The more I explore this question each time, my answer changes. At present, I think I am doing this because there is an explicit desire to provide individuals with support and help them understand themselves. Implicitly, I think it gives me immense knowledge and understanding about myself which helps me navigate through this otherwise complex phenomenon called life. So I believe the reasons are as much personal as they are bound by the drive to help people resolve their own difficulties. It serves as a good mechanism to understand why people behave the way they behave.

After the first session, I hope that the clients can make tiny little space for an alternate possibility to co-exist along with their already existing worldviews.

I wish to tell them that counseling can be a beautiful experience, that the therapists are also humans with their own imperfections and that their job is not to “fix” any problems. It’s an exploratory process that the client and the therapist take together to uncover deeper layers of our own being.

For me felt sense of safety is pivotal towards building a therapeutic relationship. I have learnt that being able to feel safe is a pre-requisite for any change to be possible. I would encourage regular feedback from clients about our work together.

Some of my most cherished learnings have been that safe connections can be a powerful antidote to many of our problems, that no human behavior is incomprehensible, and that stories of resilience are highly contagious :)

I am willing to learn with the client, I make conscious efforts to treat all their stories and coping styles with acceptance, respect and non-judgement.

I like to read, write, run, cycle, and connect with my significant others.

I have a trauma informed approach. I address concerns such as self - harming, anxiety, aggression, grief, sadness, dealing with life transitions, post traumatic stress disorder, personality disorders to name a few.

I believe in using different therapeutic techniques that would suit the need of a client. My approach is largely humanistic. I try to look at symptoms as way of coping and helping clients understand which are helpful and not so helpful ways of coping. I also believe that there are painful / overwhelming / traumatic experiences of the past that if unresolved can have an influence on our present behavior.

I am open to working with all clientele irrespective of their gender and sexual identities. I do constantly educate myself about systemic oppression and the traumas that marginalized communities experience. I would treat them with the same care and respect as I would treat any other client.