What is Therapy?
Therapy is defined as "Treatment intended to relieve or heal".
We could seek therapeutic relief for the Physical Body (Yoga, Physical Therapy, Physiotherapy, Massage Therapy, Allopathy too). We might seek relief for the Mind (Psychotherapy, Counseling, Life Coaching, etc). And we might seek relief for the Soul (Astrology, Spiritual Initiations with a Guru, Spiritual Sadhana, etc).
In our website, when we refer to "Therapy", we are talking about a process that intends to work through mental and emotional challenges in the individual. In our centre, we use techniques that work with the mind.
The Indian culture has generally valued "Mental Strength" in an individual. Our society has therefore expected men and women to resolve their mental and emotional struggles by themselves, and has allowed them to seek help only for challenges pertaining to the body or challenges in Spirituality.
In such a scenario, it could be a bit overwhelming for people to seek help resolving their mental and emotional challenges. Besides, there are many aspects of mind-related therapy that are not common knowledge.
You could read our section on "What is Healing?" to understand a more detailed perspective on this.
This section intends to clear up some misconceptions and set the right expectations before you come to see us.
We could seek therapeutic relief for the Physical Body (Yoga, Physical Therapy, Physiotherapy, Massage Therapy, Allopathy too). We might seek relief for the Mind (Psychotherapy, Counseling, Life Coaching, etc). And we might seek relief for the Soul (Astrology, Spiritual Initiations with a Guru, Spiritual Sadhana, etc).
In our website, when we refer to "Therapy", we are talking about a process that intends to work through mental and emotional challenges in the individual. In our centre, we use techniques that work with the mind.
The Indian culture has generally valued "Mental Strength" in an individual. Our society has therefore expected men and women to resolve their mental and emotional struggles by themselves, and has allowed them to seek help only for challenges pertaining to the body or challenges in Spirituality.
In such a scenario, it could be a bit overwhelming for people to seek help resolving their mental and emotional challenges. Besides, there are many aspects of mind-related therapy that are not common knowledge.
You could read our section on "What is Healing?" to understand a more detailed perspective on this.
This section intends to clear up some misconceptions and set the right expectations before you come to see us.
The Way We Work
We are trained in many different forms of therapy. Therefore, we bring into our sessions many different tools such as Clinical Hypnotherapy, Transpersonal Regression Therapy, Family & Systemic Constellation Therapy, Psychodrama, Energy Healing, Cognitive Counseling, and a few other such techniques. Through the sessions we will take you through different kinds of processes to explore and heal the mind. We would definitely orient you towards the process that we intend to take you through before we begin.
Our understanding of 'Trauma' is always evolving. And we do understand that a lot of times, trauma is stored in the physiology. We will also talk about working with the body and integrating techniques to help align the body and mind as a part of our sessions. If we are meeting person for the sessions, we will work a bit more with the 'soma' (body). Again we shall orient you towards the process. And we would not push you if you are uncomfortable.
We also come with a spiritual background and believe that it is impossible to talk about 'Happiness' and 'Peace of mind' without an element of Spirituality. You will therefore see us make references to concepts in 'New Age Spirituality' during our work.
To know more about the nature of the sessions you would be signing up for, look at our section "What to expect in a session"
Our understanding of 'Trauma' is always evolving. And we do understand that a lot of times, trauma is stored in the physiology. We will also talk about working with the body and integrating techniques to help align the body and mind as a part of our sessions. If we are meeting person for the sessions, we will work a bit more with the 'soma' (body). Again we shall orient you towards the process. And we would not push you if you are uncomfortable.
We also come with a spiritual background and believe that it is impossible to talk about 'Happiness' and 'Peace of mind' without an element of Spirituality. You will therefore see us make references to concepts in 'New Age Spirituality' during our work.
