Do you sometimes struggle to make decisions without checking with them? Or feel guilty for wanting space or independence in a relationship?

In this episode, Ankit talks with Dr. Rachel Jayaseelan, a psychologist who works extensively with couples, about a pattern that quietly erodes many relationships: enmeshment. It's the slow fade of your own routines, the friends you stop seeing, the hobbies you let go of, all while thinking everything's fine because the relationship feels good. 

She examines how growing up in collectivist Indian households sets us up for enmeshment without even realizing it. She maps out what healthy separation actually looks like, and why sitting with discomfort beats avoiding it every time. If you've ever felt like you're performing a relationship rather than living one, this conversation offers a way back to yourself.

About The Therapy Room
The Therapy Room is a segment where we talk to mental health professionals for insights on life's challenges, which range from managing everyday stressors to chronic anxiety. Tune in as we explore topics around mental health issues, emotional wellbeing, and techniques to help you heal. 

We discuss

• Why having a strong sense of self matters in relationships.
• What enmeshment looks like in a relationship.
• What makes enmeshment different from feeling deeply connected, and how one can start to see signs of it early.
• Why women tend to think more about relationships while men tend to act more.
• How we learn to set healthy boundaries and communicate them.
• Why self-reflection is rare until something goes wrong in the relationship.
• Small, gradual steps to reclaim your sense of self without blowing up the relationship.

Dr. Rachel’s bio

Dr. Rachel Jayaseelan is a Bangalore-based psychologist with over 14 years of clinical experience. Trained in NLP, Career Counselling, Cognitive Analytic Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, and Master Level Hypnosis, she uses an eclectic, client-centred approach. She is also a certified Sleep Consultant.

Her work centers on young adults and premarital relationships, with a special focus on relationship security — the subject of her doctoral research. Dr. Rachel has conducted 300+ workshops on communication, anxiety, depression, and healthy relationships, and has been featured in the Times of India and Deccan Herald. She is the founder of Wellness Within.

Connect with Dr. Rachel

 Wellness Within | LinkedIn

Credits

• Ankit Narasimhan, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Liked this podcast? Write in to us and tell us your thoughts or if you want to be our next guest - podcast@myndstories.com 

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer – The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling.

Support the show

There is something uniquely powerful about hearing someone say, “This is what happened to me. This is how it felt. And this is how I survived.”

In Episode 2 of The MyndReaders Podcast, Anima and Swati talk about memoirs. The episode steps away from to-do lists and expectations and shows how memoirs hold space for vulnerability and why they resonate so deeply. 

Swati brings a curated collection of books that span generational trauma, anxiety, anticipatory grief, and more. The range of these stories demonstrates that there is no single way to experience mental health challenges.

Anima complements this with a memoir that shows how humour and absurdity can coexist alongside depression and anxiety without diminishing their seriousness.

Together, the conversation is a map of the human interior and a reminder that healing is rarely linear and that self-compassion often begins by witnessing someone else’s vulnerability.

We talk about

• Why mental health memoirs matter 
• Generational trauma expressed differently in graphic memoir format
• How humour can coexist with lifelong anxiety
• The concept of anticipatory grief where we mourn someone before they are gone. 
• How birdwatching becomes a practice of presence and finding a way back to yourself
• Reframing happiness as rebellion against depression
• Recommendations from a selected member of the MyndReaders community

Meet the hosts 

Anima is CPD-Certified Neurodiversity Practitioner, TEDx speaker, and advocate. She is dedicated to promoting neuro-inclusive practices in the corporate world. Anima loves to read classics and fantasy, write about neurodiversity and parenting a child who lives with autism, and spend time with her pet dog and cat.

Swati is the co-founder of MyndStories where her mission is to hear more conversations, see more action on mental health. She reads all the time, watches too many movies, and obsesses over her fitness.

Connect with the hosts

Swati | Anima 

Resources

• Remember Us to Life - Joanna Rubin Dranger
• My Mess Is a Bit of a Life: Adventures in Anxiety - Georgia Pritchett
• Birds Art Life: A Year of Observation - Kyo Maclear
• Furiously Happy - Jenny Lawson
• Remnants of a Separation - Aanchal Malhotra
• Born a Crime - Trevor Noah

Loved this episode?

Write to us to be part of the conversation to make mental health cool - podcast@myndstories.com

Support the show

In the first episode of The Therapy Room in 2026, Smitha sits down with Dr. Mahima Sahi, a therapist who works extensively with couples and individuals guiding them on relationships. In their conversation, they explore why love today feels harder, messier, and lonelier than ever before and what we can do about it.

Dr. Mahima takes a compassionate look at the struggles of today's relationships and walks through the difference between wanting and needing a partner, why situationships have become emotional limbo, and how control disguised as concern is the biggest red flag to watch for.

About The Therapy Room

The Therapy Room is a segment where our host Smitha Murthy talks to mental health professionals for insights on life's challenges, which range from managing everyday stressors to chronic anxiety. Tune in as we explore topics around mental health issues, emotional wellbeing, and techniques to help you heal.

We talk about

• The most common patterns Dr. Mahima sees in therapy within relationships
• What safety in a relationship actually means
• Why Gen Z shuts down during conflict despite being more mentally health-aware
• How to navigate dating today with consciousness rather than checklists
• Why we confuse chemistry and intensity for connection
• Attachment styles and how they act as an invisible GPS
• The one major red flag everyone should watch for
• What actually constitutes green flags
• Why modern loneliness has little to do with being single or coupled and how to overcome it

Dr. Mahima Sahi's bio

Dr. Mahima Sahi is a clinical psychologist who has clocked over 3,000 therapy hours and has vast experience as a clinician, researcher, and educator. She is also the program director at eMbrace where she leads initiatives focused on building quality care for neurodiverse populations and advancing evidence-based therapeutic practices. She helps individuals facing a wide spectrum of challenges, from emotional regulation and trauma to social anxiety, relationship dynamics, self-work and career transitions. 

Connect with Mahima

Website | LinkedIn 

Our partner

This episode is made possible thanks to support from eMbrace, a platform that provides evidence-based therapeutic services to those impacted by mental health and developmental disorders.

Credits

• Smitha Murthy, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer – The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling.

Support the show

In this calming episode of Myndful Moments, host Anitha Aswath takes us through a gentle breathwork practice.

The session begins with noticing the breath. Anitha then introduces a simple breathing rhythm creating a foundation of ease and steadiness.

The episode progresses into a grounding pattern with inhaling and exhaling rhythms to make space to rest, allowing the breath to move like a tide.

The session closes with a powerful affirmation: "I don't have to push right now. I can pause. I can return to myself." Listeners are invited to carry this sense of ease into the rest of their day.

Episode highlights

• Simple 3-2-4 breathing rhythm to establish calm 
• Visualization technique for releasing tension
• Focus on the quiet center behind the heart
• Grounding breathwork pattern to calm the nervous system
• Affirmations to pause and return to oneself

Anitha's bio

Anitha Aswath is a Leadership Coach Consultant Facilitator and DEI Consultant with 26 years of rich experience. She has trained over 4100 leaders and professionals and has more than 1100 hours of coaching hours to her credit. 

Anitha’s other pursuits include blogging, photography, travelling and of course, music. “Perseverance is a virtue: an invaluable lesson music taught me,” she says. She is a voice over artist and trained singer. She is an eternal student of Indian Classical music.

Connect with Anitha

LinkedIn 

Credits

• Anitha Aswath, host and episode planner.

Enjoying our podcasts? 

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Support the show

In this brand new podcast, Myndful Moments, host Anitha Aswath guides listeners through a grounding exercise designed to anchor the body and mind. 

By visualizing roots growing from their feet or sitting bones into the earth, listeners are encouraged to feel supported and calm. The session includes deep breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation, focusing on various body parts from the feet to the forehead. 

Listeners are prompted to affirm their safety and presence in the moment with the mantra 'I am grounded here, I am safe in this moment, I am enough.' 

The episode closes with an invitation to carry the sense of calm into daily life.

Episode chapters

00:00 Introduction to Myndful Moments
01:17 Grounding visualization
02:06 Body relaxation
03:28 Focused breathing exercise
05:11 Affirmations and conclusion

Anitha's bio

Anitha Aswath is a Leadership Coach Consultant Facilitator and DEI Consultant with 26 years of rich experience. She has trained over 4100 leaders and professionals and has more than 1100 hours of coaching hours to her credit. 

Anitha’s other pursuits include blogging, photography, travelling and of course, music. “Perseverance is a virtue: an invaluable lesson music taught me,” she says. She is a voice over artist and trained singer. She is an eternal student of Indian Classical music.

Connect with Anitha

LinkedIn 

Credits

• Anitha Aswath, host and episode planner.

Enjoying our podcasts? 

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Support the show

In this very first episode of the new and revamped "The MyndReaders Podcast", hosts Swati and Anima Nair explore not only how anxiety feels, but how books can become powerful companions through its many layers. 

Their discussion begins with honest reflections on their own experiences on how anxiety creeps in, how racing thoughts take over, and how the pressure to function perfectly often leaves people feeling overwhelmed and alone. They share small, grounding practices which help them return to calm as well as the big role that books play.

Comforting rereads, slow-paced classics, Buddhist wisdom, and contemporary fiction that mirrors emotional truths, all form part of a reading list that accompanies listeners through different shades of anxiety. 

This episode blends personal reflection with literary insight, offering listeners a compassionate understanding of anxiety as well as a set of books that can soothe and help find comfort in words that understand us. 

We talk about

• Honest reflections on what anxiety feels like
• Reaching for “anchor books” and why certain stories become lifelines during anxious moments
• Novels that beautifully capture anxiety in its many forms
• Listener-recommended healing fiction and a list of nonfiction books written by mental health professionals
• How stories can reveal the emotional patterns behind anxiety
• A bonus reading list from a Mynd Readers Book Club member

Meet the hosts 

Anima is CPD-Certified Neurodiversity Practitioner, TEDx speaker, and advocate. She is dedicated to promoting neuro-inclusive practices in the corporate world. Anima loves to read classics and fantasy, write about neurodiversity and parenting a child who lives with autism, and spend time with her pet dog and cat.

Swati is the co-founder of MyndStories where her mission is to hear more conversations, see more action on mental health. She reads all the time, watches too many movies, and obsesses over her fitness.

Connect with the hosts

Swati | Anima 

Resources

• Terry Pratchett's Discworld series
• When Things Fall Apart - Pema Chodron
• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman
• Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
• Anxious People - Fredrik Backman
• The Midnight Library - Matt Haig
• Barely Functional Adult - Meiji Ng
• Age of Anxiety - Amrita Tripathi
• Anxiety: Overcome It and Live Without Fear - Sonali Gupta
• Yeonnam-dong's Smiley Laundromat - Kim Jiyun
• Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop - Hwang Bo-Reum

Credits

• Swati Nair and Anima Nair, hosts and episode planners.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Loved this episode?

Write to us to be part of the conversation to make mental health cool - podcast@myndstories.com

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer – The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling.

Support the show

This episode is a conversation that takes us deep into the invisible yet deeply damaging forms of emotional abuse that many experience without realizing it. Smitha talks to Anamika, the founder of Let’s Heal who unpacks how emotional abuse can take many forms, from gaslighting and guilt-tripping to control disguised as care, and why so many people fail to recognize it when they’re living through it.

Drawing from her own lived experience and her professional work as a trauma-informed therapist, Anamika explains how emotional abuse affects the mind and body alike, shaping the nervous system and distorting self-worth. They dig into the cultural and familial conditioning that often normalises such behaviour, keeping people trapped in cycles of guilt, fear, and self-blame.

But this episode is as much about healing as it is about recognition. It's a reminder that healing begins the moment we start believing our own truth. 

About The Therapy Room

The Therapy Room is a segment where our host Smitha Murthy talks to mental health professionals for insights on life's challenges, which range from managing everyday stressors to chronic anxiety. Tune in as we explore topics around mental health issues, emotional wellbeing, and techniques to help you heal. 

We talk about

• Understanding the many faces of emotional abuse
• Why recognizing abuse can be so difficult
• The long-term impact of emotional abuse
• How social and cultural conditioning can normalise unhealthy relationship patterns
• Practical steps towards recovery

Anamika's bio

Anamika is a trauma-informed therapist specializing in supporting individuals moving through complex trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, burnout, and relationship issues. She is also the founder of 'Let’s Heal', a space dedicated to helping people reconnect with themselves after emotional pain. 

