About Me
Soulful Healing and Liminal Spaces
Growing up in urban India in the 90s meant I was at the cusp of Westernization, and Americanization. I would watch American cartoons while I had my very Indian lunch of okra and coconut rice. It also meant that I bought denim jeans for Diwali as a child, and was praised when I learned to spell complicated English words, never mind that I couldn’t spell my own name in my Native languages- Tamil, Malayalam, and Hindi. As a young child, I didn’t fully understand how Indian was Indian enough without experiencing shame, guilt, and confusion.
It is in these liminal spaces that I learned about mental health its’ impact on every day, ordinary people like myself. As I grew into adulthood, I realized that navigating two worlds can be emotionally taxing, and isolating. The two worlds one navigates could be that of White Supremacy, and Desi culture pride. It could be that of a romantic partner in a troubling relationship, and a professional who is hoping to break glass ceilings. It can also be that of an adult with a wounded inner child who aches for love and acceptance, but also needs to be a secure and stable parent for their young child.
As I pursued my Master’s and Doctoral degree in counseling, I realized that I loved helping women who navigated the in-between worlds, who often had to code-switch, and manage seemingly opposite parts of themselves. I was also given feedback by numerous clients that my calm presence, attentive listening, and gentle confrontations helped them process their trauma and grow past them. Thus, I came to witness the development of my own counseling niche- helping women, womxn, and femme presenting folx heal from trauma, and integrate their two (or more!) worlds!
Soulfulness Counseling began with this dream and longing. Although it is a relatively new venture to pour my heart into, the idea of running a practice that caters to those who seek a safe, and authentic therapy space to pursue their healing has accompanied me for a decade. And while you may see only my face on this website, it is inspired by numerous family and friends who believe in my dream. Welcome to Soulfulness community circle!!
Mission
Offer culturally competent, trauma informed counseling to women, womxn, and femme presenting individuals, that helps you pursue the highest and best version of yourself.
Vision
Social justice, and inclusivity lies at the heart of my anti-oppressive approach to counseling. I firmly believe that mental health is impacted by our intersecting identities such as race, sexual orientation, social class, immigration status, and so on. All aspects of your lived experiences are welcomed and honored at Soulfulness.
Values
- Culturally responsive, and inclusive
- Trauma-sensitive, and trauma- informed
- Deep, authentic counseling relationships
My Education and Training
National Certified Counselor
This is a certification offered by National Board of Certified Counselors. The National Certified Counselor Certification (NCC) is a voluntary national certification that identifies counselors who have met national standards set by the counseling profession. The NCC is issued by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC). I have held this certification since 2016, and my registration number is 745302
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional
Based on over 25 years of break-through research, this trauma competency training revolutionizes the way I work with trauma survivors and dramatically improve your treatment outcomes. My registration number is R5972, and I have been a CCTP since 2021
PhD in Counseling
A doctoral degree in counseling with specialization in clinical mental health counseling, I have received rigorous training in assessment, evaluation, diagnosis, and trauma-informed counseling. I received my PhD from one of the best programs in the U.S.- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2019)