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What Is Support Group for Women About?
Women are the silent and steady protectors and providers of communities. Albeit that, existing as a woman means a lot of things to a lot of people.
This is an open group space for women to come in, share, feel supported, and exchange resources & wisdom.
In this support group, you can expect a consistent space facilitated by mental health professionals. We will be exploring themes of: power, hope, despair, rage, shame, responsibility, identity, and sharing experiences that come with womanhood.
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What is your founding story?
In our everyday psychotherapy practice (and well, life), we see the impact ‘being a woman’ in this system has on people’s mental health. We wanted to create a space that is bigger than 1:1 therapy; a space where you feel supported, seen, and held by fellow women who go through life facing similar (sometimes different) challenges. We have always found strength after connecting with fellow women, and we wanted a space where others could experience it therapeutically as well!
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Who are the facilitators behind Support Group for Women?
Amruta Mahajan
Psychotherapist & Co-Founder
- Masterβs in Clinical Psychology (S.P College, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune)
- Certificate Course in Counselling (MIMH, Sassoon General Hospital, Pune)
- Fellowship in Adult Psychoanalysis (Washington Baltimore Center for Psychoanalysis, Washington, DC)
I work with clients who are going through emotional disturbance, anxiousness, anger issues, relationship difficulties, self-esteem issues, trauma, and grief. I believe in fostering a collaborative and trusting relationship with my clients where they feel heard, understood, and supported. I believe that a healthy therapeutic relationship is the most important tool for a client’s road to well-being and the strongest predictor of therapy outcomes.
Anahita Pande
Psychotherapist & Co-Founder
- Masters in Counselling Psychology (S.P college, SPPU, Pune)
- Certificate course in counselling psychology (practical skills)
- UNREAD at Hank Nunn Institute, Bangalore
I have worked with clients experiencing relationship difficulties, mood disturbances, loneliness, burnout, anxiety, career stressors, self-esteem issues, trauma, and grief. I primarily work with the young adult & adult population.
I believe in co-creating an authentic, trusting and collaborative alliance with my clients where they can safely explore their thoughts, feelings and emotions. My training and inclination allows me to gain an anthropological view towards mental health.
βBetween stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose. In our response lies our growth and freedom.β
- Viktor E. Frankl
Notes: The above information may change from time to time, and is shared with you to understand the background of where the support group comes from.
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When was your support group founded? How has the journey been since then?
This group was founded in June of 2025 :) the intention is to have a space that is consistently present. I remember watching western representations of support group meetings that people join whenever possible, I love the idea of a space being available at a certain time with consistency. We hope to run this space with enough consistency that many women know that on alternate Sundays, they can rely on us to be there :)
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Who is your support group for?
This space is for all individuals who identify as a woman. In our Indian society there is a strong framework for how a woman should be and who ‘a real woman’ is. This image is often hurtful to many from a psychological, social, economical, and health perspective. We hope to explore the intricacies of having this identity. This support group is for people above 18 years of age.
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Explain your group's approach towards helping a person's mental health care.
We look at the space itself as a community mental healthcare initiative. Groups are accessible to people when individual therapy feels intimidating (emotionally or financially). We are aiming to create space to process the lived experiences of womanhood that lead to mental health challenges in women such as - gender norms, gendered expectations, self esteem / doubt, body image issues, and all the feelings that come along with it. We will provide further first aid resources / referrals to participant/s if required :)
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What is your group's approach towards professional mental health care interventions?
Both of us are trained practicing psychotherapists ourselves, apart from this, we do have a strong referral network in major cities (including psychotherapists, psychiatrists, gynaecologists) to whom we can refer the participants if required.
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What conversations is your support group not equipped to support?
Anahita and I are both queer-affirmative practitioners who value continued professional development. At this point in our careers, one strata of population that we feel ill-equipped to support in a group space is: trans women who are in the process of transition, with concerns specific to the process of transition. We understand the systemic, personal, and health challenges that may surface for someone on this journey.
With this limitation in mind, we have noted queer affirmative practitioners who are equipped to work with these concerns; shall there be a need for referral.
That being said, the group is open to ALL individuals who identify as women.
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How does one sign up? Whatβs the coordination process like?
A dedicated google form that collects information of the participants. The google form has details regarding payment and the option to submit your payment screenshot to ensure the slot.
View Sign Up Form
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Walk us through the average format of your group session.
- Opening ritual: a feelings check in one by one (tagging the next person)
* Group agreements/Guidelines: regarding confidentiality, listening without interrupting
* Check ins
* A soft theme for todays session for example ‘what does it mean to be a woman in Indian society today’
* Open space to share related to unrelated to the prompt
* Exploring feelings associations imagery
* Closing ritual check ins
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What are your home rules/values?
Bring yourself, express yourself, be respectful of others :)
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What do you hope for participants in your group to take back with them after a session?
a feeling of having been free to express themselves without judgment and a feeling of being supported by other women. The desi idea of ideal women or even an ideal feminist for that matter, is quite narrow (and flawed). It causes hurt to many and we hope to make this a space for free expression, growth, pause, and even leisure! We have often found that talking to fellow women holds immense power and not to feel preachy, but it feels…healing. we hope for people to experience the same