From the Netherlands to NYC: Culture Shock, Career Shifts, & Art Therapy for Seniors & Veterans

In this episode of The E-Spot with Camille (Season 10), I have the pleasure of interviewing Rekha Kanhai, who was born and raised in the Netherlands in a large Hindu family before moving to Queens, New York, at 16. They discuss culture shock in the U.S., differences in food, language barriers between British and American English, and adjusting to American slang and communication styles. The guest shares her studies in finance and economics in New York and Miami, her early interest in modeling, and her work in restaurants and nightlife to support herself, which exposed her to the entertainment scene and its challenges for women. She explains how she eventually left the corporate financial sector, pursued logistics as a more independent path, and learned the industry through research, mentors, and hands-on experience. The conversation also highlights her nonprofit, RPA, founded during the pandemic to support mental health through art therapy for seniors (ages 70–90+), veterans with PTSD, and children, including a summer/afterschool program in Miami. She describes how art therapy sessions can reveal loneliness and unresolved grief, sharing examples of seniors expressing disappointment about infrequent family visits and a participant memorializing a son lost to suicide, which led to partnering with bereavement support. The episode closes with a lightning round (coffee, morning routine, leadership as a go-getter, poetry, advice about not taking things personally, and keeping emotions out of business), a discussion of inner beauty and giving back, and where to follow: www.rpa.org and Instagram @akandhai.