With years of experience in guiding individuals through recovery from emotional abuse, she combines her professional expertise with deep empathy and lived understanding. Her approach focuses on creating safety, self-awareness, and compassion as the foundations for healing. 

Connect with Anamika

LinkedIn | Instagram 

Credits

• Smitha Murthy, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer – The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling.

Support the show

In this episode of The Therapy Room, Smitha sits down with Deepti Chandy, Chief Operating Officer at Anna Chandy & Associates and a trained Transactional Analysis (TA) therapist to explore how our childhood experiences continue to shape our thoughts, behaviors, and relationships in adulthood.

Deepti explains how TA gives us a clear, relatable way to understand internal narratives, sometimes created through messages like “Be strong” or “Don’t be vulnerable” and how to counter the persistent feeling of “I’m not enough”. 

Here's a heart-to-heart conversation grounded in practical tools and deeply relatable experiences. 

About The Therapy Room

The Therapy Room is a segment where our host Smitha Murthy talks to mental health professionals for insights on life's challenges, which range from managing everyday stressors to chronic anxiety. Tune in as we explore topics around mental health issues, emotional wellbeing, and techniques to help you heal. 

We talk about

• What transactional analysis is and why it's a powerful framework for personal growth
• How the Parent, Adult, and Child ego states influence how we think, feel, and respond
• The most common childhood messages people carry, like "be perfect" or "don’t show emotion"
• How these messages show up in our adult relationships and workplaces
• Practical tools to reframe self-criticism, manage emotional triggers, and start shifting long-held patterns
• Tools and helpful strategies Deepti shares, which include recording voice notes when angry to process emotions before reacting, using simple “I” statements to express needs without blame, naming your inner critic, and more

Deepti's bio 

Deepti Chandy is the COO and chief therapist at Anna Chandy & Associates, a counseling firm based in Bangalore. Her journey into mental health began through her own experience with Transactional Analysis therapy during a challenging period in her late teens and early adulthood. With an Advanced Counselling certification from a prestigious collaborative program between the Link Centre UK and Anna Chandy, Deepti specializes in supporting young adults and professionals navigating identity, relationships, and personal development.

Beyond her professional roles, she maintains an active interest in fashion and fitness, embodying a holistic approach to well-being that encompasses both personal and professional growth.

Connect with Deepti

Visit Anna Chandy & Associates | Instagram 

QOTD

Have you tried transactional analysis therapy? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com 

Resources

• What is TA?
• How TA works

Credits

• Smitha Murthy, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer – The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling.

Support the show

ADHD is often reduced to stereotypes like restlessness and distraction. 

But behind the label is a complex inner world. Behind the label there's an individual constantly struggling with emotional overwhelm and coping with misunderstanding.

In this compelling conversation, Smitha Murthy speaks with Dr. Mahima and Dr. Supriya from eMbrace to explore the many layers of ADHD, especially how it manifests in women. Moving beyond the clinical definition, they talk about what it feels like to live with ADHD daily.

Why are so many women diagnosed late? How does childhood masking result in long-term emotional costs? These are just some of the questions they answer, opening a window into the world of ADHD which carries the invisible weight of always trying to “fit in.”

About The Therapy Room

The Therapy Room is a segment where our hosts Ankit Narasimhan and Smitha Murthy talk to mental health professionals for insights on life's challenges, which range from managing everyday stressors to chronic anxiety. Tune in as we explore topics around mental health issues, emotional wellbeing, and techniques to help you heal. 

We talk about:

• Clinically defining ADHD and addressing common misinterpretations
• Why women are so often overlooked
• Clues in childhood and why are often missed
• The hidden struggle of emotional dysregulation
• How to get a diagnosis in India 
• Practical coping tools and strategies 
• Is medication necessary? 

Dr. Mahima and Dr. Supriya's bios 

Dr. Mahima Sahi is a clinical psychologist who has clocked over 3,000 therapy hours and has vast experience as a clinician, researcher, and educator. She is also the program director at eMbrace where she leads initiatives focused on building quality care for neurodiverse populations and advancing evidence-based therapeutic practices. She helps individuals facing a wide spectrum of challenges, from emotional regulation and trauma to social anxiety, relationship dynamics, self-work and career transitions.

Dr. Supriya Malik has over 18 years of experience working with a range of developmental and mental health disorders, and setting up early intervention programmes as well as leading diagnostic services. Supriya is passionate about working with children, adolescents and young adults, improving quality of therapeutic services and building capacity. Supriya holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Birmingham. She is also a board member of the  Indo-Canadian Autism Network (I-CAN).

Connect with Dr Mahima and Dr Supriya

Visit eMbrace | Connect with Dr Supriya | Connect with Dr Mahima 

Our partner

This episode is made possible thanks to support from eMbrace, a platform that provides evidence-based therapeutic services to those impacted by mental health and developmental disorders.

QOTD

How have you managed your ADHD? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Liked our episode? Visit www.myndstories.com for more. Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Aparna Subramonian, a brand marketer, writer, and self-proclaimed quirky cat lover, didn’t grow up trying to fit in. She grew up thinking she's a boy, fell in love with her best friend in seventh grade, and later discovered she had ADHD. All while battling social mores in a small, conservative city like Coimbatore. 

Smitha has a warm, honest, and often humorous exploration conversation in this delightfully candid episode with Aparna, journey through gender, sexuality, neurodivergence, and self-acceptance. 

We discuss

• Aparna reflects on her eccentric early years  
• Reflecting on the surreal experience of believing she was a boy and her first queer relationship 
• The unique way she came out to her family
• Her relationship with ADHD, the relief of finally having a label,  
• The joys and challenges of living with a neurodivergent partner
• How her biggest anchor is her community made of friends she can unmask with 

Aparna's bio 

Aparna Subramonian is a writer, storyteller, and brand strategist from Hyderabad. She’s queer, neurodivergent, and passionate about creating systems that accommodate brains like hers. Also, she loves cats. A lot.

Connect with Aparna

LinkedIn 

QOTD

How have you managed your neurodivergence? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Credits

• Smitha Murthy, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Liked our episode? Visit www.myndstories.com for more.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Ever found yourself wondering, "Is therapy really for me?" Or maybe you’ve heard someone dismiss it as "just venting" or "too expensive"? You’re not alone.

Therapy is one of those topics that’s both widely discussed and deeply misunderstood.

In this episode, host Ankit chats with Jai Arora, a practicing counseling psychologist, to break down the stigma and understand what therapy really is. We explore common misconceptions, who therapy is truly for, and why seeking support means you’re brave enough to want better for yourself. 

We discuss

• The stigma around therapy and breaking stereotypes.
• What good therapy entails and why it is much more than just a paid vent session.
• How a therapist strikes a balance between validating a client’s experience and holding them accountable.
• Understanding evidence-based approaches and how to evaluate therapy outcomes
• Jai’s practical guide to finding a therapist you click with.
• Jai’s biggest learning about therapy as a therapist.

Jai’s bio

Jai Arora is a Counseling Psychologist with over 300 hours of experience in therapy practice. He is the Co-Founder of Kirana Counseling that offers online and offline therapy sessions. He’s also interested in building AI powered solutions for training and upskilling psychologists.

Connect with Jai

LinkedIn

QOTD

How has therapy helped you? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com 

Resources

What are evidence-based approaches

Credits

• Ankit Narasimhan, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer – The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling.

Support the show

Devangana Mishra wasn’t supposed to be here. Not on this podcast, not running a foundation for autism awareness. 

She was the quiet kid, the one hiding behind her mother at parties, scribbling stories while the world moved around her. But something in her refused to accept the way things were, especially when it came to children on the autism spectrum.

In this inspiring conversation with Smitha, Devangana traces her journey from a childhood of imaginary worlds to the trenches of low-income schools in Mumbai, where she fights for kids who are often written off. She talks about the anxiety of being an introvert in a world that rewards loudness, the depression that nearly derailed her, and the stubborn belief that we can do better. 

We discuss

• The impact of growing up watching her psychologist mother tutor autistic children in their home  
• How boarding school and moving to New York forced her to "expand her definition of enough." 
• Her fight for autism and children with autism from low-income groups
• How she battled depression  
• How spinach smoothies, swimming, and poetry became her weapons

Devangana's bio 

Devangana Mishra is a writer and poet whose works have captivated readers globally with two celebrated poetry collections, Desierto Florido (2021) and 26, Kamala Nehru Ridge, Civil Lines Delhi (2023) to her name. 

Devangana is also the founder of Brain Bristle, a foundation dedicated to autism awareness and promoting inclusivity in Mumbai’s low-income schools. Through her creative work and brand partnerships she actively raises funds to support these schools in their pursuit of leadership and inclusivity.

Connect with Devangana

Instagram | Devangana Mishra | Brain Bristle

QOTD

How have you managed your introverted nature? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Credits

• Smitha Murthy, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Liked our episode? Visit www.myndstories.com for more.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

How do you rebuild a life when you’ve hit rock bottom and the world feels like it’s left you behind? 

In this riveting episode, actor and author Sean Hemeon opens up about his harrowing journey from drug addiction and entanglement with the Russian mafia to 20 years of sobriety and self-discovery.

Sean, who is the author of Good Little Drug Lord, talks elaborately to host Ankit Narasimhan about his journey through addiction, identity struggles, and finding the strength to rebuild his life. But beyond the thrills and trauma, this conversation digs into the heart of what it means to choose yourself—even when the cost feels unbearable. Sean’s honesty, humor, and hard-won wisdom will leave you with one undeniable truth -no matter how far you’ve fallen, it’s never too late to rise.

We discuss

• A tragic incident that inspired the “Good Little Drug Lord”
• How being from a Mormom Family and being gay impacted Sean’s early years.
• How he learnt to navigate the dissonance between who he was and what was expected from his family in order to find his authentic self.
• Defining moments that lead him to break free from addiction.
• How he learnt healthier ways to cope during sobriety.
• Change being a non-linear process and how to handle setbacks.
• The advice Sean would give to his younger self.

Sean’s bio

Sean Hemeon is an American actor, writer, and artist and is known for roles in television series such as "True Blood," "Criminal Minds," and "As the World Turns." Notably, he starred in "Husbands," a groundbreaking sitcom that was among the first to feature a newlywed gay couple.

Beyond acting, Sean is an accomplished artist specializing in contemporary abstract expressionism. His work has been showcased in various exhibitions, including Gallery 825 with the Los Angeles Art Association.

Connect with Sean

Instagram | Sean's website

QOTD

Have you battled with addiction? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com 

Credits

• Ankit Narasimhan, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Liked our episode? Visit www.myndstories.com for more. Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling.

Support the show

Grief is one of the most universal yet deeply personal experiences we go through. It’s heavy, it’s messy, and it’s often something we don’t know how to face. 

But what if we could sit with it, honor it, and even find healing through it? That’s exactly what we’re exploring today, as host Anitha Aswath takes us through Raag Miyan Ki Todi, a raga that has the power to hold space for our sorrow and guide us toward peace.

This episode is about how we can use art to process pain, how we can find strength in vulnerability, and how we can emerge from the depths of grief with a renewed sense of hope. 

Let’s dive in. 

We discuss

• Reflection on the nature of grief
• The origins of the raag 
• Anitha's personal experiences with grief
• Insights on grief from psychologists and research
• Anitha guides listeners through a gentle meditation to find stillness

Anitha's bio

Anitha Aswath is a Leadership Coach Consultant Facilitator and DEI Consultant with 26 years of rich experience. She has trained over 4100 leaders and professionals and has more than 1100 hours of coaching hours to her credit. 

Anitha’s other pursuits include blogging, photography, travelling and of course, music. “Perseverance is a virtue: an invaluable lesson music taught me,” she says. She is a voice over artist and trained singer. She is an eternal student of Indian Classical music.

Connect with Anitha

LinkedIn 

QOTD

What is your experience with grief? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Credits

• Anitha Aswath, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Enjoying our podcasts? 

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Have you ever wondered how your family dynamics shape your romantic relationships? Have you felt drawn to partners who mirror past experiences, even painful ones? If so, you’re not alone. 