To know more about the nature of the sessions you would be signing up for, look at our section "What to expect in a session"
Who We Can Work With
These forms of therapy are not necessarily for everyone. Everyone does not necessarily need these forms of therapy. However, if you are willing to objectively look at yourself and allow yourself to share your emotions and feelings with us, we would be able to offer a lot more to you.
Since we work with the Subconscious mind, a certain alignment with the workings of the subconscious mind will aid us tremendously. The subconscious mind is that part of us that has all our experiences and memories stored. And since memories and experiences carry emotions, the subconscious mind becomes that part of our mind that also generates all our emotions.
The body is part of the subconscious mind and holds a lot of trauma and pain as well. We see that people who carry dis-ease conditions in their body, often tend to have a lot of unexpressed and unresolved emotions that have stayed with them for a long time. And sometimes we have even seen that when these emotions are given a safe passage, the body starts to shift in some way.
Hence, people often approach us to work with their dis-ease condition (such as Diabetes, Arthritis, PCOD, Cancer and so on). But we do not work with the disease directly. We work with YOU. And we believe that when YOU are better, there is a high possibility that your body starts to get better too.
Since we work with the Subconscious mind, a certain alignment with the workings of the subconscious mind will aid us tremendously. The subconscious mind is that part of us that has all our experiences and memories stored. And since memories and experiences carry emotions, the subconscious mind becomes that part of our mind that also generates all our emotions.
The body is part of the subconscious mind and holds a lot of trauma and pain as well. We see that people who carry dis-ease conditions in their body, often tend to have a lot of unexpressed and unresolved emotions that have stayed with them for a long time. And sometimes we have even seen that when these emotions are given a safe passage, the body starts to shift in some way.
Hence, people often approach us to work with their dis-ease condition (such as Diabetes, Arthritis, PCOD, Cancer and so on). But we do not work with the disease directly. We work with YOU. And we believe that when YOU are better, there is a high possibility that your body starts to get better too.
Who We Cannot Work With
- People who are closed : We hear wise men say that a vessel that is closed cannot be filled. Signing up for therapy would require you to meet a fresh perspective to your issues. The more open you are to honestly reflect and introspect, the easier is the process of therapy.
- People who are convinced that their issue does not have a solution : Life can be hard. And sometimes we encounter repeated failure. But failure does not mean that the problem can never be solved. Are you willing to give yourself another chance?
- People who do not participate in the healing : Sometimes people think therapists are professional 'fixers' - that once they have told the therapist about the problem, everything will be taken care off. However that is not how therapy works. There is an equal participation that is required from the client in the healing process. We may give a client some guided meditations to practice daily or a certain process to continue at home in order to sustain the healing work done during the session. In doing that consistently, there is an equal participation in the process from both the client and the therapist. We need to see these signs of movement from the client too. Are you willing to do your best while we do our best?
- People who cannot take responsibility to speak for themselves : Except children below the age of 15, most people have an understanding of their struggles and their challenges. We would like to hear from the person directly about their problem. Hearing about the issue from a family member may not always be accurate/complete and sometimes absolutely redundant for us. Also, if someone (for whatever reason) cannot talk about what they are going through, we usually see that they can't talk about themselves even during their sessions.
- People who feel they do not really need help : Everybody has challenges. Some people deeply believe they can solve their problems by themselves and do not need help at this point in time. We respect that. We consider it disrespectful to poke our nose into someone's life without being asked.
- People in an Emergency : If you are in an emergency situation, perhaps it might be better for you to meet a Psychiatrist or rush to the hospital. We offer you a slow and steady process of reconstructing your emotional selves. Unfortunately, we cannot offer you quick solutions.
- People who don't know what they want : People sometimes ask us what they should be doing in their lives. We will not be able to tell you that. If you are confused or lost, we can work at finding your lost clarity. And you will be making decisions thereon.
- People stuck in a Blame-Game : It is okay to be hurt or upset by someone's behaviour. It is okay to talk about those involved in your experience of pain. We can work to help you get out of the hurt and pain. But we can't really help you get out of your blaming.
