If something happened and you still live around it, counselling can help. If medication might matter, I refer to a psychiatrist. Adults 25-45, English and Hindi, video or Bengaluru.
Short answer. If something happened and you are still arranging your days around it, counselling is worth a try. When medication might help alongside talking, I refer to a psychiatrist and we keep things steady together. The first chat is free and low stakes.
In short:
People use the word trauma for a lot of things. I use it for whatever shocked your sense of safety, dignity, or choice, and left a mark you still live around today, even when life looks steady on paper. This too is trauma. And it reshaped how you move.
A single accident can do it. So can years of criticism at home, a medical scare that went sideways, or a betrayal that quietly drained your trust in other humans. People also come in after layoffs, bullying at work, or messy breakups that left their body jumpy and their sleep thin. Sometimes nothing dramatic happened and something still cracked inside.
Look at effects and leave labels aside. Do memories blindside you in meetings, do you avoid whole places or people, or do you feel numb for days and then explode at a small thing that did not deserve it. When your body stays braced as if danger is nearby, talking can give you room to breathe and choose.
Many people call this anxiety or low mood and then feel guilty for not snapping out of it. Names can wait today. If you want a read while you think, try Burnout and depression look the same from the inside for a clean, non-scary check on overlap.
I am not a doctor and cannot prescribe. Medication is one tool. If sleep has collapsed, or panic keeps you from buses and lifts, or you have thoughts about ending your life, a psychiatrist is worth seeing alongside counselling. It can steady the floor so you can do the work of talking through what happened, and I refer when that seems sensible.
Strong warning signs matter. Racing thoughts that flip into grand plans, weeks of very little sleep, hearing or seeing things others do not, or heavy drinking to blunt fear point to a medical consult first. Counselling can run alongside. If you already take medication, we can still talk about habits and choices without touching your dose.
I called this practice Rafiq because I try to be the friend who walks with you and asks simple, specific questions. We take small steps. I do not fix people and I do not diagnose. Adults roughly 25 to 45, in English and Hindi, over video or in person in Bengaluru.
This room will not suit you if you want a label, a quick plan, or a promise. Safety comes before sessions. If you are at immediate risk to yourself, please call Tele-MANAS on 14416 now or see emergency care. For active psychosis, severe withdrawal, or violent behaviour, a psychiatrist or hospital team is the safer door to walk through.
I also run a small cafe gathering in HSR for five or so people, and the day shifts each week. It is for easy company and tea. This is not counselling. Some people like to start there while they decide whether to book a private slot.
We sit and make sense of your week. I ask about the moment right before the thing that keeps repeating, and we test small shifts that feel possible in your real life rather than in a neat thought exercise. Long pauses are allowed. You are not required to be tidy.
Paperwork stays very light. A first conversation is thirty minutes and free, and booking runs through a form first. I have been practising since 2015 and have worked with more than 140 people. If you are weighing timing, Do I need therapy if nothing is actually wrong? might ease the edge of that decision.
You might want a few small tests before hitting submit on the form. Start with small checks. Read Am I depressed or anxious? if your head keeps bouncing between labels. If doubt is the real ache, Do I need therapy or am I overreacting? often clears that fog enough to pick a next step.
Do I need counselling or medication for trauma?
They are different tools. Counselling helps you make sense of patterns and try safer choices. If sleep has fallen apart, panic rules your day, or you have thoughts of dying, see a psychiatrist as well. I am not a doctor and cannot prescribe, and I refer when medication might help.
What happens in the first free conversation?
We spend thirty minutes seeing what brings you here, what life looks like this month, and whether my style fits you. No forms beyond the booking one, no pressure to decide on the spot. You can ask about video vs in person and anything practical. If it feels off, we stop there.
Can we do counselling in Hindi?
Yes. I work in English and Hindi. Some people switch between the two in the same session, which is fine. Use the language that lets you say the thing straight. If you write better than you speak in one of them, bring notes and we can read together.
Do you work with people under 25?
I work with adults roughly 25 to 45. If you are younger, please look for a counsellor who focuses on younger adults or call Tele-MANAS on 14416 for options in your city. Age fit affects comfort in the room, and comfort affects whether you will keep coming.
Can I see you if I am already on medication?
Yes. Counselling can sit alongside medication. We will not adjust your dose in my room. If something about the medication is bothering you, I will ask you to take it back to your psychiatrist, and with your consent I can share what I am seeing.
Written by Satlaj Sachan, a counsellor in Bengaluru working Book a first conversation.