If dread or second-guessing keep hijacking your week, a counsellor is a good next step. I see adults 25-45 in English and Hindi, online and in Bengaluru. First chat is free.
Short answer. If dread and constant second-guessing keep tripping your week, seeing a counsellor is a good next step. If you are asking whether to see a therapist for anxiety or social anxiety, try a first conversation when your fixes stop holding and it starts costing you sleep or friendships.
In short:
You want a sign. Here is mine: if worry chews hours, if you duck rooms and messages you actually care about, or if your body stays keyed-up long after the moment has passed, it is worth talking to someone. When that sounds familiar, book a brief chat.
Some people wait for a crisis. Others come in when small annoyances pile into something heavy across weekdays. If you catch yourself skipping plans you would usually enjoy or waking with your jaw clenched, a quiet room with me is a good place to untangle the mess.
Anxiety hogs your bandwidth. You can start without a label from me; we will name what shows up and build small experiments that give you room back. That is often the first real relief.
If you are unsure whether the knot is anxiety or low mood, this piece might help: Am I depressed or anxious?. My room is for the practical parts too: sleep that will not settle and overchecking that eats your hours. We keep it ordinary and specific.
Crowds are not required. Social anxiety can look like dreading the team stand-up or sweating through small talk at a neighbour's dinner, while your body convinces you this is danger and every move might expose you. That is a real, learned alarm, not a character flaw.
In sessions we plan tiny, boring tests: where to stand in the room, what to say if words dry up, how to breathe between turns, and how to leave early without burning the bridge. This kind of fear is exhausting, so this article may fit too: Why you are exhausted after a day of doing nothing difficult. We aim for fewer landmines and less self-bullying.
Rafiq means a companion. I walk with you rather than correct you, and I do not diagnose or try to fix you; we notice patterns and try a practical next step you choose. It is slower than hacks and kinder than scolding, on purpose. The practice is called Rafiq, and the name comes from my podcast that has been running since 2020.
Since 2015, I have worked with more than 140 adults, mostly between 25 and 45, in English and Hindi, over video and in person in Bengaluru. A first conversation is thirty minutes and free, and booking runs through a form first. I am not a doctor and cannot prescribe; if medication might help I refer. If you are choosing roles, read Do I need a counsellor or a life coach?.
Safety comes first, always. If you are in immediate danger, or thinking about ending your life, please call Tele-MANAS on 14416 or go to the nearest hospital; helplines and emergency rooms exist for precisely that edge. If you cannot speak, hand the phone to someone near you.
Some rooms are a different fit from mine. Medication reviews and diagnosis reports live with psychiatrists or clinical psychologists. I also do not work with under-25s. If you are unsure, we can spend the free first call deciding where to go.
Start small with contact. Fill the form, we set a thirty-minute free call, and you use that space to see whether I feel like a person you can talk to without faking. If it feels off, I will point you to other names or different kinds of rooms.
In Bengaluru I also host a small cafe gathering in HSR for five or so people. It is not counselling; it is a simple hour to sit near other adults and speak a little, and the day moves week to week. If you are hovering at the edge of this decision, this can help: Do I need therapy if nothing is actually wrong?. We pick a time.
When should I see a counsellor for anxiety?
When worry shapes your days, avoidance costs you things you care about, or your body stays on alert after ordinary moments, book a first conversation. We use that half-hour to see what would help and whether I am the right room.
Do I need medication or counselling for anxiety?
Some people use counselling alone. Others add medication for a while. I am not a doctor and cannot prescribe, so if medication might help I refer. The free first call can map options and help you decide which door to try first.
What happens in the first conversation?
It is thirty minutes and free. You tell me what is happening, I ask a few practical questions, and we decide on next steps. Sometimes that means booking a session. Sometimes it means pointing you to a different kind of help.
How often would we meet?
We pick a rhythm that your life can carry. Weekly or fortnightly are common, and we can slow down or pause if needed. No fixed timeline. The work moves at the speed you can actually sustain between sessions.
Do you offer in-person sessions in Bengaluru?
Yes. I work over video and in person in Bengaluru, in English and Hindi. If you prefer to start from home, we can begin online and shift later. The small cafe gathering in HSR is separate and is not counselling.
Written by Satlaj Sachan, a counsellor in Bengaluru working Book a first conversation.