- People without a clear cognition : People who are under the influence of medicines, drugs, alcohol or other substances that impairs cognition; people who are diagnosed with a developmental or mental disorder; people who cannot understand or speak about their reality.
What To Expect in a Session
- Transformation : The difference between 'Change' and 'Transformation' is that a 'transformation' is permanent while a 'change' can be reversed. We want to create a transformation in the people we meet. We believe that most people are also looking for a transformation. Sometimes, people have a pressing issue that they wish to somehow get rid of. Sure, we might be able to look into it and see what might offer you relief. Relief is great. But relief is not transformation. It is only a 'quick fix' to the issue. Transformation is a process that unfolds with time.
We approach therapy in a wholesome way and we like to offer you a journey of self discovery. We like to give you an opportunity to look through the various layers of the Self and get to the reason why you have had a particular breakdown and resolve it to transform your life. - Patience : Obviously then, it becomes very difficult for us to do 2-3 sessions and expect a transformation in your life. It has taken you years of enduring pain (emotional and perhaps physical) to reach your current situation. Give yourself at least some time to see a tangible change.
- Independence : But that does not mean that we intend to keep you stuck in therapy forever. At every step, you will see us working towards you being independent and not depending on even your therapist in order to move ahead in your life.
- Your Past : We will ask you about your past, about your childhood and about things that might be difficult to talk about elsewhere. Check with yourself, if you are willing to allow your therapist into your memories.
We will talk about your parents and your family. Are you comfortable talking about your parents and childhood? - No Judgement : But we will not judge you. We believe that everything that happens in our life has a reason. As therapists, when we listen to painful experiences from the past, we only explore deeper into reasons why you might have done something or endured something.
- Integration of Techniques : Typically, our sessions are a combination of 'cognitive talk', 'trance-work' and 'energetic-work'. We talk so that the Conscious Mind can align with the process and is aware of the Subconscious aspects of the mind. We would take you through a trance session to access the Subconscious Mind. And there would be some parts of the session that might just be sensory and based on inner-impressions.
Trance is often a misunderstood word. Clinical trance or Clinical Hypnosis will not in any way make you unconscious or oblivious to the world. It is best described as a meditative experience where you are paying deep attention to your inner-feelings and inner-senses. - Co-Participation : You would have to actively participate in the process of therapy. Unlike medical professionals, who listen to symptoms and decipher what is going on inside your body, we can't listen to your symptoms and tell you what is going on inside your mind. We take you through a journey of discovering what might be happening within.
- Choosing the Type of Therapy : We usually use our discretion to decide what kind of 'work' we would take you through. If you are uncertain about what kind of technique might best work for you, you need not worry about having to make that choice. However, you are most welcome to suggest your preferences. But we would like you to trust us to take a call on what might be the best way forward in terms of a modality of work.
What We Expect From You
- Openness : The most common reason people might not want to open up even after signing up for therapy, is because they are scared that if they open up a painful memory that they have tried very hard to get over, they might just trigger all the pain and might have to live through it even when they are back home.
Well, if you can openly tell us whatever is the reason you do not wish to open up, maybe we can help you around it and ensure that you are able to take care of yourself. - Communication : A lot of issues in our life exist simply because we do not know how to communicate. If you struggle with communication, we encourage you to practice communicating during our sessions. It will help us to help you better. It will also help you talk about your struggles with communication and we might just work at improving your communication abilities. (Communication is not Language Skills. Many people have great language but poor communication skills)
- Take responsibility for yourself : Talk to us about your fears or your concerns. Talk to us if you feel something is not helping you. Talk to us if you feel you would like to do something different. We might just surprise you with our empathetic abilities. We are here to help you. So help us to help you better.
- Don't call us on behalf of others : No matter how much you love them, encourage the person who needs help to take initiative and contact us directly. And if you see that they don't do it or ask you to speak to us on their behalf, please recognise that the energy that is required for transformation to happen is missing. Perhaps therapy is not their preferred route to self-discovery. In such a case, don't force them! It is futile.
