Anamika is a #TraumaInformedTherapist treating a range of #MentalHealth Issues including #Trauma Cases, Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), #PTSD, Narcissistic Abuse, Parental Abuse #LGBTQ Cohort (dealing with identity issues, lack of support, trouble coming out etc.), #Anxiety, #Panic, #Depression, Behavioural Issues, Personality Deficits, and Chronic Depression to name a few. She also provides couple counselling and grief counselling. Due to her personal experience with Fibromyalgia (a Chronic Pain Condition) which was triggered by Psychological Trauma in her case, Anamika judiciously opted for the profession of Psychology and now practices as a Trauma Informed Therapist. She is a Graduate in English literature, a Post-Graduate in Applied Psychology, and holds multiple certifications in different Therapeutic Interventions. Anamika has undergone training in Clinical Psychology in a Hospital and continues her own practice while working on advanced cases with a Senior Clinical Psychologist. In 2016, she started her passion project “Let’s Heal” to provide mental health support and awareness globally. In an exclusive interview with T.I.W, Anamika unfolds various dimensions of #ClinicalPsychology and discusses how #Psychotherapeutic Treatment is perceived in the Indian society.
#1. Tell us about your initiative of Let’s Heal.
In 2016, after experiencing severe traumatic chronic pain, mental and physical health issues, I decided to help people heal and alleviate the pain of those who were fighting silent battles like me, with little to no support from anyone. I wanted to give the help that I didn’t get. Keeping this in mind, I started “Let’s Heal”, an online platform to provide support and awareness about mental health. Apart from content creation, I also provide personal counselling and therapy sessions to people suffering from trauma and other mental health issues. I follow an eclectic approach where I use a set of various therapeutic tools and techniques and different schools of thoughts of Psychotherapy depending upon the situation and case at hand along with overall counselling and talk therapy. I also give homework after each session so that the client/patient can have something they can work with and put what they learn in the sessions to use. I have a Humanistic Approach and use #CBT, #REBT, #DBT, Trauma Informed Therapy, Behavioural Counselling, Existential Counselling, Psychodynamic Techniques, Relaxation Techniques, and Breathing Exercises essentially.
#2. Why psychological cases are rising in society?
Some of the main reasons for psychological disturbances erupt from unrealistic pressure and expectations from various societal blocks like parents, teachers, peers, seniors, relatives, authority figures and even the media. It also emerges from work or performance pressure. Moreover, childhood traumas like child sexual abuse, psychological abuse, child neglect by parental figures etc. play a significant role in infusing detrimental psychological conditions in people. The psychological impact of sexual abuse and psychological abuse has a long shelf life, which may sometimes stretch lifelong. Losing someone very dear at a young age also affects the psychology of a person and often manifests as longstanding grief.
#3. Who can suffer from psychological disorders?
Anybody can suffer from a mental illness irrespective of their caste, class, gender, profession, financial status, relationship status, past, present or future. Mental illnesses don’t care about these labels which are just fabricated by society. While all of these variables can directly or indirectly act as factors contributing to or be preventive of one’s mental illness, they in their entirety cannot make up for the presence or lack of one. I’ll tell you what I wrote in one of my posts on Let’s Heal “The chemicals in your brain, do not care about the money in your bank account”. It’s as simple as that.
#4. What’s the status of psychological teachings and practices in India?
Mental Health professionals in India usually follow either the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5), authored by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) or The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) maintained by The World Health Organization (WHO). We are also advancing towards incorporating modern clinical methods for treating psychological disorders. Our continuous research and integration of modern clinical psychology with pharmacopeia (when needed) have yielded visible results on ground. Emerging medical technologies are also helping clinical psychologists to arrive at conclusive courses of treatment. Our society is also becoming more open to Mental Health problems and understanding their consequences, which is a welcome sign of removing mental health stigma. We have surely come a long way but there is still a long journey left to cover. Kindness helps, so does empathy. #letsheal
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You can reach out to Anamika for consultation on the following web presence:
#Instagram: letsheal1010 https://instagram.com/letsheal1010?utm_medium=copy_link
#Facebook Profile:
https://www.facebook.com/anamika.kanchanbaras.35
#Whatsapp: 9315689063