Dr. Sarika Persaud is a New York-based psychologist and writer.
I am a New York State-licensed psychologist. I received my Psy.D. from Pace University, M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University, and B.A. in Psychology and Physics (Minor in Fine Arts) from St. John’s University. I am an Assistant Professor at Albert Einstein Medical College, and am pursuing further specialized training at the Psychoanalytic Association of New York (PANY).
17th Century Kangra miniature painting, Royal Ontario Museum
My many years of study in Vedanta, Hindu & Buddhist Tantra, and Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali literature converge with how I understand the mind, sexuality, spirituality, and relationships. I regularly write and conduct classes on these topics. This is also the focus of my podcast, Kama by Dr. Sarika Persaud, available anywhere you listen to podcasts. You can find my writing at my blog, and at the “Publications and Media” tab.
My previous research focused on South Asian diaspora mental health. As a certified QPR Suicide Prevention instructor, and I conducted the first research study of a culturally-adapted evidence-based suicide prevention program in a non-Western setting. This teacher training took place at a secondary school in Guyana, South America. This work includes a study of the impact of colonialism on mental health.
I have conducted suicide prevention trainings, as well as workshops on recovering from sexual trauma, body image concerns, and navigating sexuality & relationship issues for the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities in New York and the UK.
I would love to hear from you!
Reach out to me at my “Contact Me” page.