- Respect and Kindness : We are generally respectful of people's needs and their feelings. And because of our training and experience, we usually have a better ability to look objectively at rude or intrusive behaviour. But we are human as well. We feel too! Hence, we place responsibility for your behaviour onto you. Please do respect our need for time-off's, space, boundaries and distance. Be kind to us too.
- Boundaries : We are friendly people. But we cannot be friends with you. We might not really want to socialise with you. We might not want to engage in casual chats over WhatsApp. And we might not want to talk to you when we are not working.
- Time : Our work involves a lot of our time. We earn our living by giving our time to others. We deeply honour time. Please help us by honouring our time as well.
Please try to come in time for your sessions. But try not to come in too early too. When you come early, it is possible that we are in another session or we are just resting. If you have come from a long distance away, do you think you could wait at a nearby coffee shop until it is time for your appointment?
If you cannot make it for an appointment, please let us know in advance. We can possibly give your slot to someone else in need. - Connecting with us : We spend most of the day away from our phones. And if you are trying to speak with us over phone, it might sometimes become very difficult for us to be available for your call. Sometimes, when we get to our phone we see a dozen missed calls from a dozen different numbers. It really helps us if you send us a WhatsApp message or an SMS. We can respond to your messages when we get to our phones. And we can tell you when we are likely to be available for a call.
Confidentiality and Limits to Confidentiality
- We are morally and ethically bound by a confidentiality clause. No information about your personal details or your session details will be revealed to anybody whatsoever.
- We will ask you for your contact details and relevant personal aspects of your life during our first session. We will make a note of it all for our records. But all your information is strictly confidential and intended only for us to understand your mind better. We will not be sharing your details with anyone, neither will we be discussing you among ourselves as fellow therapists in the same centre.
- Even if members of your family ask us about your sessions (out of their concern for you) we will not be sharing details from your session, unless the client coming to us for therapy is below 12 years of age.
- Clients between 12-18 years of age, even though are minors, are adolescents. We would like to treat them as adults. While we would consider it necessary to have the parents' approval before they come in for therapy, we will not divulge information about the personal sessions to the parents thereafter. We suggest that you too as parents can refrain from forcing your adolescent to share his/her personal sessions. This will help us help your adolescent better. However, we shall definitely let you know if there is something that you need to know as parents of adolescents so that you can create a healthier environment for your child.
- In case you see us at a public place or a social setting, you are not obligated to socially interact with us (especially if you are in a setting where you would not like people to know you are seeing a therapist). You can choose to be anonymous. We too shall not identify or initiate a conversation in public unless you have taken the initiative. This helps us keep our work absolutely private and confidential.
- Sometimes people are in such a frenzy of an emotion that they are not really conscious about what they are doing. In case where we observe that you are at a stage where you could potentially hurt yourself or hurt others (including us, the therapists!), we might choose to connect with a family member to ensure safety of everybody involved.
- People who cannot get a hold of themselves and go into an altered state when triggered, are often in need of medical attention and therapy is not really the best option for them. If we do feel that you might benefit from medical attention, we would definitely tell you about it. And we might even talk about it to your family, if they choose to connect with us.
Money and Charges
Our charges are for the time we spend with you. It is upto you to make best use of our time. We will not stop you from expressing in any way. But that does not mean we want to know about your cute little dog or your neighbour's annoying children. We are most interested in YOU...talk about yourself, your feelings, your emotions, your blocks, your fears. We are all ears!
Some of you might feel our charges are too high. Some of you might feel it is too low. We ourselves are not sure if our charges are high or low...but we know that it is fixed!
