Hey there, I am Lavanya.
I am a practicing psychotherapist, currently taking offline sessions from Hyderabad and giving online therapy sessions to client all over the world. Know more about my educational and professional qualifications below.
Hyderabad
English | Hindi
Education
Certifications
Certificate in Dance/Movement Therapy Facilitation
Creative Movement Therapy Association of India (CMTAI)
2021 – 2022
M. A. Applied Psychology- Specialization in Clinical Psychology
The Banyan Academy for Leadership in Mental Health (TISS-BALM)
2019 – 2021
B.A. (Hons) Psychology
Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi University
2016 - 2019
Trauma-Informed Mindfulness Practitioner
(2023)
Working with the LGBTQ Community
(2021)
Psychological First Aid
(2020)
The Science of Well-Being
(2020)
Hypnotherapy for Common Emotional Disorders
(2020)
Trauma Informed Care
(2019)
QPR Gatekeeper for Suicide Prevention
(2019)
Experience
I have been working at my own independent practice since 2021. I am experienced in working with young adults presenting issues of anxiety, depression, self-esteem and self-image, inability to cope with stress, traumatic childhood and past experiences.
I am also working as a consultant psychologist at Thehraav: Unwind Your Mind. With Thehraav,
I conduct therapy/counselling sessions for clients coming in with various concerns such as anxiety, depression, self-esteem, self-exploration, personal growth.
I also attend regular supervision and training for continuous professional development. Additionally I create content for some of the social media posts..
At Co-WeCare which was an initiative taken by the outgoing batch of M. A. Applied Psychology, TISS-BALM, offered brief tele-counselling services for individuals who are mentally and emotionally affected by the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic.
I also run a mental health page called Iyashi Mind, along with two of my colleagues, where we put up posts (and reels) on mental health awareness, and offer a glimpse into what a therapist-client relationship looks like.
My Approaches
Eclectic approach
Eclectic means that I draw from different schools of thought in therapy and work with the client to tailor sessions that are best suited for them.
Emotion-focussed work
I also help the client in building awareness and understanding of emotions, becoming “friends” with them, and processing them in a relatively healthier way.
Trauma-informed lens
I try to make sense of the client’s difficult past experiences and look at how they impact the client in the present in a compassionate and non-judgemental space.
Body-based techniques
Based on the client’s comfort, I make use of tools and techniques that essentially allow clients to connect with their bodies and express what cannot be done verbally.
I specialise in the following concerns:
Note: Please note that I am not qualified/experienced in working with clients who are diagnosed with severe mental health concerns, such as in the case of psychosis. I also do not offer emergency phone calls, and would be happy to refer you to others in such scenarios. You may also visit my list of resources and referrals here.
A few questions you may have about me.
How will my first session look like?
The first few sessions are typically sessions that are used to build rapport and to get to know the client more. Information about the client’s background, current concerns, expectations from therapy etc. are often discussed in the first session. All of this happens in a safe, warm and non-judgemental space.
What do I expect my clients to know after their first session with me?
I want my clients to feel safe, heard and validated in the therapy space. I aim to co-create a space wherein they feel confident enough to share things which they have been unable to share in other spaces, and a space wherein they feel comfortable in being themselves.
What is the kind of relationship I build with my clients?
For me, therapy is a two-way process. As a therapist, I do not just tell the client what to do, how to do things etc. I prefer having a discussion about possible goals that we can meet, and the options or choices we have that can be used to reach those goals. I believe in client agency i.e. their ability to make their own choices, and I highly value this in our therapy process. In case of any disagreements, I approach the topic with a curious,"rather than a critical, lens."
What has been the greatest learning for me in my journey as a therapist?
I feel that the amount of learnings I have had from my experience with clients is far more than what I have learnt from books and other resources. Perhaps the most important learning I have had is that every client is different, and therapy is not a one-size-fits-all. My equation with every client is unique, so I cannot always generalize using tools/techniques used with one client to another.
Apart from work, I also indulge in painting, dancing, baking, cooking, doing aerial-yoga, working out, experimenting with make-up, food-blogging, cafe-hopping, reading and watching thrillers, binging on true-crime and geeking on orangutans and anime!
