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Have Questions?

Here are some we've been frequently asked.

Some of the details on this page may be outdated. We'd be updating them soon! đź‘€

  • What is TheMindClan.com?

    TheMindClan.com is a mental health platform dedicated to giving you access to curated tools for mental health care. We firmly believe that there’s no cookie-cutter approach to mental health care, and are devoting our time and resources to let you experience a personal form of caring for your mental health.

  • What is the problem with the current mental health care system?

    We believe that the existing system around the person seeking support is often plagued with stigma, quick to pathologize, and driven by a cookie-cutter approach that does not take everyone’s needs into account.

    We believe that the intimidation, judgment and stigma surrounding mental health can be chipped away when people are able to make choices for their mental health care by themselves, based on their current needs, in a non-threatening community space like ours.

  • What does 'curated' mean?

    As a community platform, we are grounded in feminist, social justice, LGBTQIA+ liberation and other movements of inclusion.

    We center the needs and invite the experiences of each and every individual irrespective of age, gender identity, sexuality, religion, caste, colour, or ability.

    We believe that through discussions we learn, and through inclusion and empathy we grow individually, as a community, and as an effective mental health care system.

    A ‘curated’ list means that TheMindClan.com has carefully shortlisted and selected individuals, counsellors and groups who align with our values, hopes and intentions to make mental health care centered around your needs.

  • Is the curation 'perfect'?

    We’ve come a long way since we launched our platform in May of 2018. At the very beginning, we only listed mental health counsellors in Mumbai. The moment we realized the power of including the dimensions of community support and resources, we rushed back to the drawing boards and launch an entirely new platform a few months later (quite similar to what you see today!).

    We constantly try to equip ourselves with more ways to make the curation ‘perfect’, but we know that no curated platform ever will be.

    As mental health care is a personal journey, it can happen that the support services you reach out to may not provide you with the experience you really sought for.

    The hope we have, is to empower you with the knowledge of what a personal mental health care system can look like, when it’s created with your needs and choice at the center of it.

    We are confident that once you experience this, you can head to any services you have access to (or discover) and recognize just the support you need.

  • What can I find here?

    On TheMindClan.com, you will find a carefully curated list of mental health counsellors, an upcoming list of workshops, support groups, events near you, active helplines, as well as resources and products that offer you support. We also highlight the story, motivations and journeys of the counsellors, facilitators and support groups on the platform to help you recognize a value fit.

  • Why are you doing this?

    When one decides to start caring for their mental health, they often lack access to supportive systems around them. “Whom do I go to for support?”, “What do I say?”, “If not counselling, what else can I do?” are some of the many questions we know an individual has when they start their mental health care journey.

    Finding one’s safe space may involve a lot of ‘soul searching’. Soul searching of finding a space that resonates with your hopes, values, beliefs and identity. We want to help you experience that resonance when you’re stuck at the question ‘How do I start caring for my mental health?’.

    We intend to become a system that understands you for who you are, is sensitive to your identities and makes mental health a personal journey again by centering your choice and mobilizing community support.

  • How does the platform work?

    One’s options for mental health care can look different from another’s. Some prefer starting their mental health journey by visiting a counsellor, while others may need access to helpful resources or communities at that very time.

    By offering you multiple choices for mental health care, we hope to let you choose where you’d like your journey to start from.

    We work to ‘aggregate’ the mental health space for counsellors, support groups, helplines, events and resources that align with our values, and list them on our platform for you to choose from.

    You receive not only basic information about them, but also their responses to questions about their journey, work and background to help you make the ideal choice.

    We are here to bridge the connections, and help in reducing the intimidation and stigma around caring for one’s mental health.

  • Is this platform free to use?

    Yes. This platform is completely free to use for our users as well as the people and groups listed on the platform.

  • How are you earning from this?

    Currently, this entire initiative is offered free of cost to both you, and the profiles we list. We do not charge counsellors (and other profiles) a fee if you reach out to them through TheMindClan.com.

    We only request them and individuals who use the platform to let us know how we’ve impacted them.

    To sustain the venture and ourselves, we work with corporate organizations to help make mental health a priority at the workplace. It’s their support that allows us to continue offering our curated lists for free to the masses.

    Additionally, we organize many public events and sell resources to sustain our platform. In the future, we may also offer display ads, or sell products on the platform. Though we’re still working on it, these would be additional to what we do currently.

    Providing you with the right tools to mental health care would always be a priority.

  • I found a bug on your site and I'd like to report it, what do I do?

    Oooops. Send us a mail on our email address with a screenshot of your bug!

  • Some profile images are blurred or aren't displaying correctly. Why?

    Open up that particular profile’s page and see if there is a disclaimer (under the profile image) as to why the image is displaying a certain way. If you don’t find one, shoot us a mail on our email address!

  • How many cities are you present in?

    While we’re a Mumbai based impact initiative, our platform has expanded into multiple cities. View them here.

  • I'd like to help. What could I do?