We are offering a service, not a product. There are no 'making-charges' for our service. Our service is the result of years of learning and experience working with people. Therefore we charge what we consider is the worth of our service. Please do not try to judge or measure it. Then you are trying to measure our learning and experience. Please do not ask us for a discount. We do not have profit margins, and therefore we cannot offer you discounts.
We understand if you are financially strained. Speak to us about that. We might offer you a solution so that you are not affected financially and yet have access to therapy. We are also part of a charitable healing venture called Healers' Space. We could even direct you there if you are interested.
Some people push us to work in fewer sessions because they are actually concerned about the money they are spending. Well, we can see through that. We might be able to help you better if you choose to be honest with us. We promise we will not get offended by your honesty.
Some of you might feel our charges are too high. Some of you might feel it is too low. We ourselves are not sure if our charges are high or low...but we know that it is fixed!
We are offering a service, not a product. There are no 'making-charges' for our service. Our service is the result of years of learning and experience working with people. Therefore we charge what we consider is the worth of our service. Please do not try to judge or measure it. Then you are trying to measure our learning and experience. Please do not ask us for a discount. We do not have profit margins, and therefore we cannot offer you discounts.
We understand if you are financially strained. Speak to us about that. We might offer you a solution so that you are not affected financially and yet have access to therapy. We are also part of a charitable healing venture called Healers' Space. We could even direct you there if you are interested.
Some people push us to work in fewer sessions because they are actually concerned about the money they are spending. Well, we can see through that. We might be able to help you better if you choose to be honest with us. We promise we will not get offended by your honesty.
Duration of therapy
On an average, a lot of studies have shown that humans take an average of about 3 months to change themselves completely and permanently. So if you can persist with therapy of roughly 2-3 sessions a month for a span of about 3 months, you are very likely to see tangible and lasting changes in yourself.
Sometimes we meet people who are in a hurry to heal. Therefore they press for more frequent sessions. Well, therapy is a process. It is similar to a seed germinating in the soil. Adding double the amount of water may not speed up the process of the seed germinating. More sessions may not help you resolve your issue. What helps transformation happen, is for you to chew and digest what happens in our sessions; apply it in your life and get back to us with the results so that we can take the next step forward.
Sometimes we meet people who come to us only when there is breakdown and then disappear after that, only to come back when the next breakdown happens. We do not judge this. But we believe that when you can consistently come for a certain period and find a transformed version of yourself, you may not need to have more breakdowns in the first place.
Sometimes we meet people who are in a hurry to heal. Therefore they press for more frequent sessions. Well, therapy is a process. It is similar to a seed germinating in the soil. Adding double the amount of water may not speed up the process of the seed germinating. More sessions may not help you resolve your issue. What helps transformation happen, is for you to chew and digest what happens in our sessions; apply it in your life and get back to us with the results so that we can take the next step forward.
Sometimes we meet people who come to us only when there is breakdown and then disappear after that, only to come back when the next breakdown happens. We do not judge this. But we believe that when you can consistently come for a certain period and find a transformed version of yourself, you may not need to have more breakdowns in the first place.
Guarantees in therapy
Unfortunately, we cannot give you a guarantee that you will find a resolution with us. We can only talk of similar cases in the past and of how they have found resolution through therapy. But that doesn't mean you will have the same journey isn't it?
We cannot tell you how long it will take to solve your issues. We are working in the realm of your mind and personality. The best person to answer the question is actually you. Ask yourself, how easy is it for you to change? Do you see yourself as someone who can adapt to change very easily? Or are you someone who resists change? Therapy is about changing your beliefs, changing your thought and emotional patterns, changing you!
If you actually come to think of it, there are really no guarantees even when you go in for a medical surgery. Sometimes we wonder if the word "Guarantee" even applies to human life at all. Perhaps guarantees are best applied only to appliances, devices and other lifeless objects!
We cannot tell you how long it will take to solve your issues. We are working in the realm of your mind and personality. The best person to answer the question is actually you. Ask yourself, how easy is it for you to change? Do you see yourself as someone who can adapt to change very easily? Or are you someone who resists change? Therapy is about changing your beliefs, changing your thought and emotional patterns, changing you!