In this episode, Ankit chats with Dr Teena Joseph, a seasoned therapist with nearly two decades of experience helping young adults, couples, and families overcome life challenges. They uncover the invisible threads that connect our childhood experiences to our present relationships. They talk about how to recognize dysfunction, and how to break free from it. 

If you want to understand your relationship patterns, heal old wounds, and create better connections, this episode is for you.

We discuss

• The definition of a dysfunctional family and its dynamics
• How dysfunction impacts romantic relationships 
• Why there is a strong pull towards familiarity even when we know it’s not serving us
• How do we learn to change unhealthy coping mechanisms learnt over years?
• The role of romantic partners in healing
• Knowing when to stay or leave a difficult relationship
• The supportive community Teena has built for people from dysfunctional families.

Teena’s bio

Dr. Teena Augustine Joseph has nearly two decades of experience guiding young adults, adolescents, the elderly, couples, and dysfunctional families toward healing and connection. 

She is the founder of Being Balanced Consultancy and prior to this she spent 2+ years as the Head of Training and Development at The Vandrevala Foundation.

She has a Master's in Social work – Medical & Psychiatry. Her doctoral research, from IIT Madras, on visual methods, play therapy, and Philosophy for Children (P4C) shapes her innovative practices, including philosophy camps for kids and art-based support groups. Dr Teena was also an Erasmus Mundus fellow at University of Padova, Italy.

As a certified supervisor, she mentors early-career therapists and offers specialized crisis intervention training, supporting individuals and organizations in challenging times.

Connect with Teena

 LinkedIn | Being Balanced

QOTD

Have you grown up in a difficult family environment? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com 

Resources

• Dealing with difficult families
• Signs of a dysfunctional family

Credits

• Ankit Narasimhan, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Liked our episode? Visit www.myndstories.com for more. Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling.

Support the show

In this episode of the Therapy Room, host Smitha Murthy sits down with Dr. Supriya Malik, psychologist and co-founder of Embrace, to explore the world of neurodivergence and what it means for parents raising neurodivergent children. Dr. Malik shares her wealth of experience, offering practical advice on how parents can support their children through child-led play, parent training, and fostering a nurturing environment. 

Together, they unravel the complexities of neurodivergence, from recognizing early signs to navigating the emotional and practical challenges that come with a diagnosis.

This episode helps not just parents but also educators or even anyone looking to understand neurodivergence better. This conversation is a gentle reminder that every child’s journey is unique, and with the right support, they can thrive. 

About The Therapy Room
The Therapy Room is a segment where our host Smitha Murthy talks to mental health professionals for insights on life's challenges, which range from managing everyday stressors to chronic anxiety. Tune in as we explore topics around mental health issues, emotional wellbeing, and techniques to help you heal. 

We talk about

• Defining neurodivergence and detecting early signs in children
• The empowering role of diagnosis 
• Parenting a neurodivergent child 
• Self-care for parents  
• The future for neurodivergent children and how to build social skills
• The importance of advocacy and support

Dr. Supriya's bio 
Dr. Supriya Malik has over 14 years of experience working with a range of developmental and mental health disorders, and setting up early intervention programmes as well as leading diagnostic services. Supriya is passionate about working with children, adolescents and young adults, improving quality of therapeutic services and building capacity. Supriya holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Birmingham. She is also a board member of the  Indo-Canadian Autism Network (I-CAN).

Connect with Dr. Supriya

Website | LinkedIn 

Our partner

This episode is made possible thanks to support from eMbrace, a platform that provides evidence-based therapeutic services to those impacted by mental health and developmental disorders.

QOTD

Are you a parent to a neurodivergent child? Share your story - podcast@myndstories.com

Resources

• Listen to the previous episode with Dr. Mahima Sahi from eMbrace 
• Anima Nair on tackling her son's neurodivergence
• Read Gayathri Vathsan's ongoing series about neurodivergence from a mother's perspective

Credits

• Smitha Murthy, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Liked our episode? Visit www.myndstories.com for more. Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Welcome to Season 4 of the MyndStories Minis, the podcast where we dive deep into the human experience, exploring the emotions that shape us, the stories that define us, and the resilience that carries us forward. 

In this episode Smitha talks to the incredible Anitha Aswath, a leadership coach, consultant, and the host of The Mynd Durbar, a segment on the Mynd Stories podcast that beautifully explores the intersection of music and emotions. 

Anitha opens up about her journey through grief, love, and self-discovery. She talks about the pain of losing a parent, the power of small gestures that change lives, and how embracing our emotions—even the difficult ones—can lead to profound healing. If you’ve ever felt the weight of loss, struggled with self-acceptance, or wondered how to move forward with grace, this conversation is for you.

We discuss

• Reflections on Anitha's childhood and how her father’s strict discipline contrasted with her rebellious nature  
• How Anitha overcame these challenges through public speaking and support from mentors 
• Anitha emphasizes how small acts of kindness and words of encouragement can have a lifelong impact
• How grief is a constant companion after she lost her mother 
• Her journey to emotional fluency, a skill she developed through facing adversity 
• On her identity as a queer person and the challenges of living in a heteronormative world

Anitha's bio 

Anitha Aswath is a Leadership Coach Consultant Facilitator and DEI Consultant with 26 years of rich experience. She has trained over 4100 leaders and professionals and has more than 1100 hours of coaching hours to her credit. 

Anitha’s other pursuits include blogging, photography, travelling and of course, music. “Perseverance is a virtue: an invaluable lesson music taught me,” she says. She is a voice over artist and trained singer. She is an eternal student of Indian Classical music.

Connect with Anitha: 

LinkedIn 

Resources

Mel Robbins talks to neuroscientist Dr. Jim Doty on the science of manifestation

QOTD

How do you cope with grief? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Liked our episode? Visit www.myndstories.com for more.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

In this soul-stirring episode, host Anitha Aswath takes a deep dive into the tranquil world of Raag Bageshri, a melody that captures the essence of twilight and the universal human experience of longing. 

Anitha takes listeners on an intimate musical journey with Raag Bageshri, has been revered in ancient texts as the music of solitude, a sacred space where a listener can connect deeply with their inner world.

We explore how music becomes a bridge between our present reality and our deepest yearnings and how the Raag evokes emotions that universally resonate with everyone. 

We discuss:

• The  connection between Raag Bageshri and the emotion of longing.
• The raag's historical significance, including its dedication to the forest goddess Baghishwari.
• The therapeutic effects of Raag Bageshri, including its use in reducing stress and anxiety.
• How our experiences of loss and longing serve as testimonies to the depth of our capacity to love.

Anitha's bio

Anitha Aswath is a Leadership Coach Consultant Facilitator and DEI Consultant with 26 years of rich experience. She has trained over 4100 leaders and professionals and has more than 1100 hours of coaching hours to her credit. 

Anitha’s other pursuits include blogging, photography, travelling and of course, music. “Perseverance is a virtue: an invaluable lesson music taught me,” she says. She is a voice over artist and trained singer. She is an eternal student of Indian Classical music.

Connect with Anitha: 

LinkedIn 

QOTD

Are you familiar with Raag Bageshri? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Credits

• Anitha Aswath, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Enjoying our podcasts? 

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

In this heartfelt episode of The Therapy Room, host Smitha Murthy dives into the often-misunderstood world of neurodivergence with Dr. Mahima Sahi, clinical psychologist and program director at eMbrace. 

Together, Smitha and Dr. Mahima unpack what it truly means to be neurodivergent, the common misconceptions that cloud understanding and the incredible strengths neurodivergent individuals bring to the table. 

What's more, this episode speaks to not just those who are neurodivergent or close to someone who is—it’s for anyone ready to see the world through a more compassionate lens. 

About The Therapy Room

The Therapy Room is a segment where our host Smitha Murthy talks to mental health professionals for insights on life's challenges, which range from managing everyday stressors to chronic anxiety. Tune in as we explore topics around mental health issues, emotional wellbeing, and techniques to help you heal. 

We talk about

• Redefining neurodivergence and debunking myths
• Everyday challenges and unique strengths
• Understanding the difference between everyday stress and the clinical realities of conditions like ADHD
• Practical advice for neurotypicals to educate themselves, offer empathy, and celebrate differences 
• Dr. Mahima’s systemic approach at Embrace to support neurodivergent individuals and their families
• Dr. Mahima recounts her childhood challenges and how they shaped her career in mental health

Dr. Mahima's bio 

Dr. Mahima Sahi is a clinical psychologist who has clocked over 3,000 therapy hours and has vast experience as a clinician, researcher, and educator. She is also the program director at eMbrace where she leads initiatives focused on building quality care for neurodiverse populations and advancing evidence-based therapeutic practices. She helps individuals facing a wide spectrum of challenges, from emotional regulation and trauma to social anxiety, relationship dynamics, self-work and career transitions. 

Connect with Dr. Mahima

Website | LinkedIn 

Our partner

This episode is made possible thanks to support from eMbrace, a platform that provides evidence-based therapeutic services to those impacted by mental health and developmental disorders.

QOTD

Talk to us about your neurodivergent struggles. Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com 

Resources

• What is neurodiversity?
• Misconceptions about neurodiversity
• The neurodiversity advantage

Credits

• Smitha Murthy, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Liked our episode? Visit www.myndstories.com for more. Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Support the show

In the span of three weeks, Anitha Aswath had to confront many losses and go through much grief. An aunt. A friend. A friend's furry baby. As she grappled with uncertainty and impermanence, she turned to the healing power of the emotionally transformative world of Raag Bihag.

In this episode, Anitha emerges as a compassionate guide as she makes music into a transformative experience. She invites listeners to embrace the full spectrum of human feeling through the mesmerizing notes of Raag Bihag. 

The episode's most powerful moment comes when Anitha articulates a powerful truth: we can be "messy, dysregulated and struggling" while simultaneously nurturing our "warmth, light and infinite capacity for joy."

Join in and begin your own healing journey here.

Highlights of the episode

• A deep dive into Raag Bihag, an evening raga renowned for its mood-elevating properties.
• Reinforcing the coexistence of multiple emotions, challenging the notion that we must choose between pain and joy.
• Reference to a 2015 study highlighting the therapeutic potential of Raag Bihag in managing emotional distress.
• How Raag Bihag has influenced international musicians and contemporary musical landscapes.
• Fascinating stories about legendary musicians like Ustad Bismillah Khan and the rich tradition of Hindustani classical music.

Anitha's bio

Anitha Aswath is an Executive Coaching Leader and DEI consultant with 26 years of rich experience. She has trained over 4000 leaders and professionals and has more than 700 hours of coaching hours to her credit. 

Anitha's other pursuits include blogging, photography, travelling and of course, music. "Perseverance is a virtue: an invaluable lesson music taught me," she says. She is a voice over artist and trained singer. She is an eternal student of Indian Classical music.

Connect with Anitha

LinkedIn 

QOTD

Does music help you heal? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Resources 

The effect of Raag Bihag on sleep

Karedaru Kelade - Sanadi Appanna

Terry Riley: In C

Brooklyn Raga Massive

Credits

• Anitha Aswath, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Enjoying our podcasts? 

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Have you ever felt guilty for setting boundaries? Felt uncomfortable after prioritizing your own needs? 

Imagine spending your entire life wearing a mask, constantly shapeshifting to meet everyone else's expectations.

In this episode of The Therapy Room, host Ankit sits down with Shruti Doss, a therapist and founder of Mynd Space, to unravel the world of people-pleasing, exploring how this behavior often stems from our earliest relationships, childhood experiences, and a fundamental human need for safety and acceptance. Shruti brings not just professional expertise, but deeply personal insights into this universal human experience. Together with Ankit, she peels back the layers of people-pleasing, revealing it not as a personal weakness, but as a survival mechanism deeply rooted in us.

If you've ever found yourself saying "yes" when you desperately want to say "no," constantly prioritizing others' needs at the expense of your own, or feeling exhausted from trying to keep everyone happy, this episode is your much-needed guide to understanding and transforming these patterns.

We discuss

1. If people-pleasing is really about wanting the best for others or if it’s about you.
2. Where people-pleasing stems from.
3. How we can start becoming aware of our people pleasing patterns.
4. Learning to work with feelings of guilt after setting boundaries.
5. Building a sense of self when you feel like you don’t have one.
6. How we can work towards feeling accepted and belong in healthy ways.
7. How people-pleasing shows up in romantic relationships.
8. How Shruti has learnt to prioritize her needs and build her sense of self.

