Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about therapy, sessions, and what you can expect when you begin.
How do I begin?
The first step is simply to get in touch through the Contact Page.
After your enquiry, I will respond with the next steps, including information about availability, fees, and details for booking your Discovery session. After the session, if you decide to begin therapy here, I will share the intake forms, explain the informed consent and monthly booking processes, and confirm your regular session slot . Once these are completed, we will schedule the first appointment.
How do I know whether psychotherapy is right for me?
You do not need to be in crisis to begin therapy.
People seek psychotherapy for many different reasons: trauma, anxiety, depression, burnout, grief, relationship difficulties, chronic pain or illness, neurodivergence, life transitions, questions around identity, or simply a persistent feeling that something no longer fits.
You also do not need to have a diagnosis or know exactly what is wrong. Sometimes people arrive simply because life has become difficult to understand. That is reason enough to begin a conversation.
What happens in the first session?
The first session is a conversation.
It is an opportunity for us to understand what brings you to therapy, what has led you here, and what you hope might become different.
There is no expectation that you tell your entire life story. We begin where you are.
You are also welcome to ask questions about the process, discuss concerns, and decide whether this way of working feels right for you. Slowly we begin the intake process.
What happens in psychotherapy?
From the outside, psychotherapy often looks like two people talking.
In reality, it is a process of understanding how thoughts, emotions, relationships, bodily responses and life experiences gradually come together to shape the way we live.
Sometimes this involves conversation. Sometimes careful observation. Sometimes experiential work, drawn from trauma-informed and body-oriented approaches.
The aim is not simply to reduce symptoms, but to develop a different relationship with yourself, your relationships and your life.
Will you tell me what to do?
Sometimes practical guidance has its place. However, psychotherapy is not primarily about advice. Advice may or may not change what we do. Understanding can change how we see. Intention and conscious effort help us translate that understanding into how we live.
The goal of therapy is not to provide ready-made answers, but to help you develop the understanding from which your own decisions can emerge.
Which therapeutic approaches do you use?
My practice is intentionally integrative. My work primarily draws from trauma-informed psychotherapy, relational neuroscience, existential school of thought and psychodynamic inquiry. These are not separate techniques applied one after another. They are different ways of understanding human experience. Every therapeutic relationship is shaped by the person sitting in front of me rather than by a single theoretical model.
How often are sessions held?
At present I offer sessions that are held weekly. I believe that is the rhythm that is best suited for the depth-based work that I offer.
How long is each session?
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Discovery Session – 30 minutes
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Individual Psychotherapy – 50 minutes
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Couple or Family Therapy – 75 minutes
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Clinical Supervision – 60 minutes
How long will therapy last?
There is no fixed answer.
Some people come with a specific difficulty and work together for a few months. Others choose longer-term therapy to understand themselves more deeply.
Rather than deciding the number of sessions in advance, we regularly reflect on whether the work continues to be meaningful and useful.
Ending therapy is considered part of the therapeutic process rather than something separate from it.
When will I start feeling better?
Many people notice small changes within the first few sessions: feeling heard, gaining clarity, or beginning to recognise patterns that previously felt confusing. Deeper and more lasting change usually unfolds gradually.
The aim is not simply to feel better for a short time, but to understand yourself in ways that continue to support you long after therapy ends.
Is everything I share confidential?
Yes.
Confidentiality is one of the foundations of psychotherapy. There are limited legal and ethical exceptions—for example, where there is an immediate risk of serious harm or where disclosure is required by law. These exceptions are discussed in detail as part of the informed consent process before therapy begins.
Do you prescribe medication?
No.
As a Rehabilitation Psychologist and Psychotherapist, I do not prescribe medication.
If medication appears likely to be helpful, we may discuss consulting a Psychiatrist or another medical professional.
Can I contact you between sessions?
You are welcome to email me. Please keep in mind I can only answer regarding appointments or administrative matters via email and when I am available to answer.
Therapeutic work is generally kept within scheduled sessions. This helps preserve the clarity and reliability of the therapeutic relationship while also supporting healthy boundaries for both therapist and client.
What if I am experiencing a mental health emergency?
Begin does not have the capacity to offer an emergency or crisis service. No solo private practice can. That service is absolutely at its best when offered by institutions like a hospital with a psychiatric emergency service.
If you believe you are at immediate risk of harming yourself or someone else, or require urgent psychiatric or medical attention, please contact your local emergency services or the nearest hospital immediately.
You are welcome to inform me afterwards so that we can think together about your ongoing care.
Can I cancel or reschedule a session?
Of course. Plans sometimes change.
If you need to cancel or reschedule, please let me know at least 48 hours in advance. Changes made with less notice will ordinarily be charged the full session fee, except in circumstances covered by the cancellation policy.
The same consideration applies from my side. If I need to change an appointment, I will let you know as soon as I reasonably can and offer an alternative.
For the full details, please refer to the Working Together policy.
Do you offer online therapy?
Yes. My practice is primarily online.
I offer online psychotherapy across India for individuals and pairs, including but not limited to couples. I also work with Indians living outside India where professional and legal requirements allow.
Clinical supervision is currently offered online within India.
Which languages do you work in?
Sessions are available in English, Bengali and Hindi.
Do you offer a sliding scale?
A small number of reduced-fee appointments are reserved for people experiencing genuine financial hardship.
These places are intentionally limited and prioritised according to need.
How do I know whether we are the right fit?
Every therapist brings a different way of listening, thinking and working.
Reading about someone’s approach can be helpful, but no website can fully answer whether the relationship will feel right.
The first few conversations often answer that question more honestly than anything written here.
You are welcome to begin with curiosity rather than certainty.
What if I don’t know what to talk about?
That is completely okay. Many meaningful sessions begin without an agenda.
Sometimes we discover the important conversation only after sitting quietly together for a few minutes.
What if I cry?
You never need to apologise for crying.
Tears are one of many ways the mind and body communicate experience.
There is no expectation that you remain composed during therapy.
What if I don’t cry?
That is equally okay. There is no correct emotional response in therapy.
Some people think through language. Others through images. Others through silence. Others through bodily sensations.
We will work with whatever is available.
What if I become angry with you?
Please tell me.
Therapy should be able to hold disagreement safely.
Anger, disappointment and frustration often become important opportunities to understand patterns that exist both inside and outside the therapy room.
Will you give me advice?
Sometimes. More often, recommendations.
If I believe practical guidance would genuinely be helpful, I may offer information, suggestions or psychoeducation. More often, however, my role is to help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself so that your own decisions become clearer.
Advice can sometimes solve today’s problem. Understanding often changes tomorrow’s decisions.
Can I take breaks from therapy?
Yes.
Sometimes breaks are practical. Sometimes they are therapeutic.
If you are considering pausing therapy, I encourage us to discuss it together so that we can think about what would best support you.
Can I come back later?
In many cases, yes.
If I have availability, you are welcome to contact me in the future.
Please understand that I may not always be able to offer your previous appointment time, and availability cannot be guaranteed.