If you actually come to think of it, there are really no guarantees even when you go in for a medical surgery. Sometimes we wonder if the word "Guarantee" even applies to human life at all. Perhaps guarantees are best applied only to appliances, devices and other lifeless objects!
Our Centre
When you come to visit us, you will not be coming to see us in a sterile hospital-like environment. You might be surprised to see that we don't really have a corporate office or a commercial setup either. We function out of a simple, homely space. Our idea is to create a relaxed environment with safe energies. We believe you will like being at our Center.
We don't have a receptionist. We don't have any staff assisting us to receive you when you come. We answer all calls ourselves. We talk to every person who wishes to work with us. We try to build deep connections.
Therefore, sometimes you might not get through to us over phone (as we have mentioned before). This is our biggest limitation at this point in time. We can't answer every call that comes to us. Our phones are in silent-mode through most part of the day. We often can't call back every number that we miss. Hence, we lose a lot of numbers in our call directories.
Calling us multiple times, hoping to get lucky with getting through to us, can be frustrating. You don't need to do that. Just send us an SMS or WhatsApp us. In case you don't hear from us, please text us a reminder. It helps us.
Don't assume we are not interested in you. Don't assume you don't deserve help. Also don't assume that we are ignoring you on purpose.
We don't have a receptionist. We don't have any staff assisting us to receive you when you come. We answer all calls ourselves. We talk to every person who wishes to work with us. We try to build deep connections.
Therefore, sometimes you might not get through to us over phone (as we have mentioned before). This is our biggest limitation at this point in time. We can't answer every call that comes to us. Our phones are in silent-mode through most part of the day. We often can't call back every number that we miss. Hence, we lose a lot of numbers in our call directories.
Calling us multiple times, hoping to get lucky with getting through to us, can be frustrating. You don't need to do that. Just send us an SMS or WhatsApp us. In case you don't hear from us, please text us a reminder. It helps us.
Don't assume we are not interested in you. Don't assume you don't deserve help. Also don't assume that we are ignoring you on purpose.
General Things We Would Like You To Know
1. It’s not really a therapist’s job to give you advice.
We do not like to tell you whether you should get a divorce or stay in the marriage. We would like to help you know yourself so well, that you would innately know what works for you. We might sometimes share our perspectives or experiences. But the choice is really yours...always!
2. Therapists might see a therapist too.
We are just as human as you. We have challenges in life too. We are not enlightened beings or Gurus. Of course, in order to become a therapist, we definitely have done a certain amount of inner-work. When we sit as therapists we sit with a certain resilience and stability in our lives and in our emotional state of being. But that doesn't mean we have stopped working on ourselves. We are also evolving and growing, personally and professionally.
3. Therapists don’t prescribe medication.
That’s the job of the psychiatrist. We are not medical professionals. However, if we feel that you might benefit with some medical attention, we might suggest that to you. We might even refer you to a reliable psychiatrist.
4. You are not crazy/mad if you come for therapy.
If you had a mental disorder, perhaps you would be seeing a psychiatrist. Most people who come to us for therapy are normal people looking to improve their lives for the better. And sometimes when people do have a disorder of some kind, they also come to us to look deeper at their condition (in addition to medical attention).
If you feel you are stuck or at a loss with respect to an aspect of the mind, you could meet a therapist and seek help with your struggle.
5. Your therapist isn’t talking about you behind your back.
Confidentiality is sacred to us. We do not disclose your conversations with us to anyone. It is considered as a breach of trust when we talk about our clients to others.
There are times when we might discuss certain aspects of our work with peers or superiors in order to broaden our perspective as professionals. But that is done in an academic space in a safe and respectful way. No personal information is ever disclosed that might give away your identity.
