In 2005, I decided to pursue Psychology as an undergraduate. At the age of 18, I had to decide a major that would set up my career and my future. It felt super scary and like so many South Asians, I assumed I had to pick between Engineering or the Medical field. I also felt tremendous internal pressure to prove to my father that I wanted to pursue his dream of having one of his children in the medical field. It was at that pivotal moment, I realized I actually had no interest in wanting to go the ‘traditional’ route that was assumed for me. I was scared to tell my parents and I was worried ‘what people would say.’ I kept reminding myself that I wanted to find something that made me curious and sparked my interest. So I picked Psychology because I had taken an elective class in high school and found it interesting. Believe me when I say it wasn’t easy to sit through the raised eyebrows and confused looks when I told people about my decision.

To my luck, I actually enjoyed my Psychology 101 class and was fascinated to learn why we think and make decisions a particular way. Over the years, I pursued my graduate degree and started to work in mental health as a social worker, therapist, trainer and coach. That was my first of many ‘unconventional’ decisions that made me realize that people will follow you if you believe in your abilities. I also learned that it won’t be easy when there is minimal support from others, but if you lean on your intuition, things start aligning (cheesy I know, but it’s true).

I have worked with many clients and I’ve moved through different professional roles in the last decade. I’ve realized a few things about myself.

1. I really enjoy working in mental health and want to keep working with different clients in more than one capacity whether it’s as a therapist, coach or trainer.

2. I have this innate desire and drive to do everything in my power to normalize us, as a society, talking about mental health, especially in Indian culture.

3. I believe all of us are trying to figure it out and we are all a ‘work in progress’ which is absolutely OK!

4. As an immigrant, I’ve recognized I have a deep understanding on the impacts of immigration on the individual, their families and future generations and want to support others in bringing awareness to those impacts in their lives.

5. As someone who has dealt with imposter syndrome, I enjoy empowering others to recognize their true potential and start critically looking at their limiting beliefs that hold them back.

6. When it comes to relationships, based on my personal and professional experiences, I have a deep desire for individuals to have healthy relationships and enjoy empowering others in recognizing that it’s our vulnerability that makes us build deeper connections and our fear that keeps us from taking any risks.

7. Lastly, I’ve also come to realize that I’d rather be a work in progress than do no work because that has direct consequences in me hurting myself but also hurting others as I’m not being self aware of my actions.

All of us want to be happy. Our happiness can come from different things and we’re all trying to find ways to be content and live a joyful life that is a little less complicated. You’re on this page today because you recognize that you are your hardest critic and in the past, maybe it motivated you but now you’re starting to see the costs and want to make a different decision. You’re starting to see that this critical voice keeps you stuck, makes you scared to take risks and you’re realizing that your life no longer feels like limitless potential.

As a South Asian and an immigrant, I know the desire to ‘make it’ is real. The desire to be accepted and seen as a ‘success’ can sometimes be pressure inducing. What if there was a different way to approach life? What if I were to tell you that the more grounded you felt in your decisions and who you are, the more things will start to flow?

I know it seems a far-fetched idea but I’ve gone through my own share of lived experiences where very few people believed in me and my personal and professional decisions. My experiences have made me stronger and it’s made me realize that each of us, when we create an environment that supports our mental health and well being and focus on the individuals that do want to empower us, we provide ourselves an opportunity to live an authentic and thriving life.

I’m here to support you on your journey, the question is; are you ready to invest in yourself? So many of us don’t take the time to know ourselves and don’t understand why we make certain choices over others. Sometimes, it’s work or life that keeps us busy, sometimes it’s that we were never given the opportunity to get to know ourselves. If you are here, then you have a desire to invest in yourself and want to get to know you better. Let’s get started on being an expert on you.