Shruti’s bio

Shruti Doss is a therapist, who is currently building the The Mynd Space with the vision of building a holistic approach towards therapy. With a Master’s in Clinical Psycho-Oncology from Christ University, Shruti’s work is shaped by her understanding of the deep connection between the mind, body, and emotions. She is committed to creating a space where people can explore their stories, lived experience and connect to their authentic selves.

Connect with Shruti

 Instagram

QOTD

Talk to us about your people-pleasing struggles. Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com 

Resources

• Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Credits

• Ankit Narasimhan, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Liked our episode? Visit www.myndstories.com for more. Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

There are very few things more fulfilling than a healthy and thriving relationship. 

However, the process of finding one can often be challenging.

 Two years ago, we spoke to Clinical Psychologist, Prachi Saxena on how to build healthy relationships. Host Ankit Narasimhan has an illuminating conversation with her once more to find out more about how to manage dating and finding love. 

We discuss

1. Authenticity and navigating through the fear of not being accepted.
2. Doing the self work to attract the right person for us.
3. Situationships - why they happen and how to handle them.
4. How do we know when we’ve found the right person for us?
5. Struggles of dating apps.
6. How do we know when the right time to break up is?
7. Navigating through different world views.
8. The one thing that Prachi’s clients struggle with the most.

Prachi’s bio

Prachi Saxena is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist with nearly 2 decades of experience. She is the founder of the Emotional Wellness Initiatives which is an online psychological and emotional wellbeing services platform. 

In her work in the field of mental health she has appeared as an expert on several platforms including magazines like Femina, Better Homes and Gardens and Child, and websites like Twinkle Khanna's Tweakindia.com

Connect with Prachi

 LinkedIn | Emotional Wellness Initiatives

QOTD

What are you struggling with in your relationships? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com

Resources

• Grown Up Girls Podcast
• Our previous conversation with Prachi on building healthy relationships

Credits

• Ankit Narasimhan, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Liked our episode? Visit www.myndstories.com for more. Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Imagine a melody so potent it can calm your racing thoughts, soothe your anxieties, and set the tone for a day filled with balance and clarity. 

Welcome to the second episode of The Mynd Durbar, where host Anitha Aswath takes you on a spellbinding journey through the mystical world of Raag Ahir Bhairav.

From the legendary santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma to Bollywood's silver screen, Ahir Bhairav has woven its way through Indian culture, leaving a trail of tranquility in its wake.

But this isn't just about appreciating music. It's about discovering a powerful tool for mental health, emotional regulation, and starting your day with intention. 

Join us as we unpack the force of Ahir Bhairav, exploring how its unique blend of authority and tenderness can transform your morning routine and, perhaps, your life. 

We discuss

• The mood and characteristics of this morning raag, known for its blend of strength, serenity, and devotion.
• How the movements between notes in Ahir Bhairav have a soothing effect on the nervous system, making it ideal for emotional regulation.
• Anitha shares her first encounter with Raag Ahir Bhairav.
• The raag's appearance in popular culture.
• How Ahir Bhairav navigates various emotions, from mindful meditation to touching upon melancholy.
• How the frequencies in classical Indian music can improve concentration and cognitive function 

Anitha's bio

Anitha Aswath is an Executive Coaching Leader and DEI consultant with 26 years of rich experience. She has trained over 4000 leaders and professionals and has more than 700 hours of coaching hours to her credit. 

Anitha's other pursuits include blogging, photography, travelling and of course, music. "Perseverance is a virtue: an invaluable lesson music taught me," she says. She is a voice over artist and trained singer. She is an eternal student of Indian Classical music.

Connect with Anitha

LinkedIn 

QOTD

What's your favorite song in raag Ahir Bhairav? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Resources

The effect of Ahir Bhairav on stress

Depression and Raag Ahir Bhairav

Enjoying our podcasts? 

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

What if the very thing society labels as a "disorder" could be a gateway to discovering your truest self? 

Smitha has a deep conversation with Ishaa Vinod Chopra – dancer, author, and mental health advocate - who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 16. But rather than letting this label define her, Ishaa transformed her journey into a powerful narrative of resilience, creativity, and self-discovery. Her memoir, "Finding Order in Disorder," is a testament to finding beauty in the chaos and strength in vulnerability.

This conversation is all about embracing the full spectrum of human emotion and finding grace in every moment.

Powerful quotes from the conversation 

"Just know that after having a dark day with complete darkness, there will be light again. Sometimes the wait for that brightness and sunshine may be longer, sometimes it may be shorter, but rest assured it will be there."

"The intensity of those emotions are what make who we are. And I don't think I would trade that." 

"There is some sort of beauty as well in having that disorder in your life."

We discuss

• Why the "disorder" in bipolar disorder might actually be a hidden gift 
• How Ishaa uses Kathak dance as a powerful tool for emotional expression and healing
• The importance of finding your own coping mechanisms (dance, yoga, journaling for Ishaa) 
• The surprising truth about what really happens during manic and depressive episodes
• How family support can make or break a mental health journey 
• The unexpected lessons learned from embracing rather than fighting your diagnosis
• The value of honest conversations about mental health

Ishaa's bio 

In her memoir ‘Finding Order in Disorder’ Ishaa Vinod Chopra addresses what it is like to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, how it affects interpersonal relationships, and how societal norms influence our understanding of and responses to mental health issues. 

Ishaa identifies as a BIPOC, mental health advocate, artist and educator. She utilizes multidisciplinary arts from two generations of filmmakers to cope with, learn from, and reflect on life and its vagaries. She holds a Performing Arts Degree in Kathak and a Diploma in Early Childhood and is in her last year of an Honors Bachelor at George Brown College, Canada. 

She aims to foster empathy, positivity, and self-awareness while sparking mental health discussions and reducing stigmas by creating safe spaces for conversations in committees such as the AODA (Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act), Patient and Family Advisory Committee(s) and as chair of George Brown College Advocates Club. As a Member Artist of the Workman Arts Organization funded by CAMH, she integrates dance therapy into the community for healing and expression by infusing Latin, Indian Classical and Folk styles as a facilitator and performing artist.

You can purchase Ishaa's book here - https://amzn.in/d/hinsrHw 

Connect with Ishaa

LinkedIn | YouTube | LinkTree I Instagram

QOTD

How do you manage chaos and darkness? Share your thoughts to - podcast@myndstories.com

Liked our episode? Visit www.myndstories.com for more. 

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Support the show

Find India's most diverse mental health podcasts here. Our podcasts are a safe space where we share insights, guidance, personal experiences, and tips to help you navigate your mental health journey.

Perspectives, guidance, advice, and explainers. It's all here. We hope you can nurture your well-being and face life's challenges better with us.

Check our website at www.myndstories.com for mental health conversations, news, features, and events.

Write to us - podcast@myndstories.com

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

Support the show

Sometimes we lose ourselves in the quest to achieve our goals. 

Everyday stress can turn into chronic fatigue, overwhelm can turn into exhaustion, and bad days can trickle into dysfunctionality. Before we know it, we realize we're burnt out and we simply can't continue the way it's been. 

How do we recognize this early so we can prevent this? What steps can we take to alleviate it? What are the causal factors? 

We dive into all of this in this episode.

We discuss

1. Understanding what burnout feels like.
2. Learning to differentiate between burnout and everyday stress and overwhelm.
3. How does meaning and purpose correlate with burnout?
4. Ways we can recognize burnout early and alleviate it.
5. Debating Sam Altman's (CEO of OpenAI) take on burnout.
6. Anurakti’s personal experience navigating through burnout.

Anurakti's bio

Dr. Anurakti Mathur has a PhD in Psychology and an MBA in Human Resources Management with over 14 years of experience in Learning & Development. She has proven expertise in Leadership Development, Psychological Assessment, and Behavioural Skills Training and Coaching. She’s recognized for expertise in effective diagnosis, development and delivery of training programs. 

Connect with Anurakti

LinkedIn

QOTD

Have you experienced burnout? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com 

Resources

• Dealing with burnout
• What is burnout?
• Sam Altman's views on burnout

Liked our episode? Visit www.myndstories.com for more. Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Have you ever felt a song so deeply that it brought tears to your eyes? Or experienced a piece of music that seemed to understand your pain better than any words could? 

In this inaugural episode of the Mynd Durbar, host Anitha Aswath takes us on a soul-stirring journey through Karuna Rasa - the emotion of compassion and sorrow in Indian classical music. 

We'll explore how music can be our faithful companion in times of grief, a bridge to empathy, and a balm for our wounded souls. From personal stories of loss to global musical masterpieces, we're diving deep into the transformative power of melancholy in melody.

We discuss

• Introduction to Karuna Rasa often evoked through poignant compositions in Hindustani classical music.
• Anitha talks about the loss of her father in 2019 and how music became a powerful tool for facing grief and beginning the healing process.
• Music as a faithful companion that lifts, holds, and comforts.
• How Karuna Rasa in music serves as a powerful avenue for compassion and healing, allowing us to find solace in our shared human experiences 

Our host

Anitha Aswath is an Executive Coaching Leader and DEI consultant with 26 years of rich experience. She has trained over 4000 leaders and professionals and has more than 700 hours of coaching hours to her credit. 

Anitha's other pursuits include blogging, photography, travelling and of course, music. "Perseverance is a virtue: an invaluable lesson music taught me," she says. She is a voice over artist and trained singer. She is an eternal student of Indian Classical music.

Connect with Anitha 

LinkedIn 

QOTD

How has music shaped your emotions? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

To read

• The power of Indian ragas
• The concept of Karuna 
• Raga therapy - use of music in healing
• Music therapy with Raag Darbari

Enjoying our podcasts? 

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Smitha Murthy converses with Sumit Singla, an independent HR consultant, taking listeners on an emotional journey through life-altering experiences, the transformative power of animal companionship, and the enduring hope that keeps us moving forward. 

From near-death experiences to the joys of parenthood, Sumit's story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the unexpected kindness that can be found in the darkest of times.

We discuss

• Dealing with pressure to focus on education  
• Life-changing experiences including a near-fatal accident 
• Transitioning from a corporate job to an independent HR consultant
• How animals transformed his life 
• Finding hope and making a difference 

Sumit's bio 

Sumit Singla is an independent HR consultant with over 18 years of work experience. In addition, he is also a regular speaker at various forums. His specialties include coaching, competency development, process/policy development, performance management, and end-to-end HR transformation. 

Sumit has a 4-year-old daughter. He is an animal activist and an aspiring writer. 

Connect with Sumit 

LinkedIn 

QOTD

How do you stay hopeful every day? Write in and tell us  - podcast@myndstories.com

Liked our episode? Visit www.myndstories.com for more.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

*Disclaimer – The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Life can throw a lot of curveballs. There are a lot of factors that impact quality of life, but the ability to handle these emotions effectively can sometimes be the deciding factor. 

How different can our life be if we’re truly able to understand ourselves, master our emotions and foster healthy relationships with the people that really matter to us? It's an exciting journey to start on.

But it takes work. What does the work entail? How do we break it down strategically? Hrishika Awasthi, a counseling psychologist and Founder of SafeTherapy, takes us through the process.

We discuss

1. Hrishika’s work on emotional intelligence early on in her career.
2. Understanding emotional intelligence and its components.
3. Can EQ be learnt and developed over time?
4. Strategic approach to learning to unpack and understand your emotions.
5. Role of mindfulness in emotion regulation.
6. How EQ plays out in romantic relationships.
7. How we can make EQ work actionable.

Hrishika’s bio

Hrishika Awasthi is currently the founder of Safetherapy which is a therapist lead platform to empower therapists and clients in their therapeutic journey. She completed her Master’s in Applied Psychology and went on to start ‘Emodite’ which was an effort to introduce emotional intelligence to school students. Apart from this, she has also worked as a corporate trainer at ‘Seekho’ which is a micro-learning-based platform to learn, mentor and hire.

Connect with Hrishika

 LinkedIn | SafeTherapy

QOTD

What aspect of EQ do you struggle with? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com 

Resources

• Understanding EQ

Enjoying our podcasts? Write to us  - podcast@myndstories.com

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

What happens when your body doesn't cooperate?

This is Snigdha Roy's story - a raw, honest account of an eight-year battle with infertility that ends in an unexpected miracle.

