Event Description
Join our closed support group that delves into arranged marriage as a potential partner-seeking path, and helps navigate its intricacies.
Group Type: Support Group
Goals of the Group:
Our aim is to foster a secure, contemplative, and non-judgmental atmosphere for members to share their experiences, challenges, and concerns related to the arranged marriage process. This is beneficial for individuals currently navigating the process as well as those considering it as an option.
Session Overview:
Session 1: Reflecting on Individual Contexts
- Examining the arranged marriage process within participants’ socio-cultural backgrounds
- Sharing personal experiences about opting for an arranged marriage
- Discussing individual difficulties and concerns surrounding the process
Session 2: Exploring Initial Stressors
- Navigating the selection process
- Managing family expectations and involvement
- Considering preferences against non-negotiables
Session 3: Getting to Know Prospective Partners
- Adopting a mindful approach
- Discussing the difference between chemistry and compatibility
- Balancing vulnerability with self-preservation
- Establishing boundaries around physical intimacy
Session 4: Yes, No and After
- Addressing challenges around saying No
- Coping with setbacks and rejections
- Balancing impressing the family with setting boundaries
- Managing time pressure and determining certainty
- Group check-in
Please Note:
The session topics, order, and other details may be adjusted based on the group members’ and facilitators’ needs and preferences.
Please note that the session topics, order, and other details may be subject to change based on the needs and preferences of the group members and facilitators.
Facilitator Bio:
With over nine years of experience as a Clinical Psychologist, Veena Nair’s practice is grounded in the social model of mental health and informed by narrative therapy. She works with individuals navigating a range of mental health concerns and interpersonal challenges — from anxiety, stress, and low self-confidence, to difficult relationships, life transitions, and identity exploration — often alongside complex experiences such as trauma, neurodivergence, and ongoing struggles related to a changing world.
Her approach is strength-based, trauma-informed, and queer-affirmative, with a deep commitment to honoring each person’s unique story and lived experience.
At the heart of Veena’s work is the belief that healing is relational. She strives to create safe, collaborative spaces where clients feel deeply seen, supported, and empowered to make meaning of their struggles and foster growth. In addition to her individual practice, Veena is passionate about group processes that enable shared connection, collective insight, and transformation — offering participants a space not only to reflect, but to re-author their stories within a supportive community.
