Ms Kaynat Iqbal M.A Clinical Psychology
Psychologist (Counselling),
Baner, Pune.
Services
I'm driven by passion and meaning, both of which I find in my work. Empathy, compassion and kindness are a crucial part of my practice. With my experience of working with adolescents and adults from different backgrounds and socio-economic status, I am familiar with problems ranging from domestic violence, anger management, grief counseling to more clinical disturbances like depression, anxiety, trauma, mood/behavioral disturbances.
I am an advocate of breaking stigma surrounding mental health and as a queer-affirmative, feminist myself, individuals of all backgrounds and identities are welcome. Sliding scale pricing option is available.
MY FEES:
- Please inquire
Online Consultation
- Online consultations offered
I AM FLUENT IN:
- English
- Hindi/Urdu
I WORK WITH:
- Adolescents
- Adults
CORE SERVICES:
- Online Counselling / Phone Therapy
- Psychotherapy
SCOPE OF PRACTICE:
- Anxiety Disorders
- Depression
- Mood Swings / Mood Disturbance
- Self-Esteem
- Stress Management
- Trauma Counselling
Approach
Currently working as a counseling psychologist in private practice, I cater to adolescents and adults struggling with various challenges like anxiety, low mood, work stress, relationship troubles, trauma, self-harm and suicidal ideation.
With 2+ years of experience as a counseling psychologist, having worked with individuals from diverse backgrounds including underprivileged and queer communities, I take into account the social environment of the individual and its possible impact on their current situation. With certification in Trauma-Informed Care, I hope to provide my clients with a safe space where they feel free to explore their past without the fear of re-traumatization.
Primarily informed by the humanistic approach, I hope to make my therapy space a collaborative one, with the client and I working as partners towards goal-setting and self-exploration.
Guided by the principles of Narrative Practice, I view my clients from a lens of resiliency, inviting them to become curious about their values, explore alternative stories and become facilitators in their journey towards self-awareness and growth.
By introducing Parts Work to clients when required, I am able to foster curiosity and self-compassion, thereby broadening their coping resources and paving the way for healing.
As a queer-affirmative feminist I have the tendency to take a rights-based approach which allows my clients to voice their opinions about systemic oppression. Together, we deconstruct the impact of systems on their lives and identify core values that they wish to embody as a way of fighting back.
In my free time, I love to read non-fiction, listen to podcasts and travel.
Do you need help?
Do you sometimes wonder if you need therapy? How do you know when you need to seek help?
Feeling sad or stressed once in a while is normal but when these feeling begin to interfere with your daily life, it requires your attention. This is when you begin to struggle at work, have difficulty maintaining your relationships and overall struggle to be your best self.
The decision to seek help is a brave one. It means that you have made up your mind to face your problems head-on and you are allowing yourself to be vulnerable. By choosing to not be silent about your battle anymore and to share your struggles with someone who can help you manage them better, you are showing mercy to yourself. It does not make you weak, it speaks volumes about where your priorities lie.
Who can benefit?
Do you need to wait until your life begins to fall apart for you to seek therapy? The simple answer is no. The idea that you have to be at the brink to reach out to a therapist is a misconception. Although seeking help is the best thing to do when you're at your worst, therapy is not reserved for your most difficult days. Having a good circle of friends might feel like it's enough, but talking to a friend is not the same as talking to a therapist. The job of the therapist, other than providing a non-judgmental space and giving you undivided attention, is to help you learn healthy ways of finding your own solutions. The process involves exploring yourself and becoming self-aware. However, it is not a fix, rather hard work that requires courage, patience and persistence. And the benefits of therapy are durable such that the process of talking to your therapist gets internalized so that even after the process ends, you're able to practice self therapy and lead a happier life.
What to Expect
Have you ever wondered what happens in therapy? Or what a typical therapy session looks like?
The first session typically begins with you describing your current situation, what's on your mind and how you're feeling. The therapist listens to you uninterruptedly and provides a safe space for you to say anything you like without judgements. This is very different from what conversations with friends might look like, for example, you might struggle with being heard, fear facing judgements, be interrupted with unsolicited advice or opinions, worry about hurting them or damaging a relationship in the process of talking.
As you talk, the therapist would take note of the things that stand out like unhealthy behaviors or thought patterns, other than general case highlights. As the sessions progress, you and your therapist discuss the things you would like to work on and areas of life where you're having trouble and set goals that represent what you would like to gain out of therapy. The following sessions include focusing on achieving these goals during and/after the session. This is when the hard work of working on yourself begins. With time, the process of therapy gets internalized so that you are able to function without the help of your therapist.
Other than working on goals, you also have an open space to talk about your day, thoughts, feelings and just unload, overall. If/when you don't feel like doing the talking/work, you can even take a 'day off' in the session, where you and your therapist would talk about anything but the issues or not talk at all!
And of course, every client is different and every therapist has a unique approach. A single universal template doesn't exist. Depending on the needs of the client, the therapist can also decide to include other therapeutic techniques like art therapy, meditation, role-playing, etc. Ultimately, with the therapist, the client finds an unhindered channel of self-improvement and growth.
Book with Ms Kaynat Iqbal