In this episode, Snigdha opens up to Smitha about the physical and emotional toll of her journey, challenging societal norms, and finding strength in vulnerability. Whether you've struggled with infertility or know someone who has, this conversation will touch your heart and change how you think about the path to parenthood.

Join us as we dive into a candid conversation about the unspoken challenges of infertility, the strength found in vulnerability, and how sometimes, life's biggest surprises come when you least expect them.

We discuss

• The infertility journey and the societal pressure involved 
• Coping mechanisms which include keeping struggles private 
• The benefits of having a strong support system
• The process of adoption 
• How to be kind to oneself and allowing yourself to feel everything without judgement

Snighdha's bio 

Snigdha is an artist and a former designer turned writer and communication specialist. Currently, she heads the content division at Appy Pie.

Connect with Snigdha

LinkedIn

QOTD

How do you show kindness to yourself? Write in with your wittiest answers and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

*Disclaimer – The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

In this deeply personal and moving episode, we sit down with the witty copywriter Shantesh Row for a raw, unscripted conversation about vulnerability, the beauty in melancholy, life's struggles and everything in between. 

From navigating professional setbacks to confronting personal demons, Shantesh opens up about his journey with refreshing honesty and unexpected optimism. 

We discuss

• Recent business setbacks, including the loss of a 15-year client relationship 
• The concept of "living one day at a time"
• Shantesh's struggle with self-blame and the process of internal dialogue
• Shantesh opens up about his 22-year marriage and discusses fatherhood
• The impact of losing his father as a 12-year-old
• How music serves as his go-to coping mechanism
• the importance of being vulnerable and encourages us to find the "able" in "vulnerable"

Shantesh's bio 

Shantesh Row is the Chief Creative Officer at Slant Advertising, an ad agency he co-founded in Dubai. He describes himself on LinkedIn as a: Storyteller. Quizzer. Once upon a time opening batsman and offspinner. Tried to be a Chartered Accountant. Knowledge seeker. Trivia miner. Single Malt connoisseur. Horror film maven. Interpreter of maladies. Wannabe chef. Facebook avoider. Twitter hater. Opinion junkie. Pink Floyd lover. Intense mood-swinger. Novel-in-the-making-for-ages writer. Bathroom crooner. Sit down comedian. Voyeur of life. 

We think his description is way better than anything we could come up with.

Born in Mumbai, Shantesh is based in Dubai and has an affinity for LinkedIn influencers, cows, consistency, and copies, in no particular order. The link to his top-rated copywriting workshop is below. 

No LinkedIn personal branding experts and influencers were harmed during the making of this show. 

Connect with Shantesh

LinkedIn | Topmate

QOTD

How do you find the 'able' in vulnerable? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Resources

• Ask S anything: A conversation with Shantesh Row and Srividya Sivakumar
• Finding the fun in life with Shantesh Row

This is a MyndStories product. MyndStories is part of Metta Media Pvt. Ltd.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

*Disclaimer – The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Have you ever had a deep, unguarded conversation with a stranger that left you feeling unexpectedly connected? That's exactly what happens in this unscripted episode of the MyndStories Minis.

Smitha has an intensely candid discussion with writer Shailya Jaggi about life, fears, relationships and finding happiness - without any plan. What starts as casual introductions leads to candid reflections on childhood experiences, insecurities, evolving family bonds and the universal quest for self-acceptance.

We discuss

• The vulnerabilities and insecurities of pursuing an unconventional career path 
• How childhood experiences and unstable family situations force you to grow up quickly
• The transformation of mother-daughter relationships from traditional to deep friendship
• Redefining friendship - the importance of vulnerability, granting second chances, and quality over quantity of connections
• Long-standing struggles with self-doubt and insecurities
• Sharing fears like abandonment
• Equating true happiness with acceptance

Shailya's bio 

Shailya is a writer and a marketing enthusiast who knows how to weave brands, people, and products into stories.

She believes stories have the power to bring good things. And she loves to bring them alive through her writing, scripting, and voice-acting.

Connect with Shailya

LinkedIn

QOTD

How have your childhood experiences shaped you? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

*Disclaimer – The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Conflicts. They are the inevitable speed bumps on the journey of every relationship. 

How we navigate these conflicts can either strengthen the bond or slowly erode it until it frays completely. Do we shut down or lash out? People please until we're a hollowed version of ourselves? Or do we learn to embrace conflict as an opportunity for growth and understanding?

Welcome to another insightful episode of the Therapy Room podcast, where we delve into the complexities of the human mind and relationships. 

Host Smitha Murthy sits down with therapist Siddhida Kabara, the CEO and Founder of Dhairya Da for an intimate conversation on navigating conflicts in relationships. From romantic partnerships to familial bonds and friendships, conflicts are an inevitable part of human connection. However, it's how we manage these conflicts that truly determines the health and longevity of our relationships.

About The Therapy Room

The Therapy Room is a segment where our host Smitha Murthy talks to mental health professionals for insights on life's challenges, which range from managing everyday stressors to chronic anxiety. Tune in as we explore topics around mental health issues, emotional wellbeing, and techniques to help you heal. 

We talk about

• Are conflicts inherently good or bad? 
• Understanding the difference between a "problem" and a personal attack
• Knowing when to take a break
• The importance of self-awareness and honesty with oneself
• Recognizing that conflicts often stem from lack of patience, adaptability, and acceptance of differences in coping mechanisms
• Differentiating between adjustments and compromise
• Common conflict coping mechanisms
• A 5-step process for resolving conflicts 

Siddhida's bio 

Siddhida Kabara is the CEO and Founder of DhairyaDa, which provides curated employee and company growth programs. Siddhida is also a qualified therapist who provides supervision and training to new psychologists apart from providing counseling and therapy services to individuals. 

Siddhida has a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Savitribai Phule Pune University and Diplomas in community mental health and integrated counseling.

Connect with Siddhida

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

Resources

• Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson
• Non violent communication by Marshall Rosenberg
• Conflict resolution mistakes to avoid

Write to us  - podcast@myndstories.com. Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

How do you manage difficult emotions?

Kaajal Ahuja has some answers. 

In this insightful episode, host Smitha Murthy has an unscripted conversation with Kaajal Ahuja about vulnerability, grief, and the importance of sitting with difficult emotions. 

Kaajal gets refreshingly real about the exhaustion of living behind emotional masks. For years, Kajal focused on keeping others happy at the expense of her own needs after being married at just 17 years old. But her painful "loss of self" ultimately forced her to peel back the layers and rediscover her authentic voice. 

Listen to Kaajal's journey as she courageously opens up about learning to sit with - not resist - the darkness.

Quote from the conversation

"Safety is not the absence of threat but the presence of connection."

We discuss:

• The societal pressure to always appear happy
• The lack of space for expressing difficult emotions like grief and sadness
• The exhaustion of masking emotions
• The importance of not rushing through the darkness, but rather connecting with it
• Allowing emotions their "due" instead of resisting 
• Vulnerability being an invitation for others to also remove their masks and connect authentically in relationships

Kaajal's bio 

Kaajal is an advocate for teen mental health. She is building TeenSpace, a venture that encourages teens towards a healthy mindset through curated workshops & masterclasses, therapeutic interventions and community support. 

She has previously worked in customer support at HDFC Bank and Dell. She has spent four years volunteering at a government-run educational institution and also ran her own enterprise – ‘Hey Gorgeous’ – alongside, for 8 years.

Connect with Kaajal:
 
LinkedIn

Resources

• The essential guide to working with difficult emotions
• How to embrace radical acceptance
• Brene Brown on how vulnerability makes our lives better

QOTD

How do you push through your darkness? Write in with your wittiest answers and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

*Disclaimer – The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Have you ever felt consumed by grief and loss, struggling to cope with the overwhelming void it creates? Whether it's the heartbreaking loss of a loved one, a devastating breakup, or even a job loss that shatters your identity, grief comes in many forms.

Yet, there's an unspoken pressure to "move on" quickly, leaving many to grapple with complex emotions alone. How do we process the numbness, anger, and guilt that often accompany grief? How can we find closure when loss leaves us with unanswered questions and regrets?

In this powerful episode, we dive into the depths of grief and loss with Dr. Shikha Soni, a Clinical Psychologist at DocVita and expert in positive psychology. Through empathetic storytelling and candid insights, Shikha reminds us that healing isn't about letting go, but carrying our loved ones' memories forward.

So, grab a cozy spot and let's enter the therapy room.

About The Therapy Room

The Therapy Room is a segment where our Smitha Murthy and Ankit Narasimhan talks to mental health professionals for insights on life's challenges, which range from managing everyday stressors to chronic anxiety. 

Quote from the conversation

"It's the labels or the words which people talk about that move on. Just leave it in the past…those memories and the person and the kind of moments which you have shared will always move forward with you."

We talk about

• Understanding positive psychology
• Different types of loss
• Challenges in grieving
• Ways to process grief 
• Managing guilt in grieving 
• Understanding and practising gratitude
• Men and emotions 

Shikha's bio

Shikha Soni is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in positive psychology to help clients deal with loss and grief through their life stories. She integrates several other approaches like psycho-diagnostics and therapies like cognitive behavior therapy, behavior therapy, marital/family therapy, and various other therapies. Shikha has a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Psychology. She completed her M.Phil in Clinical Psychology and then obtained a PhD in Psychology from IIT, Hyderabad.

Connect with Shikha

Website | LinkedIn 

Our partner

This episode is made possible thanks to support from Docvita, a platform that aims to make mental health more open, supportive, and accessible through their services.

Resources

• What is positive psychology?
• A practice towards achieving your best positive self
• Understanding and practising gratitude
• Three good things: A way to tune into positivity in life

Write to us  - podcast@myndstories.com. Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Socializing can be great -  it can help build connections, it helps you learn from different perspectives and it can help take your mind away from a bad day. 

It can also be challenging, especially if you go through social anxiety because it can force you to face your imperfections. If you’re unable to be comfortable in your own skin, things can spiral downwards very quickly because people are bound to judge and attaching your self worth externally is never a great idea. 

How do we work through this? We understand more in this episode with Pranav Varma.

We discuss

1. What social anxiety feels like and where it stems from.
2. Pranav’s journey of dealing with social anxiety.
3. Navigating through the feeling of not belonging and not being accepted.
4. Authenticity and strengthening sense of self.
5. Connecting with people and building more meaningful relationships.
6. How parenting influences social dynamics down the line.
7. Social skills that you can hone in on.

Pranav’s bio

Pranav Varma is a counseling psychologist and psychotherapist who has a private practice in Hyderabad. He graduated with a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Christ University, Bangalore. In terms of methodology, he finds himself drawn towards psychodynamic and relational frames of thought with a particular interest in working with groups.

Connect with Pranav

 LinkedIn

QOTD

How do you manage social anxiety? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com 

Resources 

• Understanding social anxiety
• How to live with authenticity and be your truest self
• Cultivating meaningful relationships

Write to us  - podcast@myndstories.com

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey. Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Attachment styles - we all have one, but do we really understand how they impact our relationships? 

In this fascinating episode of The Therapy Room, host Smitha sits down with therapist and Unfix Clinic founder Aanandita for an enlightening discussion on the different attachment styles and how they play out in romantic relationships. Whether you're anxious, avoidant, or somewhere in between, this is an eye-opening look at where our patterns come from and how to manage them with more awareness and compassion. 

Listen to the full episode and get ready to rethink your thoughts on intimacy, attachment, and more.

About The Therapy Room

The Therapy Room is a segment where our host Smitha Murthy talks to mental health professionals for insights on life's challenges, which range from managing everyday stressors to chronic anxiety. Tune in as we explore topics around mental health issues, emotional wellbeing, and techniques to help you heal. 

Quote from the conversation

"I think as human beings, you're flawed, I'm flawed, all of us are flawed, I think we just

need to kind of find the kind of flaw that we can work with."

We talk about

• The four main attachment styles 
• How an anxious attachment style can lead to clinginess and a strong fear of abandonment, while an avoidant style causes someone to be highly independent and avoid intimacy
• The challenges of pursuing a relationship when one partner has an anxious style and the other is avoidant
• Using effective communication during conflicts
• The concept of a "relationship gratitude list"
• Why no attachment style is inherently good or bad
• Practical advice on managing attachment styles
• How to manage conflicts with authenticity and patience 

Aanandita's bio 

Aanandita Vaghani is the founder of UnFix, a mental health counseling firm. As a counselor and mental health behavioral therapist Aanandita works towards enhancing her clients/ patients emotional well-being and interpersonal relationships. She has accumulated significant experience in addressing a wide spectrum of mental health issues, spanning from anxiety and depression to eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders. 

