APPROACH TO THERAPY

Hartika J Pahuja - Your therapist for Anxiety and Emotional Wellbeing in Mumbai

Hi, I’m Hartika. Thank you for visiting my website. I work as a therapist for anxiety and emotional wellbeing in Mumbai.

You don’t need to have it all figured out to begin.

If you’re in your 20s, 30s, or 40s and feel emotionally drained, stuck in your thoughts, or like you’re always holding space for others — but not yourself — you’re not alone.

You might look like you’re coping. But inside, the overthinking, self-doubt, and quiet pressure to “hold it all together” hasn’t let up.

As a counselling psychologist in Mumbai, I work with adults who are ready to stop performing and start feeling. Many of my clients carry burnout, worry, or that heavy sense of “I should be fine… but I’m not.”

I understand this not just as a therapist, but as a human first – someone who’s been through it. Therapy helped me find my way back to myself — and now I help others do the same, with honesty, warmth, and compassion.

You don’t need a breakdown to begin. Just a desire to feel more like yourself again.

My Approach as a Therapist

When you’re opening up about personal struggles — like anxiety, overthinking, low confidence, or emotional overwhelm — you want to feel safe, heard, and not rushed.

That’s exactly what I offer:

  • A warm and non-judgmental space
  • A collaborative pace that meets you where you are
  • Flexibility that honours your story — not your symptoms

You don’t need to have a crisis to begin therapy. You just need to be curious about yourself.

What Therapy with Me Feels Like

Therapy isn’t about quick fixes or being “told what to do.” Instead, here’s what you can expect:

  • A space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what’s true for you
  • A pace that meets you where you are — not where you “should” be
  • Insights into your emotional patterns and what’s keeping you stuck
  • Tools you can use — to manage spirals, soften the inner critic, and feel less emotionally overloaded
  • Insights that gently reconnect you to yourself, your needs, and your voice
  • No pressure to be perfect, have answers, or even know what you’re feeling

Because healing isn’t about becoming someone new.
It’s about remembering who you were before the world told you otherwise.

Rooted in Understanding, Not “Fixing”

You may have learned that being alert, productive, or emotionally strong was the way to stay safe or valued. But what once helped you survive might now be keeping you anxious, disconnected, or overwhelmed.

In our sessions, we’ll hold space for:

  • Exploring those patterns with compassion
  • Understanding what your nervous system is holding
  • Gently making space for more calm, self-trust, and emotional safety

What Informs My Work

Therapy with me is tailored for each individual. I draw from a person-centered and trauma-informed approach that adapts to what’s most useful for you.

I integrate:

  • Person-Centered Therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
  • Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
  • Mindfulness-Based Tools 
  • Trauma-Informed Principles

Each session is adapted based on what’s most helpful for you. You’re not expected to fit into a method—the method is shaped to fit you.

 Even if you don’t know where to begin, that’s okay. We’ll start from wherever you are.

My Qualifications

  • Advanced Diploma in Counselling & Community Outreach
  • Master’s of Science in Psychology (Clinical)
  • Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology

Therapy for Anxiety and Emotional Wellbeing

If you’re feeling like…

  • You’re always anxious or “on” — even when life seems fine
  • You’re stuck in your head or constantly second-guessing
  • You’re emotionally numb, disconnected, or always overthinking
  • You’re tired of being everything for everyone — and nothing for yourself

Then therapy can help. You don’t have to carry it all alone anymore.

You can also explore our FAQs to learn more about some concerns people have when starting therapy & our blog what happens in the first therapy session to soothe your curiosity and make an informed decision before starting.

Schedule your session

“Each person is an island unto himself, in a very real sense: and he can only build bridges to other islands if he is first of all willing to be himself and permitted to be himself.”

Carl Rogers

Keeping this quote in mind, your uniqueness will be celebrated in our work together.

DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OFFER EMERGENCY SERVICES. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR NEAREST HOSPITAL/HELPLINE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. HELPLINE NUMBERS: MANN TALKS (+91 8686139139) ICALL (+91 9152987821) VANDREVALA FOUNDATION (+91 9999666555)