    We are constantly looking to collaborate with Individuals, Media Houses, Organizations, Support Groups (and many more!) who share our vision and passion for mental health. If you’d like to collaborate with us on anything at all, or if you’d like to tell us about your mental health journey, send us an email on our email address. We’d love to know you and hear your story.

    If you’re a counsellor or an event facilitator, look at the corresponding sections below to know the process of reaching out to us. 🙂

  • Is this a database of counsellors? Do you they work for you?

    This is a carefully curated list of counsellors who have private practices and are not employed by TheMindClan.com. These professionals are extremely invested in mental health and are passionate about helping you take care of yours.

  • How do I find a counsellor from this platform?

    We’ve made sure to make the process of finding and shortlisting counsellor profiles user-intuitive. Head over to TheMindClan.com Professionals page to find individual profiles of the counsellors on our curated list and take your pick.!🙂 Once you choose a counsellor, fill out our form and we will e-mail you their contact details!

    If you need any assistance with this process, feel free to drop us an email on our email address and we’d be happy to be of any help!

  • Do these counsellors practice online or offline?

    All the counsellors on our network have offline private practices in different parts of Mumbai. Few of the counsellors offer online counselling as well. Check out their individual profiles to view details about their medium of practice (offline or online) and take your pick.

  • How do I pay these counsellors?

    All payments of session fees are to be made between the client and the counsellor separately. You can visit the individual profiles of the counsellors to find out how much they charge for sessions and the payment types they accept (eg: Cash, NEFT etc). No payment is to be made to TheMindClan.com either by the users or the counsellors. We are simply here to bridge gaps and foster connections between individuals and professionals in a personalized manner. 🙂

  • Do these counsellors pay you each time they get a client from this platform?

    The counsellors on our network do not pay TheMindClan.com for getting clients via the platform. TheMindClan.com also does not charge a fee to the counsellors each time they get a client through the platform.

  • How do I set an appointment with them?

    To set an appointment with a counsellor of your choice, you can directly contact them either via their phone number or email id as provided in their individual profile. You can access these details easily once you click on the “Reach Out” button on their profile and fill out the quick form after.

  • Does a higher price mean better service?

    Not necessarily. Each of our counsellors is specially shortlisted and selected by TheMindClan.com to provide you with commendable service. The price they charge for their sessions is each one’s personal choice based on various factors.

  • Can I find a psychiatrist from this platform?

    No. TheMindClan.com currently features only mental health counsellors on the platform. However, based on the nature and severity of your concerns, our list of counsellors should be trained to know if they need to refer you to a psychiatrist for the purpose of medication. Don’t worry, you will be guided and supported every step of the way. 🙂

  • I have a counsellor to recommend to the platform. Could I have them reach out to you?

    Absolutely! We love user recommendations! To recommend a counsellor or a facilitator to the platform, all you have to do is fill out this form – and we will take it from there. !🙂

  • How Do I Apply to be Part of the Counsellors Network at TheMindClan.com?

    TheMindClan.com always welcomes mental health professionals who resonate with our vision to be part of our Counsellors network. If you’d like to be part of our clan, we encourage you to first check out our Curation Guidelines to have a better idea of our intake criteria. You can then drop us an email on our email addressand we’d let you know the process. 🙂

  • What are the events about?

    The events featured on TheMindClan.com are purely related to mental health and self-care. We feature workshops, support groups, entertainment and arts based events, and conferences that only cater to the community. Mental health does not exist in a vacuum. Hence, we include events that also focus on gender, sexuality, free expression, art, poetry, music – all of which are vital to your self-care and in turn, your mental health. 🙂 We do not feature training programs or any educational courses that cater to mental health professionals or aspiring mental health workers.

  • Are they purely workshop focused?

    No. We do feature workshops, but we also include other kinds of self-care events such as support groups, conferences, forums, entertainment and arts.

  • How do I register for events?

    Every event listed on the platform would have its own registration link if the facilitators of the event choose to accept registrations. If you have any problems or queries, we make sure to provide you with the contact details of the facilitators so that you can get in touch with them.

  • How do I keep myself notified for new upcoming events?

    Join our newsletter! 🙂 See the form in our footer!

  • Are these events only by the facilitators on the platform?

    No. TheMindClan.com will feature any event related to mental health and self-care irrespective of whether the facilitator of the event is featured on our website (as long as it fits in our curation guidelines, of course). The event list would still be curated to meet our community requirements. Our facilitators’ events will definitely be part of our calendar too.

  • Which city are these events organized in?

    Currently, TheMindClan.com is featuring events that are organized in Mumbai only. We hope to reach other cities in the future. 🙂

  • Would these events be paid or free?

    The events featured on TheMindClan.com can either be paid or free depending upon the facilitator of the event and the nature of the event they are organizing. Each event page will have details of the ticket pricing for you to check before you register.

  • What is a 'TheMindClan.com Event' and how is it different from 'Community Events' featured on the platform?

    “TheMindClan.com Event” is an experience that is created and organized for you by the co-founders of TheMindClan.com. The other events featured on the platform are created and organized either by our network of facilitators or by other individuals/communities who work in mental health.