Aanandita has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and has completed her MA in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness at New York University.

Connect with Aanandita

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

Resources

• Types of attachment styles
• How attachment issues affect relationships
• Conflict resolution communication tips
• Effects of expressing gratitude
• The 5 love languages quiz

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn. Email us- podcast@myndstories.com

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

In this thought-provoking and emotionally candid conversation episode, Smitha Murthy talks to Renuka, a mental health advocate and suicide prevention activist, unfolding Renuka's life journey. It's one that has traversed darkness and light, tragedy and renewal, pain and profound healing.

Renuka peels back the layers to reveal how creative self-expression through art became a sanctuary during her deepest bouts of depression, anxiety, and the trauma of an abusive relationship. Her story is an inspiration, showing how she mustered the courage to face adversity head-on, silence her harsh inner critic, and ultimately rebuild herself piece-by-piece using the vibrant colors of her paintbrush.

Quote from the conversation

"It's important sometimes to accept that we don't have to go anywhere. That sometimes the past is a constant companion and we don't, we can't just push it away."

We discuss

• How art can be a great coping mechanism
• Dealing with imposter syndrome
• Managing the trauma of an abusive relationship and suicide
• Connecting with her inner child 
• Renuka's inspiring perspectives on her journey of healing and self-discovery

Renuka's bio 

Renuka S is Senior Manager, Analytics at Pure Storage. She is based in Bangalore and helped organizations solve challenges using big data.

She is also an enthusiastic toastmaster, a bird photographer, and an artist who shares her stories and pursuits on her blog - https://renuszone.blog 

Connect with Renuka
LinkedIn

QOTD

Have you tried art therapy? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

*Disclaimer – The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Entrepreneurship is a roller-coaster. It’s a journey that takes tremendous courage to even start because there’s nothing guaranteed. 

In a lot of ways, it’s a great metaphor for life. It teaches you life lessons - how to fail, how to handle adversity, and how to get back up.

Ultimately it’s worth it because you get to truly make an impact on people’s lives.We explore the intricacies of this journey with Anmol Arora - CEO and Co-founder of DocVita, a telehealth company that connects people with therapists and psychiatrists. 

We discuss:

1. The story behind DocVita.
2. Anmol’s take on finding meaning and purpose in life.
3. How he deals with the fear of external judgement and failure.
4. Managing possible mismatches of drive and work-ethic among his team.
5. What the best version of himself means to him.
6. State of mental health care in India.
7. Anmol's biggest learning till date.

Anmol’s bio

As the Founder of DocVita, Anmol is passionate about connecting individuals with the right doctors & therapists and supporting startups by helping them prioritize their team’s mindset & mental health.He is an IIT Indore alumnus from the class of 2016. 

Before pursuing his startup full-time, he has worked as a Trainee at CERN(European Centre for Nuclear Research) in Geneva, Switzerland. He is an expert in marketing & fast product-led growth.

Connect with Anmol

Instagram | LinkedIn

QOTD

What does becoming your best version mean to you? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com

Resources

• State of mental health in India
• How to move past your fears

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice!

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

ADHD has challenges. But it also has its superpowers.

Join Ankit Narasimhan in this enlightening episode of The Therapy Room as we delve into the complex world of ADHD with Vaishnavi Madarkal, Psychologist, Life Coach and Trauma Therapist. 

From dispelling misconceptions to exploring the nuanced manifestations of ADHD, Vaishnavi shares her views on the importance of early diagnosis, and the role of individualized approaches. She also explains the power of occupational therapy, the importance of parental guidance, and the role of societal awareness in fostering empathy for those navigating the challenges and strengths associated with ADHD. 

About The Therapy Room

The Therapy Room is a segment where our hosts Smitha Murthy and Ankit Narasimhan talk to mental health professionals for insights on life's challenges, which range from managing everyday stressors to chronic anxiety. Tune in as we explore topics around mental health issues, emotional wellbeing, and techniques to help you heal. 

Quote from the conversation

"Healing yourself is so underrated because the impact is not just for yourself, it's for everyone around you and for generations to come."

We talk about

• The need for sensitivity and understanding ADHD
• The causes and manifestations of ADHD
• Misdiagnosis and the importance of early diagnosis
• Gender differences and challenges 
• The role of parents, self-work, and occupational therapy in healing
• ADHD's superpowers and how to rise above its struggles 

Vaishnavi's bio

Vaishnavi Madarkal is a Psychologist, Life Coach and Trauma Therapist who specializes in ADHD, personality disorders, and depression, anxiety and stress management. She has over 4 years of expertise in counseling and has facilitated various mental health workshops. 

Vaishnavi seeks to empower individuals on their mental health and personal growth journey by integrating Indic Psychology with contemporary, evidence-based approaches like Scehma Therapy, IFS, CBT & DBT.

Connect with Vaishnavi

LinkedIn 

Resources

• What is ADHD?
• Causes and symptoms of ADHD
• How parents can help a child with ADHD
• How occupational therapy can be helpful
• Are there benefits to ADHD?
• ADHD misconceptions

Write to us  - podcast@myndstories.com

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey. Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

What are mental health conversations without the diversity of neurodivergence? Smitha Murthy talks to Akshay CM, who was diagnosed with C-PTSD and Autism last year. But Akshay is more than that. He tells us just how he leads life through all the invisible disabilities, finds joy in everyday conversations and interactions, and the power of manifestation. 

It's not a conversation about neurodivergence, really. It's about life. About pain. A lot of fun. And a remarkable tree. 

Quote from the conversation

"I believe a lot in being gentle. In being kind."

We talk about

• Invisible disabilities
• Life as a person with autism and being an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person)
• A manifesting tree
• Masking and its impact in neurodivergent individuals

Akshay's bio 

Akshay is a DEI and talent management consultant who works to make workplaces more diverse and inclusive. He has a Master's degree in Sociology and a Master's in Communication and Media Studies. 

Akshay is a mental health advocate and frequently talks about being neurodivergent on his LinkedIn profile. 

Find Akshay on LinkedIn.

QOTD

Write to us to be part of the conversation to make mental health cool - podcast@myndstories.com

This is a MyndStories production. MyndStories is part of Metta Media Pvt. Ltd.

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice. Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Do you think anger is a "bad" emotion? Is there a difference between emotions and feelings?
In this episode of The Therapy Room, we talk to Kanika Choudhary, Lead Clinical Psychologist at DocVita about examining our inner selves with curiosity and compassion.  

Kanika shares some powerful guidelines on understanding emotions, and the underlying needs/stories they communicate. She gives us some suggestions on how to allow them space to transform from reactions to responses by being vulnerable and curious.

Listen to the full episode to get in-depth answers to how you can cope with anger, trauma, sadness, and other important emotions which we tend to avoid or not address.

About The Therapy Room

The Therapy Room is a segment where our host Smitha Murthy talks to mental health professionals for insights on life's challenges, which range from managing everyday stressors to chronic anxiety. Tune in as we explore topics around mental health issues, emotional wellbeing, and techniques to help you heal. 

Quote from the conversation

"Anger is a vessel that's carrying something for you."

We talk about

• How emotions give us information about the world and orient our actions
• The difference between feelings and emotions
• How anger can be helpful when channeled well
• Different ways to process trauma 
• Practical tips on responding vs reacting, and managing "bad" emotions

Kanika's bio

Kanika Choudhary is a queer-affirmative, licensed clinical psychologist and psychotherapist with over 9 years of experience online and offline. She consults for families, couples, children, and young adults. She helps individuals with mood disorders, anxiety, stress, grief, anger, trauma, and others.  Kanika is trained in third wave CBT, trauma management, and emotion-focused therapy. 

Connect with Kanika

Website | LinkedIn 

Our partner

This episode is made possible thanks to support from Docvita, a platform that aims to make mental health more open, supportive, and accessible through their services.

Resources

• What is neurodiversity?
• Anxiety and neurodivergence
• Emotions vs feelings
• How anger can be helpful
• Negative emotions are key to wellbeing
• Primary and secondary emotions
• Emotional curiosity

Write to us - podcast@myndstories.com

Listen to more episodes on www.myndstories.com .
*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

This was one of the most vulnerable conversations you can find. One where two people who really don't know each other all that spoke about the raw beauty of pain, the small glimmers of everyday gratitude, and the iridescent rays of hope.  

Quote from the conversation

"Just tell people you love them"

We talk about

• Why pain and vulnerability are both essential
• Adopting practices to improve our mental well-being
• Meditation
• How to pull yourself out of dark places
• What it is to find out that you are asexual

Garima's bio

Garima Behal is a Content Team Lead at Oslash and a columnist at MyndStories. She writes frequently on social media, tracing her life's journey through words that shimmer with poetry. 

And fun fact: Garima has been writing since she was 9-years-old and is an ardent Harry Potter fan.

Find Garima on LinkedIn.

QOTD

Write to us to be part of the conversation to make mental health cool - podcast@myndstories.com

This is a MyndStories production. MyndStories is part of Metta Media Pvt. Ltd.

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice. Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

In this episode, Smitha talks with author Shreya Ramachandran about writing, books, and mental health. Well, that's a given. Shreya talks about how she managed anxiety from a young age and the process of writing a fictional book about a girl who lives with depression. 

Shreya gives us simple ways to manage anxiety, including meditation, investigating our thoughts, and being curious about the thoughts themselves instead of accepting them as truth. 

Quote from the conversation

"How to focus on yourself means, maybe, making difficult decisions for yourself, including asking for health-related help." 

We talk about

• Writing and journaling
• Anxiety and meditation
• Working with our thoughts
• Choosing the right therapist
• Why sleep is the best marker of happiness

Shreya's bio

Shreya Ramachandran is a writer based in Mumbai, and her debut young adult novel, 'The Worlds Within You,' was published by Penguin India in 2022. It was shortlisted for the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar Award, 2023.

Find her book online on Amazon.

Authors that Shreya recommends:

• Andaleeb Wajid
• Urvashi Bahuguna
• Gayathri Prabhu
• Manjiri Indurkar

A book that Smitha recommends:

• The Book of Angst: Understand and Manage Anxiety by Gwendoline Smith
• The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Find Smitha's book online.

Write to us to be part of the conversation to make mental health cool - podcast@myndstories.com

This is a MyndStories production. MyndStories is part of Metta Media Pvt. Ltd.

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice. Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

In this very first episode of our new podcast series, The Therapy Room, we talk to Sanchita Agrawal, a licensed Clinical Psychologist at DocVita for some answers. Very often, every day, we are all dealing with unresolved emotions, past experiences, and behaviors that act as triggers. 

Sanchita shares insightful tips and outlines grounding and relaxation exercises to calm ourselves in difficult situations. 

We talk about:

• How to manage anxiety in everyday life
• Understanding triggers and how to cope with them 
• What to do when you feel overwhelmed and panicky
• How to perform a grounding exercise and what tools you can use
• A breathing exercise that brings immediate relief when stressed

Sanchita's bio

Sanchita Agrawal is a licensed clinical psychologist with experience in both in-patient and outpatient departments in the government and private sectors. She practices cognitive behavior therapy, motivation enhancement therapy, behavior modification, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and her aim is to help individuals of various ages with emotional and behavioral difficulties such as depression, anxiety, OCD, schizophrenia, autism, ADHD, and others. 

Connect with Sanchita

Website | LinkedIn

Our partner

This episode is made possible thanks to support from Docvita, a platform that aims to make mental health more open, supportive, and accessible through their services.

Resources

• The difference between counselors and psychologists
• Lack of mental health professionals in India  
• Tap into the 5-4-3-2-1 or Five Senses grounding/coping technique for anxiety
• Manage anxiety with these 5 grounding techniques
• A guided video demonstrating the five sense technique
• Understanding triggers
• Using mindfulness to improve your mental health
• Finding calm with the 9 breaths purification technique
• Core emotions in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
• How to do paced breathing for relaxation 
• Building an emotional vocabulary
• Ways to take time out and practise self-care

Write to us - podcast@myndstories.com or visit www.myndstories.com 

Support the show

What does it mean to be a life coach? What does it mean to be a parent? And how do you balance life around all the things you love? 

