My journey of choosing to work in the field of mental health coincided with my own need to seek therapy. That coupled with the cathartic power of writing – both, personally (through my journal practice) as well as publicly on my blog (about being body shamed for being skinny and another on travel) – which is something I had already been doing for a few years, revealed to me an area of work I wanted to create and occupy. This is how Be You For You was born as workshops on expressive writing and personal narratives to enable folks to become aware of their inner storytelling.

Be You For You are workshops on expressive writing and personal narratives open to anyone who is above 18 years of age and keen on developing their sense of self-awareness.Folks between 14 to 18 years of age would have to be accompanied by a guardian. A primer workshop spans over 4 hours and includes:
(i) What is the story you tell yourself?
(ii) Occupy The Moment: Writing to explore mindfulness
(iii) Reclaim You: Writing to explore authenticityThe takeaways include:
(i) Awareness of the ‘stories we tell ourselves’
(ii) Creative tools for self-expression
(iii) Insights into building a healthier relationship with Self and others

What excites me about my work as a facilitator is the people I get to meet. I get to meet and interact with people who are keen or curious about deepening their understanding of Self Because of the diversity, I am also always learning and adapting. No two workshops are ever the same. I modify content to match and meet the needs of the group as the workshop progresses. There ain’t a moment of predictability and that’s exciting to me.

The sentiment that “I am not the only one” is an oft heard one at workshops for me. Folks seldom, if ever, know each other before coming to my workshops and yet within a span of four hours organically find a sense of safety and connection that encourages them to open up about topics like mental health, abuse, self-care and even pet-peeves that they otherwise aren’t/haven’t been able to talk about to their own friends and family.

My greatest learning from my interactions has been the power of authenticity and vulnerability. And that trust is key! Folks trust me as a facilitator and as an extension of that even each other. They are willing to show up as well as be seen and heard. No matter how many times I’ve witnessed this happen, it’s always magical to witness over and over again

Empathy, patience and ability to hold space for all kinds of sharing. These along with a sense of humour have been my anchor as I navigate my path as a facilitator through the different workshops that I do.

My cat and three-legged dog are my distractions and my stress busters. So you can find me hovering over them with my camera.