all about Aria
Aria Sundaram brings warmth, thoughtfulness, and cultural humility to her work with clients. Her journey into the field is both personal and purposeful,growing up with a brother who overcame socioemotional and academic challenges through therapeutic support, Aria developed a deep appreciation for the healing power of care, connection, and resilience. This lived experience, combined with academic rigor, shapes her commitment to walking alongside clients in their own healing journeys.
As a first-generation Indian-American, Aria brings a nuanced understanding of how mental health intersects with cultural stigma, family dynamics, and intergenerational expectations. Drawing from her own lived experience, she is especially attuned to the needs of immigrant and marginalized communities. Aria is passionate about supporting children, adolescents, and families, particularly those navigating identity, trauma, and systemic or cultural pressures. She strives to create safe, affirming spaces where clients can feel seen, valued, and empowered.
Aria also brings a strong foundation in behavioral health and experience in client-centered industries, equipping her with a deep capacity for connection, communication, and compassion. Her clinical interests include developmental and behavioral concerns in youth, complex trauma, anxiety, mood disorders, substance use and addiction, family conflict, and multicultural identity issues.
​
Areas of exploration with clients: anxiety, depression, trauma (including complex and intergenerational), mood disorders, family conflict, substance use & addiction, life transitions, emotional regulation, multicultural identity, child & adolescent concerns.
Modalities used: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), humanistic therapy, strengths-based therapy, trauma-informed care, holistic approaches.
how she works
Aria’s therapeutic approach is integrative, collaborative, and rooted in both evidence-based practice and deep empathy. She draws from modalities such as CBT, DBT, humanistic therapy, strengths-based work, and trauma-informed care—tailoring each session to meet the client’s unique needs, identity, and lived experience.
In session, Aria offers a warm, nonjudgmental space where clients can slow down, reflect, and explore their emotions. She helps individuals reframe unhelpful thought patterns, build distress tolerance and emotional regulation skills, and develop greater self-compassion and agency. Her style is both supportive and goal-oriented, offering structure when needed and flexibility when helpful.
Whether you're working through anxiety, trauma, addiction, identity questions, or relationship struggles, Aria walks alongside you with care and authenticity. She is committed to helping clients find both immediate relief and long-term transformation—empowering them to build lives rooted in clarity, connection, and lasting change.
Aria's Library
Education
Degree MA MHCW
University NYU Steinhardt
Aria is currently in the process of completing her M.A. in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness at New York University and is receiving her clinical training at Achel Therapy.
Certificates and Trainings
Aria has completed training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).