Smitha has an interesting conversation about life, parenthood, life coaching and a lot more with Krusha Sahjwani Malkani an ICF certified life and career coach.

This was a long and truly joyful chat with lots of takeaways and much to learn from. 

Quote from the conversation

"Being selfish is not selfish"

We talk about

• What does a life coaching session entail
• How life coaching is similar yet different from therapy and parenting
• How coaching styles can matter
• Why choosing self-care is important
• How to achieve work-life balance as a mother

Krusha's bio

Krusha is an ICF Certified Career and Life Coach who helps women unlock their highest potential.

She is also a LinkedIn Top Voice, Published Author and the Director of Asia of a global SaaS Company (Sociabble) focused on employee advocacy, engagement and internal communication.

And her newest role that she cherishes most, is that of a mother.

Connect with Krusha

Butterfly Effect Coach | LinkedIn

QOTD

How do you incorporate self-care in your life?

Write to us to be part of the conversation to make mental health cool - podcast@myndstories.com

This is a MyndStories production. MyndStories is part of Metta Media Pvt. Ltd.

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice. Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Trigger warning: This episode mentions suicide. Please find a list of helpline numbers here with the Suicide Prevention Helpline Directory (India).

In this new episode of the MyndStories Minis, Smitha Murthy talks to Shilpa Kulkarni, the founder of Shiv's Third Eye, a non-profit in the US dedicated to the cause of youth mental health.

Shilpa is an active mental health and LGBTIQ+ advocate. She tragically lost her son, Shiv, when he died by suicide at 14. This conversation is specially curated for World Suicide Prevention Day which falls on 10th September. 

We did not want to go into great detail on how or why Shiv died. What we want to celebrate is that for 14 years, Shiv gave a lot of joy. We would like to celebrate life, even in loss.

Especially with loss.

Quote from the conversation

"Don't think that just because your child looks perfect, everything is fine and they don't need anything." 

We talk about:

• Building resilience
• Why mental health should start young
• Mental health advocacy
• Parenting
• Living with regrets

Shilpa's bio 

Shilpa Kulkarni is the mother of two beautiful children, Shiv and Saanvi. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, Vishwas, and their dog, Benji. 

Connect with Shilpa:
LinkedIn

You can connect with the work that she is doing with Shiv's Third Eye here:

https://www.shivsthirdeye.org

Shiv's Third Eye is a non-profit foundation with the mission of "Building resilience and better mental health in adolescents and their surrounding communities through education, awareness, and sponsoring research for the diagnosis and treatment modalities of adolescent mental health."

You can also learn more about Shiv here:

The life and death of a 'perfect human'

Write to us to be part of the conversation to make mental health cool - podcast@myndstories.com

This is a MyndStories production. MyndStories is part of Metta Media Pvt. Ltd.

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice. Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

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A free-ranging conversation this one, touching on life, parents, childhood, friendship, boundaries, and self-care. It's not often that two people can meet on a podcast, and walk away as friends. But that's what happened.   

Quote from the conversation

"I get this comment saying that sometimes it's okay to let go and chill and enjoy and laugh. And why does every conversation have to be a life or death conversation? And I'm asking myself, if it's not a life or death conversation, what kind of a conversation is it?"

We talk about

• Coping with our childhood
• Solitude and loneliness
• Intense friendships
• Establishing boundaries

Shalini's bio 

Shalini is the Founder and Director- Patented.Network at IP Crafters Advisory. She is also a Consultant at the World Intellectual Property Organization. Shalini frequently talks about IP protection, valuation, and commercialization, loves her books, and quiet time, and lives in Goa.

Connect with Shalini

Find Shalini on LinkedIn.

QOTD

What are your boundaries in life?

Write to us to be part of the conversation to make mental health cool - podcast@myndstories.com

This is a MyndStories production. MyndStories is part of Metta Media Pvt. Ltd.

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice. Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

How can we make kindness the focus of our life?

Is it even worth it?

What's the difference between being kind and being taken for granted? Or people-pleasing? These were some of the questions that Nirmala Peters Mehendale answered. This was a joyful conversation that shows us that mental well-being is also this: being kind and taking care of ourselves and others as best as we can. 

Quote from the conversation

"I find joy in giving. In people. You meet such genuine givers in this space"

We talk about

• What it means to 'joyfully adapt'
• How to adopt kindness in our lives
• Being an introvert
• Choosing self-care with kindness
• 5 ways to embrace kindness in your daily life
• The kindness framework

Nirmala's bio

Nirmala Peters-Mehendale is the Co-Founder and Director of Mind Movers Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd. A lifelong advocate of kindness, she is actively involved in the not-for-profit sector, and places kindness at the core of everything she does.

Connect with Nirmala

Find Nirmala on LinkedIn.

QOTD

How do you incorporate kindness in your life?

Write to us to be part of the conversation to make mental health cool - podcast@myndstories.com

This is a MyndStories production. MyndStories is part of Metta Media Pvt. Ltd.

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice. Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

None of us want to be weak and none of us want to be seen as weak. But that does not mean we suffer in silence, which a lot of men seem to be doing. There is a big difference between vulnerability and weakness and in this episode we dig deeper into this.  

Why is depression so misunderstood? What does research tell us about how masculine depression differs from a typical representation of clinical depression? How do men's coping mechanisms differ from women? We explore this through the lens of Arjun Gupta - researcher on men’s mental health and someone who’s battled through severe clinical depression.

We discuss

1. What fueled Arjun’s purpose to spread awareness on men’s mental health.
2. Why is depression so misunderstood? Why is it viewed as a weakness?
3. The difference between vulnerability and weakness.
4. How masculine depression differs from typical representation of clinical depression.
5. Coping mechanisms of men vs women.
6. Emotional Intelligence and how we can learn to take steps towards it. 
7. Arjun’s message to anyone battling through depression and self-harm ideations.

Arjun’s bio

Arjun Gupta is an Ex-MBBS student turned Psychologist and a researcher on men’s mental health. He has been open about his struggles with depression and self-harm ideations and strives to spread awareness about the same. He’s also building a startup called Mind Tuition to psychologically train students preparing for competitive exams.

He has been writing about mental health and psychology since 2017 and has written around 400 unique articles on his old blog titled "Knight of Steel". Currently, he writes a weekly newsletter that is read in 26 countries across the globe!

Connect with Arjun

Instagram | LinkedIn

QOTD

How have you learnt to be vulnerable? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com 

Resources

• Arjun's 'JOSH' talk
• Arjun's weekly newsletter

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice!

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on 
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wearemyndstories/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/myndstories/

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice. 

Support the show

What is it to choose to live alone? As an Indian woman?

In this episode of the MyndStories Minis, we have the author of 'Table For One: A Solo Living Manual For The Curious Indian Woman,' Sumaa Tekur give us those answers. 

Find out why Sumaa wrote this book, the journey she undertook through its writing, and why she considers herself quite rare:

"An Indian woman living alone in India is rare.

An Indian woman living alone in India by choice is rarer.

An Indian woman living alone in India by choice when her parents live in the same city is rarest."

Quote from the conversation

"In India, we actually don't really know how to deal with living alone. We see it as a sad, depressing thing. And I wanted to, through this book, break that myth that it's actually a beautiful experience if you're willing to work on yourself, and you can actually be enriched by this whole experience of living alone."

We talk about

• Having choices in life
• How living alone comes with challenges and benefits

Sumaa's bio

Sumaa is an experienced editor with a history of working in the editing and writing industry. She holds two master’s degrees in journalism and was awarded the Commonwealth Press Union Fellowship in 2005. Sumaa lives in Bangalore with her books, paints and canvases, lamps, and drums. She's the author of 'Table For One' and 'Inner Light.'

You can find Table for One here on Amazon and in all other leading stores online, as well as in bookshops anywhere in India. 

Connect with Sumaa

Find Sumaa on LinkedIn and Instagram.

QOTD

Given a choice, would you prefer to live alone?

Write to us to be part of the conversation to make mental health cool - podcast@myndstories.com

This is a MyndStories production. MyndStories is part of Metta Media Pvt. Ltd.

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice. Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Fame can be a double edged sword. People look up to you and you have a voice to make a difference. On the flip side, you are also opening yourself up to people’s judgements and criticisms. 

How do you navigate through these things while staying true to yourself and be vulnerable? We explore this with Samyukta Hornad, who opens up about her life and acting journey.

We discuss

1. How to be aware of and manage people’s perceptions vs. being herself.
2. An incident back in college that changed her life and sparked her acting career.
3. Forgiveness and closure.
4. Finding her own sense of identity in the middle of juggling multiple identities on screen.
5. How and what made her get involved in animal welfare.
6. Finding romance.
7. Her biggest lessons for emotional well-being.

Samyukta’s bio

Samyukta Hornad is an Indian actress who appears primarily in Kannada films. Her debut movie was Lifeu Ishtene directed by Pawan Kumar, which was a big commercial success. She is also known for her roles in Barfi (2011), Un Samayal Arayil (2014), and Oggarane (2014).

Apart from acting, she is an animal lover and founded the Praana Animal Foundation - a 24/7 dedicated ambulance service and helpline to tend to animals that are hurt or need immediate attention.

Connect with Samyukta

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

QOTD

What insight did you gain from this episode? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com 

Resources

• Praana Animal Foundation
• Samyukta's Wikipedia

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice!

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on 
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wearemyndstories/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/myndstories/

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice. 

Support the show

The relationships we have with the people close to us are like our anchors. They infuse our life with richness and it’s important that we nurture them. However, it's also important to remember that we have a relationship with ourselves too that sets the foundation for our interactions with others. 

Do we know who we truly are? How do we stay in resonance with that and show up as our authentic selves? What is the cost associated with authenticity? I explore these questions and more in this candid, vulnerable chat with Zain Calcuttawala.

We discuss

1. Zain’s battle with depression which led to him starting India’s first mental health podcast. 
2. The relationship he had with himself when he was at rock bottom.
3. How to navigate the pull to be accepted while not losing your authenticity.
4. What is the cost for authenticity and why is it worth it?
5. Learning to realize that it’s a journey of You vs You.
6. Dealing with judgement and the need for external validation.
7. 3 things Zain has learnt from his journey.

Zain’s bio

Zain Calcuttawala is a mental health activist, music producer, sound engineer, and a former artist manager. He is the founder of India’s first Mental Health awareness podcast Marbles Lost & Found to address mental health, depression, and anxiety.

Connect with Zain

LinkedIn | Instagram

QOTD

How has your journey towards finding your authentic self been? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com

Resources
Marbles Lost & Found

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice!

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on 
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wearemyndstories/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/myndstories/

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice. 

Support the show

TW: This episode mentions suicide. Please find a list of helpline numbers here with the Suicide Prevention Helpline Directory (India).

In this new episode of the MyndStories Minis, Smitha Murthy talks to Geetha Balagopal, Senior Program Manager at ASQExcellence. 

In 2022, Geetha wrote a moving LinkedIn post, which went viral. That post was about her daughter, Priya Balagopal, who died by suicide. "I would like Priya to be remembered for how she lived and not how she died," she wrote. 

This conversation is not just a remembrance of how Priya lived but also a gentle invitation for all of us to question how we are living. Are we living lives of joy and purpose? These aren't easy questions, but in asking those questions, we know that the answers will come.

Quote from the conversation

"I always see the good in people."

We talk about

• Consciously looking for the good in people.
• How nature can heal.
• The power of grief and the enduring power of joy.
• Resilience.
• Being kind. Despite everything. 

Geetha's bio 

Geetha Balagopal is the mother of two lovely daughters. She lives with her husband in North Carolina, US. 

Born in India, Geetha is a passionate advocate mental health advocate, following her daughter Priya's own advocacy. She believes in living a life of kindness and is determined to contribute all she can to reduce the stigma around mental illness. 

Connect with Geetha
LinkedIn

If you would like to contribute to the Priya Balagopal Fund, please click on the link here.

QOTD

What is your way to find joy in life?

