapy for when something is off, and you’re not sure how to fix it.
Some couples come to us because they keep getting stuck in the same blowout fight.
Some come to us because they feel more like roommates than romantic partners.
Others may be trying to find their way back to each other - or determining whether they can rebuild - after a recent infidelity / betrayal.
Some are preparing for or adjusting to major milestones or transitions - marriage, a child, the loss of a job, a new diagnosis, a relapse.
Others may simply wish to deepen their connection and prevent an escalation of dynamics they’ve noticed between them.
And some may be seriously considering separation.
Many couples complete therapy in
15 - 20 sessions
High expectations around career, education and family roles, which may cause stress, conflict, or feelings of not being “good enough”, especially if you or your partner is the eldest and/or the only child.
You may feel torn between prioritizing your relationship and honoring obligations to parents, in-laws or extended family.
Cultural values that emphasize harmony, respect, and avoiding conflict may make it difficult to openly share feelings, needs or disagreements.
Partners may relate differently to traditions, language, or levels of assimilation, leading to misunderstandings about values and priorities.
Asian Couples May Also Struggle With:
The right time for couples therapy?
As soon as you’re thinking about it.
Whether you’ve been together for two years or twenty, there’s no “too early” or “too late” when it comes to starting couples therapy.
The right time is when you’re ready to stop feeling stuck. It’s when you feel there’s something in your relationship that you want to better understand or start to shift. You have a desire, but you don’t yet have the skills to know where to start.
That’s where and when couples therapy comes in. We are trained for this and we have lived experience that will help us to more deeply understand your stressors. We will help you figure out what you hope to see change - whether it’s big or small - and help you find a way towards that change.
All of our couples are searching for something different - a new way of connecting with one another, one that feels
deep, intimate, peaceful and enriching.
In therapy, we will:
Explore cultural influences shaping your relationship patterns and expectations.
Strengthen emotional connection by learning new ways to express needs and feelings.
Set healthy boundaries that protect your partnership while respecting family.
Resolve conflicts constructively instead of letting them escalate or remain unspoken.
Develop shared rituals and values that honor your cultural backgrounds while supporting your partnership.
Client Testimonials
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We absolutely love Janine!
She came highly recommended to us by a friend who saw her for couple therapy.
She really made us feel comfortable.
- P & R, NYC
Janine was our couples therapist during a rough period in our marriage. We had seen two couples therapists and didn’t feel like it helped. Our time with Janine brought us back from what felt like a point of no return.
We are really grateful to have found her.
- Mei & James, CA
Hard to think where we would be without couples therapy! I’m anxious and my husband is avoidant and we kept triggering each other.
We really learned about how to be kind to each other. What amazing progress.
- Anonymous
The Atlas approach:
We integrate evidence-based methods such as the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and culturally responsive techniques.
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We use Gottman-based assessments and interventions to identify strengths and areas of opportunity that erode and enhance connection. You’ll learn to communicate more effectively, de-escalate conflict, and rebuild friendship and trust—even in the midst of deep pain and overwhelm.
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EFT helps us get beneath the surface of arguments and into the vulnerable emotions that drive them. We'll work to uncover attachment wounds, soften defenses, and begin to restore emotional safety and closeness.
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We used IFS to help each of you understand your / each other’s inner worlds. This will support both of you in more gently and compassionately navigating each other’s dreams, hopes, triggers, fears.
Janine Cheng, LCSW
Founder + Clinical Director
You’ve tried so hard to make things better.
Maybe your relationship feels caught in a loop—cycling through the same arguments that leave you both saying things you don’t mean, retreating into silence, or becoming defensive. It feels like you’re on opposite sides of a widening gap. The more you try to fix it, the more stuck and powerless you feel in finding your way out.
In our work together, we’ll slow down and look at the full story of you.
I believe that healing happens when all parts of you are welcomed—your thoughts, emotions, body, history, and the ways you’ve learned to cope. We’ll look at the deeper cycles driving your conflict and help you both find new ways to reach for each other with more clarity, curiosity and mutual understanding.
We’ll use a blend of methods to support both your mind and your body: somatic practices to regulate your nervous system, mindfulness to create space and presence, and therapeutic approaches like CBT, DBT, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Emotionally Focused Therapy, and the Gottman Method to bring new understanding and real, practical tools for change.
Through all of this, we move with clarity, compassion, and intention.
Education and RECENT Training
Gottman: Treating Affairs and Trauma
Gottman: Couples and Addiction Recovery
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) Certificate: Start-to-Finish Training and Live Consultation
The Complete Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy Competency Course: A Start-to-Finish Instructional Series for Professionals
Gottman Method for Couples Level 1 & 2
Anxiety Certification Masterclass: Brain-Based Strategies for Panic, Agoraphobia, Social Anxiety, GAD, OCD & PTSD
Mastering Polyvagal Theory for Trauma Professionals: A Start to Finish Trauma Certification Program
Masters in Clinical Social Work from Silberman School of Social Work
BA in Philosophy from Brown University
Specialities
Anxious people-pleasers, overachievers, perfectionists
Adult children of immigrants
Anxiously attached individuals
Adult survivors of childhood abuse and neglect
Eldest parentified daughters and sons
Couples preparing for marriage
Couples with differences in attachment styles
Couples contemplating separation or divorce
Couples recovering from addiction
Couples rebuilding after an infidelity
Licensed in
New York
California
FAQs
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Asian couples may struggle with family pressures, high expectations for success, differences in cultural assimilation and difficulty expressing emotions due to values of harmony and respect. All of these factors can make it feel like the relationship is being destabilized from outside and from within.
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Therapy provides tools to communicate openly, set healthy boundaries with family, resolve conflicts constructively, and strengthen emotional connection all while honoring your cultural traditions and your familial relationships.
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Working with a therapist who understands Asian cultural values supports work that respects family, tradition and identity while helping you grow closer as partners. The lived experience that we bring does not mean we presume a shared experience, but it gives us a unique window into what it may feel like to contend with these sorts of pressures, individually and while in a relationship.
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It’s not uncommon for one partner to be more invested or ready than the other. We’ll start with a joint consultation to understand each of your hopes, concerns and hesitations and to determine whether couples therapy is the right next step for you.
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No. Many couples seek therapy not just to resolve conflict but also to deepen connection, prepare for marriage or build healthier communication patterns.
Whether you’re navigating conflict, feeling emotionally distant, or simply want to strengthen your connection
start today.
Experience personalized therapy at our office in Nomad
All in-person sessions will take place in a warm, inviting space that will help you feel calm and centered for the work.
The office is located in Nomad and easily accessible via the 1, 2, 3, N, R, W, B, D, F, M and 6 lines.
Ready to start the path towards a better bond?
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