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Aïcha Cissé
About
Welcome, I’m Dr. Aïcha Cissé. I’m a licensed psychologist in New York State, and I’d be honored to hear your story. If you’ve spent years wondering why some parts of life feel different for you, seeking an assessment can be a meaningful and vulnerable step. I want you to feel seen, heard, and understood throughout that process.
As a Black woman of mixed ethnic and cultural heritage, I know how much our backgrounds and the expectations placed on us can shape whether we feel understood. My work is warm, collaborative, and grounded in respect for the whole person. An autism diagnosis may help make sense of your experiences, but it can never capture all of who you are. Your background and the many parts of your identity are essential to understanding what makes your experience uniquely yours. I bring experience in psychological assessment and in working with people from many different backgrounds, along with a deep commitment to listening to your story in your own words.
In my assessment and therapy work, I’ve seen how neurodivergent people can spend years feeling misunderstood while working hard to meet others’ expectations. For adults, finally having a space to explore the possibility of autism can bring up many feelings: curiosity, relief, uncertainty, or grief for the support they may have needed earlier. A thoughtful assessment can help put words to experiences that have been difficult to explain. It can also offer a starting point for understanding what support might be helpful now and in the future.
I’m especially drawn to making assessment more thoughtful for people whose experiences have been overlooked because of race, culture, gender, or the ways they’ve learned to adapt. I want to offer a process where you don’t have to prove that you’re struggling or set aside the parts of your identity that matter to you. My hope is that what we learn together helps you make sense of your experiences as part of a fuller, more connected understanding of yourself.
I begin by listening. What comes easily to you? What takes more effort than other people may realize? What helps you feel comfortable and able to be yourself? Your interests, relationships, culture, creativity, and ways of navigating the world all belong in the conversation. What I learn from you helps me shape recommendations around your actual life, strengths, and needs.
I take your difficulties seriously without letting them become the whole story. My approach is compassionate and affirming, with a focus on recognizing and building upon your strengths, honoring what matters to you, and supporting you in realizing your full potential. I want the assessment and feedback to give you language that feels useful, along with clear, practical ideas you can bring into your daily life and share with people close to you if you choose. Above all, I hope you leave feeling empowered to be your full, authentic self unapologetically, while also feeling better equipped to ask for what you need.
