Growing up, I have witnessed stories of people close to me struggling with their mental health and the complexities of finding a space where they could safely explore and sit with what’s happening with them. I truly believe that people are always responding and have agency. In times of distress, we just need someone to nurture that agency and make it a little more visible and that’s what I hope to do as a therapist.

Witnessing a person’s life story and celebrating the small sparkling moments while exploring the hopes, possibilities and warmth that they hold for themselves is what excites me. I also find joy in de-constructing the dominant narratives of patriarchy, capitalism, heteronormativity together with the client and look at there preferred ways of being.

My hope for the client post the first session is to feel heard and seen. I usually spend my first session in getting a background about the client, how they have been managing so far, looking at know-hows and resources that they might already have and making it visible. The hope is to understand the person beyond the problem and to check if they are comfortable with my presence and stance.

Thinking about starting a therapy is a step in itself towards valuing your mental health..so yayy you! Consider counselling sessions as a trip that you are going on with your therapist. So you plan a little before starting your journey..like where would I like to go, what are my hopes, etc. There will be some exploration, some reflection, some celebrations and some uncomfortable moments as well. But hopefully, it will be an experience that adds richness to your life. Feel free to ask questions, give feedback and dive into the process as you start feeling more and more comfortable.

The hope is to make the process as collaborative as possible. Because of the power dynamics that the systems impose, sometimes client can feel hesitant in disagreeing with their therapist or call out something that’s not working for them. I hope to build a relation which can be transparent using a non-blaming approach and where the client can feel safe to voice their opinions and give suggestions. At the end of the day, it is your lived experience and that’s what we shall value the most.

My greatest learning is that people are always responding. And the person is not the problem, the problem is the problem.

I think my main strength is “curiosity”. I am genuinely interested in understanding your unique life experiences and seeing how you make sense of it. I like to have transparent conversations with client when something is working or not working and providing them the safety to do so.

I usually spend my free time going for walks, staring at my plants, admiring skylines or re-watching ‘The Office’ for the nth time.

My therapeutic approach is currently influenced by using a combination of narrative and trauma-informed approach. Since therapy is not a “one size fits all” process, I tend to custumize my approach i.e. combine techniques from various approaches, based on the client’s needs. Using picture books and drawing from different analogies, is something I really enjoy doing with my clients to better understand their lived experience.

I always like to mention my pronouns in the beginning of session and use language that is inclusive. My main of establishing safety is by asking questions, taking a stance of curiosity and continuously learning/unlearning from the lived experiences of queer and trans folx in my life.