  • What does 'facilitator' mean?

    A facilitator is an individual who creates, organizes, and conducts events and experiences for the community.

  • Who are these facilitators?

    The facilitators on TheMindClan.com are individuals, groups, organizations, and communities who care deeply about mental health. They create and organize workshops, support groups, and other events to provide you with experiences of education, de-stigmatization, engagement, exploration, support, and healing around mental health and self-care.

  • How I keep myself updated with the events the facilitators come up with?

    Join our newsletter to stay updated with the upcoming events by our network of facilitators! 🙂 See the form in the footer!

  • Where can I find the facilitators listed on your platform?

    As of May 2020, we’ve stopped curating for event facilitators on the platform. If you come across their profile links, you’d still be able to know about them/their work, but you would not be able to reach out to them. We’re now amplifying the work of facilitators, organizations and collectives directly on our Stories and Events pages.

  • Can I talk to a helpline about any mental health issue I’m going through?

    No matter what problems you are dealing with, whether or not you’re thinking about suicide, if you need someone to lean on for emotional support, call any of the listed helpline. People call them to talk about lots of things: substance abuse, financial worries, relationships, sexual identity, gender identity, abuse, depression, anxiety, mental and physical illness, loneliness, to name a few.

  • I am a caregiver to someone showing suicidal tendencies. What do I do?

    If you care for someone who has attempted suicide in the past or is at risk for a suicide attempts, you don’t have to feel alone in this. You may not be able to completely fix their problems or take away their pain. But what you can do is access appropriate supportive services for your loved one and for yourself. Here are some steps you could take to help a loved one who is showing suicidal behaviour:

    1. If you feel ready and comfortable to, have an open conversation with your loved one about their experience. Ask your loved one directly: “Are you thinking about suicide?” “Are you planning to harm yourself?” Being direct is said to not cause a person who is not suicidal to become suicidal. Talking about it may help to reduce your loved one’s suicidal distress by creating a climate of openness and caring.

    2. Listen to them without judgment or interruptions. You can help your loved one feel calmer and less alone simply by being willing to listen attentively and without bias.

    3. Tell them directly that they are loved and that they are not a burden. Though it may seem obvious to us, sometimes the depression or hopelessness or helplessness may push our loved one towards believing otherwise. It always helps to remind them that they matter.

    4. Reach out to a therapist, support group or a helpline service yourself to seek guidance on what you can do next. It is important to connect your loved one to any or all of these services that they may find most helpful.

    5. Create a safety plan with your loved one. Check pages 7 and 9 of this PDF (External Link) for details on how you can go about doing this.

    As a caregiver/ally, you become a part of a supportive team – that includes family members, friends, mental health professionals and other service providers – working together to help your loved one stay safe.

  • I called and it was a bad experience. I still need help, what do I do?
    1. Call back, and let the responder know what happened. Crisis intervention, especially if suicidality is a factor, is not easy, and not even the experts get it perfect every time. A mental health professional who is also a helpline operator had once shared, “Personally, if I have a call go “south” on me, nothing makes me happier than to know that the person called back and had a better conversation with one of my colleagues.”

    2. If you have a complaint about a helpline experience, please try to report it to the helpline administration by emailing them. Each helpline’s email address or website has been provided on this page.

    3. If calling them back does not work out, reach out to another helpline listed here. The professionals on the other side do want to help you in any way they can.

    4. If the helplines don’t work out in general and if you are in crisis, another thing you could consider is visiting the nearest trusted hospital or emergency room where they may connect with a psychiatrist, social worker, counsellor or therapist in person.

  • Do you operate any of these helplines, services or resources yourself?

    No. TheMindClan.com does not operate or own any of the helplines listed on this page. TheMindClan.com is not designed to offer support in crisis situations, which is why we’ve made a list of organizations in this space who do claim to offer this support.

    These services operate independently and TheMindClan.com does not own, operate, or take any part in their day to day activities.

    We do, however, believe that several people have had positive experiences with the helplines mentioned on this page and we hope to only feature those services that are trustworthy and effective.

  • Are these helplines queer affirmative/inclusive?

    We try and only list those helplines which have come recommended by the community to us. While most helplines have supporting press releases and brochures to support their claim of being “queer friendly”, as we don’t have access to their volunteer training resources, we can never be too sure.

    Please do not feel forced to open up about your experience of queerness or marginalization with the helplines you call. Let them earn your trust.

    We do call every helpline we list, to ensure their details are correct. If our community reports a helpline as harmful, unresponsive, or otherwise, we update this page accordingly.

  • What details should I never share with a helpline?

    Helplines (for the most part) should offer a safe space for any experience you’re going through. It’s okay to feel awkward to not know how to bring the conversation up, the helpline volunteers are trained to help you!

    Do ensure you are only sharing information that you feel comfortable to share. A rule of thumb is to never share your full name, bank details, personal address, or other identifiable information with a helpline.