Write to us to be part of the conversation to make mental health cool - podcast@myndstories.com

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice. Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Meditation. Breathwork. Mindfulness. These are spoken about so often, to a point where it has become cliched. But it is cliched for a reason that needs to be unpacked. Why is it spoken of so much? Why does it lead to an enhanced emotional well being? What is the science behind this? We dive deep into all of these questions and understand how powerful mindfulness based tools really are.

We discuss

1. Geetika’s journey 
2. What leading a mindful life entails
3. The science behind mindfulness
4. Why it is so hard to practice mindfulness consistently
5. How mindfulness can help reduce the need for constant stimulation or instant gratification
6. What is mindfulness based cognitive therapy?
7. The work Geetika is doing with her foundation

Geetika's bio
Geetika Arora is the first certified Mindfulness based cognitive therapy for life coach in India from the Oxford Mindfulness Foundation, University of Oxford and holds a Masters in Education from the University of Bristol, UK. With over 20 years of wellness experience in the global corporate world, Geetika is a workplace health and well-being leader and is currently working with Accenture. She is a thought leader and an eminent voice in the space of corporate well-being and has facilitated Mindfulness programs for clients in the UK, US and APAC region.

Connect with Geetika
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/geetika-arora-bhojak-9240bb2b/

QOTD
How has mindfulness impacted your life? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com

Resources 

• Mindfulness Foundation
• Neuroplasticity

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice!

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on 
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wearemyndstories/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/myndstories/

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Ever been in a phase where you’re feeling lonely but don’t really know how to talk about it? Fear of external judgement or the fear of having your experience trivialized can sometimes be crippling. Vulnerability when it comes to loneliness is hard and we need to talk more about it. If you’re looking for a relatable space and an insightful conversation about how loneliness can be navigated, this episode is for you.

We discuss

1. Understanding the difference between being alone vs being lonely. 
2. Does loneliness boil down to a relationship one has with one’s self?
3. What is the core component to nurturing quality relationships?
4. Leaning into authenticity by addressing the pull to fit in among the crowd.
5. How loneliness can show up in the form of escapism.
6. When is it okay to seek attention and when should it be checked in order to derive validation internally?
7. How do you see signs that someone is feeling lonely and how do you offer support?

Kamna’s bio

Kamna Chhibber is an M. Phil in Clinical Psychology and heads Psychological Services for the Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences at Fortis Healthcare. She is the co-author of the book ‘Alone in the Crowd’ which talks about urban loneliness. She works in the domain of relationships, trauma, abuse, and impact of personality related variables on mental health. She is also involved in developing training programs, working in the area of school mental health, corporate mental health, community outreach programs, in a bid to make mental health a priority for all.

Connect with Kamna

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamna-chhibber-15a18b31/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/people/Kamna-Chhibber/100063634404966/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/kamna_chhibber
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/believe_kc/

QOTD

Have you had a phase when you felt lonely and isolated? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com 

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice!

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on 
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wearemyndstories/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/myndstories/

Resources 

Kamna's book on urban loneliness

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

We kickstart Season 2 of The MyndStories Podcast with a bang!

In this fresh episode of the MyndStories Minis, Smitha Murthy talks to Shantesh Row, copywriter, and CCO.

Shantesh is not your typical writer. Are there typical writers? But we digress.

Shantesh has spent over 25 years in ad agencies, crafting copy that creates brands. In this conversation, you may not get copywriting tips, a la LinkedIn, but you will get insights on coping with stress, a little bit on finding the joy in everyday, and a lot of fun.

Quote from the conversation

"I am a very positive person. Even in the most negative circumstances, even if I am going through absolute crap, I smile."

We discuss

• What it means to be a writer
• Dealing with the darkness
• Finding life's balance between the past and the present
• How to be a child again
• What to read on LinkedIn (intellectually and banally)

Shantesh's bio
Shantesh Row is the Chief Creative Officer at Slant Advertising, an ad agency he co-founded in Dubai. He describes himself on LinkedIn as a: Storyteller. Quizzer. Once upon a time opening batsman and offspinner. Tried to be a Chartered Accountant. Knowledge seeker. Trivia miner. Single Malt connoisseur. Horror film maven. Interpreter of maladies. Wannabe chef. Facebook avoider. Twitter hater. Opinion junkie. Pink Floyd lover. Intense mood-swinger. Novel-in-the-making-for-ages writer. Bathroom crooner. Sit down comedian. Voyeur of life. 

We think his description is way better than anything we could come up with.

Born in Mumbai, Shantesh is based in Dubai and has an affinity for LinkedIn influencers, cows, consistency, and copies, in no particular order. The link to his top-rated copywriting workshop is below. 

No LinkedIn personal branding experts and influencers were harmed during the making of this show. 

Connect with Shantesh
LinkedIn | Topmate

QOTD

What's your favorite tip from Shantesh? Write in with your wittiest answers and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice. Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn 

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

Entrepreneurship is a journey. It’s inspirational. Glamorous. But it’s also exhausting. Demanding. It’s bittersweet. 

Vaibhav Tewari is the Co-Founder and CEO of Portea Medical, one of Asia’s fastest growing in-home healthcare providers. Here, he talks about his personal entrepreneurship journey, the mental pillars he’s leaned on to get him through challenging times, and how he’s learnt to prioritize mental health while building businesses and reaching for the stars. 

We discuss

1. One distinct quality that has got Vaibhav to where he is today.
2. What drew him towards entrepreneurship.
3. Mental pillars he’s leaned on when things were not going according to his vision.
4. A deep dive into how he derives meaning and purpose behind what he does professionally.
5. How people can find their passion and joy even if it means letting go of job security.
6. The shift in how he saw life after the demise of his parents.
7. 3 things he’s learnt about himself through his entrepreneurship journey

Vaibhav's bio

Vaibhav Tewari is an entrepreneur who’s had experience in building multiple businesses of different verticals from the ground up. A strong entrepreneurial approach mixed with strong focus on people is what he prides himself on. He’s actively involved in Coaching and Mentoring Entrepreneurs and senior executives and also serves as a Board of Director, Adviser and Mentor for many fast growing companies across Internet, Retail Consumer and Technology verticals.

Connect with Vaibhav

LinkedIn

QOTD

What have you learnt from your entrepreneurship journey? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com 

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice!

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and on LinkedIn

Resources Links

• Portea Medical

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

In this episode of the MyndStories Minis, Smitha Murthy talks to Anukrti Upadhyay, writer and author. 

Listen as Smitha and Anukrti talk about the process of writing, the meaning of life, the difference a cup of coffee can make, and how hope can often transform our lives.

This is a deep insight into an award-winning author’s approach to life, her thoughts, and the ways in which writing shapes our world. 

Quote from the conversation
Reach out to others because they are your only hope.

We discuss

• What it means to be a writer
• How to pitch to publishers (Hint: It’s quite corporate-style)
• The journey of a writer, inspirations, and encouragement
• The meaning of life, words, books, and writing
• Coping with loneliness and striving for connections in a fractured life
• How to hold on to hope in our darkest moments

Anukrti's bio
Anukrti Upadhyay is the winner of the 2021 Sushila Devi Prize for Fiction for her novel ‘Kintsugi.’ The author is a former lawyer who also authored other books such as the brilliant ‘Bhaunri’ and ‘Daura’ in English in 2019, the Hindi works Japani Sarai (2019), and Neena Aunty (2021). She also frequently writes for literary magazines such as The Bangalore Review and The Bombay Review.

Anukrti is based in Mumbai and has an affinity for cats, chameleons, coffee, and birds, in no particular order.

Connect with Anukrti
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anukrti_u/?hl=en


QOTD
What’s your tip for writing? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice. Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.


Find us on
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wearemyndstories/ 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/myndstories/

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

In this episode of The MyndStories Podcast, Ankit Narasimhan talks to Karthik Raghavendran, who is the Co-Founder and CEO of a neurotechnology startup called Neurostellar. The episode talks about Neurostellar’s vision of using brain-computer interfaces to track and improve individual well-being and the role of technology in the field of mental health.

We discuss:

1. The problems in the mental health space that Neurostellar is trying to solve.
2. Karthik’s inspiration behind starting Neurostellar.
3. Limitations in the existing therapy modalities for which Neurostellar’s technology can help.
4. How he deals with the hesitancy of people buying into the effectiveness of the technology.
5. His advice to anyone who wants to embark on their own entrepreneurship journey.
6. Current scenario of mental health tech startups in India.
7. Neurostellar’s vision over the next few years.

Karthik's bio:
Karthik Raghavendran is passionate about neurotechnology and brain-computer interfaces. He believes Neurostellar’s technology can craft the future of individual well-being and mental health. He is also the co-founder and chapter lead of NeuroTechX India, which is a non-profit organization whose mission is to facilitate the advancement of neurotechnology by providing key resources and learning opportunities.

Connect with Karthik
LinkedIn

How do you think technology can contribute to mental health? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com 

Resources:

• Neurostellar

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice!

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and on LinkedIn

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

In this episode of the MyndStories Minis, Smitha Murthy talks to a close friend, Teena Gomes, Director, APJ HR Services at VMware. 

Listen as Smitha and Teena alternate between bantering and serious conversations about everything from gardening to friendships to managing stress. What’s your takeaway? 

Hear Teena’s secrets behind how she nurtures long-term, successful relationships in her life.

Quote from the conversation

It’s very important to cultivate friendships, to nurture friendships but you can’t force friendships…they have to be organic after a point in time.

We discuss
1. What makes relationships work

2. How to build and maintain long-lasting friendships

3. What gardening means to Teena and how she derives joy from it 

4. What Teena follows to destress and bring more calm into her life

Teena's bio 
Teena Gomes works with VMWare as Director, APJ HR Services. She has earlier worked with Dell, LeadFormix, and IBM in various roles. Teena loves gardening, traveling, reading, craftwork, and spending time with her friends and family.

Connect with Teena
LI | YouTube | Instagram

QOTD
What’s your tip for successful relationships? Write in and tell us - podcast@myndstories.com

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice. Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn 

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

In this episode of The MyndStories Podcast, Ankit Narasimhan talks to Prachi S Vaish, who has had almost 17 years of experience specializing in couples therapy, relationships, and intimacy. We talk about how we can be more self aware in our relationships and how we can build healthy habits to create long-lasting relationships.

We discuss

1. How to navigate through the fear of not finding love in your life.
2. What is mindful dating?
3. Understanding the concept of core values.
4. How to handle our own healing journey while being in a relationship.
5. Three pillars for handling conflict and friction.
6. How do we walk the thin line between healthy compromises and losing yourself.
7. Prachi’s greatest learning from all her years of studying relationships.

Prachi's bio

Prachi S Vaish is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist. She is the founder of the Emotional Wellness Initiatives  which is an online psychological and emotional wellbeing services platform. In her work in the field of mental health she has appeared as an expert on several platforms including magazines like Femina, Better Homes and Gardens and Child, and websites like Twinkle Khanna's Tweakindia.com

Connect with Prachi

LinkedIn

QOTD

What was your takeaway from this episode? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com 

Resources

• Emotional Wellness Initiatives

Enjoying our podcasts? Listen to more episodes on Spotify, Gaana, and other platforms of your choice!

Visit www.myndstories.com for all the guidance you need on your mental health journey.

Find us on Instagram and on LinkedIn

*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

Support the show

In this episode of The MyndStories Podcast, Ankit Narasimhan talks to Aanya Wadhwani, a queer-affirmative therapist and someone who identifies as a queer individual herself, about her experience as a therapist and the challenges that she’s been through in her own journey.

We discuss

1. Defining the term 'queer'.
2. Digging deep into where the rigidity in thinking stems from when it comes to the acceptance of the queer community.
3. How to do the work to fully embrace who you are when you don’t align with the mainstream.
4. How she has handled challenges that have come in her own journey identifying as a queer individual.
5. How the process of coming out is not a one-time event or a linear journey.
6. Understanding what queer-affirmative therapy is.

Aanya's bio

Aanya Wadhwani is a queer-affirmative and a trauma-informed therapist. She has a private practice based in Mumbai where she provides psychotherapy, teaching, training, and career guidance sessions.

Connect with Aanya

Email | LinkedIn

QOTD

Do you identify as a queer individual? Write in and tell us your story - podcast@myndstories.com 

Resources:

• Understanding LGBTQ Affirmative Therapy

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*Disclaimer - The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling and is not to be taken as medical or mental health advice.

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