6. Therapists are not checking you out on social media
No, we are not checking out your Facebook, Twitter feed or Instagram accounts and forming opinions about you. We respect your personal space and actually believe that social media is not entirely a true account of who you are. We would rather that you talk about your issues with us directly and we respect your choice to not talk about certain aspects of your life as well.
7. Therapists might probably not walk up to you in public
We do understand that going to see a therapist can be a taboo for some - sometimes for professional reasons, sometimes for social reasons. And we respect your privacy. So if in case we do see you in a public place, chances are we might just ignore you and walk on. You are free to do so as well. And perhaps we might just have a hearty laugh about the situation the next time we meet for our session.
8. Therapy doesn't have to be a long-term commitment
You don't need to sign up for a long-drawn commitment. Some people like to sign up for maybe about 4 or 5 sessions; some people come only for a single session and get the clarity that they seek. And of course there are some who feel they might benefit from a more sustained form of work over a period of a few months. It is pretty flexible in that way. And you get to choose what suits you.
9. You need to 'resonate' with your therapist
It is important that you feel good about meeting your therapist. If in case you are somehow not comfortable with the therapist during the first meet, then it is not a great idea to continue. Chances are, the therapist also might sense that they are not the 'right fit' for you. Talk to your therapist about it. And sometimes they might themselves be able to refer you to another therapist who might fit your needs better.
10. If you are worried that something might be inappropriate, you can talk to your therapist about it
Sometimes you might wonder if it is alright to message your therapist on WhatsApp or connect on Facebook. Sometimes you wonder if it is alright for you to ask about the therapist's personal life. Some other times, you would wonder if it is alright to hug the therapist. Many therapists keep very strict boundaries in these aspects. Many therapists are quite okay to allow you to see their 'other' side.
The only way to know what works with your therapist is to just ask the therapist if they are okay with it.
11. Therapists don't always have the answers to your struggles
Sometimes, people believe that the therapist has the solution to everything going wrong in their lives. Well, the reality is that they have no solution to anything. Often times they are just as clueless as you are. But they are trained to help you figure out your answers from within you. And if you approach the therapist with the right orientation, they can help you discover some wonderful solutions for your struggles.
12. Therapists are not doctors
Therapists and just therapists! When you go to a doctor, you can talk about your throat infection and expect to walk out in 15 minutes with a dose of antibiotics for the infection. But when you go to a therapist, it is going to take a lot more than 15 minutes and you might not be walking out with anything to 'fix' your problem. Getting into a therapeutic way of healing is about an inner-journey of self discovery - so that you can figure your way forward.
13. Being a therapist can be hard work
Just like any other profession, being a therapist is also hard work. A typical day for a therapist might involve the therapist meeting several clients and listening to traumatic & difficult experiences from each of them. This can be quite a task at times, especially when they have to keep at it day after day, being very patient with people's struggles and challenges, and still go back to their own families with a smile.
14. But chances are they also find their job incredibly satisfying
Most therapists talk about a tremendous joy that they experience when they know that somebody's life has gone through a transformation because of the work they did. They value the incredible satisfaction of contributing to people around and creating a better world - one person at a time.
We do not like to tell you whether you should get a divorce or stay in the marriage. We would like to help you know yourself so well, that you would innately know what works for you. We might sometimes share our perspectives or experiences. But the choice is really yours...always!
2. Therapists might see a therapist too.
We are just as human as you. We have challenges in life too. We are not enlightened beings or Gurus. Of course, in order to become a therapist, we definitely have done a certain amount of inner-work. When we sit as therapists we sit with a certain resilience and stability in our lives and in our emotional state of being. But that doesn't mean we have stopped working on ourselves. We are also evolving and growing, personally and professionally.
3. Therapists don’t prescribe medication.
That’s the job of the psychiatrist. We are not medical professionals. However, if we feel that you might benefit with some medical attention, we might suggest that to you. We might even refer you to a reliable psychiatrist.
