Case Study

Toxic workplace When Work Becomes a Battlefield — A Therapist’s Perspective on Healing from a Toxic Workplace. I first spoke from Priya on a Thursday afternoon — the kind of day that quietly mirrors emotional heaviness. She phoned me with a calm, composed exterior, but her voice told a different story. There was weariness in her tone — not the kind that comes from lack of rest, but the deeper kind that comes from fighting invisible battles every single day. Priya was a high-achieving marketing manager in her mid-thirties. On paper, she was thriving: promotions, recognition, and a resume most people would envy. But beneath that surface, she was unravelling. She spoke of a work environment laced with passive aggression, unrealistic demands, and a constant undercurrent of anxiety. “It’s like I’m always bracing for impact,” she said in one of our early sessions. What made her reach out for help wasn’t a breakdown, but something quieter — and in many ways, more heartbreaking. She had forgotten her father’s birthday. That one lapse became a mirror. “Who am I becoming?” she asked me, not expecting an answer, just aching for clarity. What Therapy Looked Like In the beginning, we didn’t start with solutions. We started with space. Space to exhale. Space to name the unnamed — the microaggressions, the chronic invalidation, the guilt she carried for things that weren’t hers to own. In that sacred space, her silence began to speak louder than her words. I didn’t just see burnout. I saw someone grieving — the loss of joy, of identity, of boundaries blurred by corporate chaos. So we began the slow work of stitching her sense of self back together. Unlearning, Reclaiming, Rebalancing We worked on reframing the internal narratives — the “I’m not doing enough,” “I can’t afford to drop the ball,” and “If I don’t say yes, I’ll be seen as difficult.” We explored where those beliefs were born, often tracing them back to childhood patterns of earning love through performance. Boundary work was central. We practiced the art of saying no — gently, firmly, without apology. Together, we designed rituals for ending the workday: shutting the laptop at 7 PM, taking intentional pauses, and even deleting her work email from her phone — a small act of rebellion that felt revolutionary. I introduced her to somatic grounding techniques, which helped her come back to her body — something she hadn’t done in years. Breathwork, journaling, movement — these weren’t just coping tools; they became anchors. And then came the return to joy. Priya rediscovered painting, started spending Sundays offline, and began to reclaim her evenings for herself and her loved ones. It wasn’t about balance in the strict sense — it was about realignment with what mattered most. The Transformation Six months later, Priya wasn’t just functioning — she was living. She had shifted teams, redefined her work boundaries, and was no longer carrying the weight of her job home in her body or her spirit. She told me, “I no longer feel the need to prove my worth. I just know it now.” The lightness in her voice during that session still stays with me. It reminded me why I do this work. Reflections from the Therapy Room Working with Priya reaffirmed something I’ve witnessed many times — that toxic work cultures don’t just drain our energy, they distort our identity. And healing is not just about learning to cope, but about remembering who we were before the world told us who we had to be. Therapy, in her case, wasn’t a rescue mission. It was a reclamation. Of time. Of truth. Of self. If you find yourself constantly shrinking to fit into spaces that don’t honour your humanity, know this: there is nothing wrong with you. Sometimes, it’s the system that’s broken — not you. And healing? It’s not just possible. It’s powerful.

We Thought Love Was Enough” – How Premarital Counselling Transformed Our Relationship Introduction Why a Happy Couple Still Chose Premarital Counselling  Aanya and Raghav (names changed) had what looked like the perfect love story. Five years together, shared memories, dreams of a future, and a ready-to-go wedding hashtag. So, why did they walk into a counselling room? Session Insights  What They Learned in Counselling – Session by Session Session 1  “We Communicate Really Well”… Or Do We? ➡️ They spoke often—but didn’t truly listen.➡️ They learned to listen with empathy and validate without fixing. Lesson: Deep love still needs intentional communication. Session 2  The Unspoken “Dealbreakers” ➡️ A surprise revelation about moving abroad sparked tension.➡️ Assumptions they never questioned surfaced. Lesson: Honest dialogue prevents future disconnect. Session 3  Facing the Past to Strengthen the Present ➡️ Aanya’s childhood experiences shaped how she handled conflict.➡️ Raghav misunderstood her emotional responses. Lesson: Unhealed trauma can silently impact even the happiest couples. What Changed  They Weren’t Broken – But They Got Stronger ➡️ Built emotional safety➡️ Practiced real conflict resolution➡️ Created a shared vision of the future Quote:“Premarital counselling didn’t fix us. We weren’t broken. But it gave us a map we didn’t know we needed.” Final Thought  Start Strong. Start Together. Love brings you together. But understanding, healing, and communication keep you together. 🔗 Book a session today🔗 Learn more about relationship therapy

Anamika’s Journey Betrayal. Heartbreak. A marriage on the edge. Anamika (name changed), a 36-year-old woman from NCR, approached me, carrying a storm within her. She had caught her husband, Mohit, exchanging intimate messages with a colleague. Her world shattered in an instant. She was angry, devastated, and resentful—ready to walk away. But when I asked her, “What do you truly want?” her initial response—”I want him out of my life”—didn’t seem fully aligned with her emotions. By the third session, clarity emerged: She wanted to save her marriage. Not just for their 7-year-old son, but also for the love they once shared.  The Underlying Patterns Through therapy, we unearthed deeper issues:  Mohit’s childhood trauma—growing up in financial instability, losing his father with unpaid debts, and carrying the burden of responsibility. His attraction to power & security—the other woman was financially independent and assertive, traits he unconsciously wished to see in Anamika.  His emotional withdrawal—working late, drinking more, and becoming distant in their marriage. Meanwhile, Anamika had been a loved child, who had fought against societal odds to marry Mohit. Leaving wasn’t just about herself—it meant facing judgment, shame, and a sense of personal failure. She wasn’t ready to give up, but she also couldn’t stay the way she was. ✨ Astro-Psychological Analysis: To gain a deeper insight into their emotional and behavioral patterns, we used an astro-psychological approach.  Mohit’s planetary placements indicated deep-seated insecurity — signifying struggles with financial matters and father-related trauma. Anamika’s chart showed certain combinations, making her highly emotional, love-driven, and committed to relationships despite hardships. The planetary transits at the time of the crisis indicated a karmic test in their relationship—forcing both partners to feel emotionally overwhelmed. Understanding these cosmic influences helped Anamika make peace with her emotions. Therapy & Transformation The journey ahead was not about “winning him back” but about regaining her own strength. Emotional Boundaries No more people-pleasing. She stopped seeking validation from Mohit and started sleeping in a separate room with their son. No Physical Intimacy As difficult as it was, she withdrew from physical affection, ensuring Mohit felt the emotional distance. Shifting Focus Instead of obsessing over Mohit, she engaged deeply with her son, ensuring he absorbed minimal negativity. Playdates, weekend outings, and quality time became her priorities. Over the months, these small but intentional shifts triggered a reflection within Mohit—an insecurity, a realization of what he was about to lose. By month seven, he came forward, apologizing and pledging to rebuild their bond. Unanswered Questions…  Will Anamika ever be able to trust Mohit the same way again? Will Mohit truly stay committed? Will their marriage ever regain its past warmth? These questions remain open-ended. But one truth stands: Anamika made a choice. And she made peace with it. Many might say she should have left, but therapy isn’t about dictating choices. It’s about empowering individuals to make their own, with clarity and strength. My role wasn’t to tell her what to do, but to ensure that whatever she chose, she did it from a place of power, not fear.