To anyone looking to seek counseling and therapy:-

1. Mental health exists on a continuum - You don’t have to have a diagnosis, be ‘mentally ill’ or ’ crazy’ or attach any other label to yourself to seek counseling
2. Seeking support to become a better version of yourself is an act of strength - I would rather work with your feelings instead of having you suffer in silence
3. Therapy is empowering: Therapy is a relationship with a trained professional that empowers you to deal with feelings, emotions, thoughts & ideas that hold you back, it’s not like medicine when you fall ill and you stop it when you get better. Look at it like going to the gym to get and remain fit. We don’t go to the gym only when we want to lose weight but continue to go there to remain fit. Therapy is like a mind gym.

I would like to create a collaborative space that hopefully questions the power dynamic. I try and drive home the point that:

1. Clients are the experts in their lives: Therapists are co-travelers that hand-hold them on their journeys
2. Therapy is not advice-giving but empowering: Therapists do not offer advice. We empower you with insights, thoughts, skills, and techniques that help you question what is not working for you and embrace what is working for you.
3. Encourage Feedback: At the end of every session I ask for feedback about the session and repeatedly drive home the point that they can point out anything that is not working for them in therapy

My strengths as a therapist include:

1. Active listening & empathy: I strongly believe that the core of any therapeutic relationship is that the client feels heard and understood. Being disabled, I had to learn to depend on my listening skills to develop social connections. My personal experience and a keen interest in psychology have helped me develop active listening and other counseling skills.
2. Training in various therapeutic approaches: My bachelor’s & master’s in Psychology have allowed for a strong understanding and application of the basic skills of psychotherapy and counseling. I have specialized in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy, and cognitive behavior therapy.
3. Holding space for difficult emotions & conversations: I strongly believe that a big part of being a therapist is being able to nudge clients to have the difficult conversations and thoughts that would help them work through difficult thinking and behaviour patterns , while creating a safe space.

I make my practice safe for queer & trans folx by:

1. Using inclusive language
2. Reading and learning about trans literature
3. Engaging in QACP workshops