4. You are not crazy/mad if you come for therapy.
If you had a mental disorder, perhaps you would be seeing a psychiatrist. Most people who come to us for therapy are normal people looking to improve their lives for the better. And sometimes when people do have a disorder of some kind, they also come to us to look deeper at their condition (in addition to medical attention).
If you feel you are stuck or at a loss with respect to an aspect of the mind, you could meet a therapist and seek help with your struggle.
5. Your therapist isn’t talking about you behind your back.
Confidentiality is sacred to us. We do not disclose your conversations with us to anyone. It is considered as a breach of trust when we talk about our clients to others.
There are times when we might discuss certain aspects of our work with peers or superiors in order to broaden our perspective as professionals. But that is done in an academic space in a safe and respectful way. No personal information is ever disclosed that might give away your identity.
6. Therapists are not checking you out on social media
No, we are not checking out your Facebook, Twitter feed or Instagram accounts and forming opinions about you. We respect your personal space and actually believe that social media is not entirely a true account of who you are. We would rather that you talk about your issues with us directly and we respect your choice to not talk about certain aspects of your life as well.
7. Therapists might probably not walk up to you in public
We do understand that going to see a therapist can be a taboo for some - sometimes for professional reasons, sometimes for social reasons. And we respect your privacy. So if in case we do see you in a public place, chances are we might just ignore you and walk on. You are free to do so as well. And perhaps we might just have a hearty laugh about the situation the next time we meet for our session.
8. Therapy doesn't have to be a long-term commitment
You don't need to sign up for a long-drawn commitment. Some people like to sign up for maybe about 4 or 5 sessions; some people come only for a single session and get the clarity that they seek. And of course there are some who feel they might benefit from a more sustained form of work over a period of a few months. It is pretty flexible in that way. And you get to choose what suits you.
9. You need to 'resonate' with your therapist
It is important that you feel good about meeting your therapist. If in case you are somehow not comfortable with the therapist during the first meet, then it is not a great idea to continue. Chances are, the therapist also might sense that they are not the 'right fit' for you. Talk to your therapist about it. And sometimes they might themselves be able to refer you to another therapist who might fit your needs better.
10. If you are worried that something might be inappropriate, you can talk to your therapist about it
Sometimes you might wonder if it is alright to message your therapist on WhatsApp or connect on Facebook. Sometimes you wonder if it is alright for you to ask about the therapist's personal life. Some other times, you would wonder if it is alright to hug the therapist. Many therapists keep very strict boundaries in these aspects. Many therapists are quite okay to allow you to see their 'other' side.
The only way to know what works with your therapist is to just ask the therapist if they are okay with it.
11. Therapists don't always have the answers to your struggles
Sometimes, people believe that the therapist has the solution to everything going wrong in their lives. Well, the reality is that they have no solution to anything. Often times they are just as clueless as you are. But they are trained to help you figure out your answers from within you. And if you approach the therapist with the right orientation, they can help you discover some wonderful solutions for your struggles.
12. Therapists are not doctors
Therapists and just therapists! When you go to a doctor, you can talk about your throat infection and expect to walk out in 15 minutes with a dose of antibiotics for the infection. But when you go to a therapist, it is going to take a lot more than 15 minutes and you might not be walking out with anything to 'fix' your problem. Getting into a therapeutic way of healing is about an inner-journey of self discovery - so that you can figure your way forward.
13. Being a therapist can be hard work
Just like any other profession, being a therapist is also hard work. A typical day for a therapist might involve the therapist meeting several clients and listening to traumatic & difficult experiences from each of them. This can be quite a task at times, especially when they have to keep at it day after day, being very patient with people's struggles and challenges, and still go back to their own families with a smile.
14. But chances are they also find their job incredibly satisfying
Most therapists talk about a tremendous joy that they experience when they know that somebody's life has gone through a transformation because of the work they did. They value the incredible satisfaction of contributing to people around and creating a better world - one person at a time.
