The Bad Indian Therapist

The Bad Indian Therapist Like the Desi Aunty you can come to for anything! Let’s be “bad” together.

I’m raising $500 and matching this donation for ! Join me in matching my donation at the link in bio.In 2019, I qualifie...
10/31/2025

I’m raising $500 and matching this donation for ! Join me in matching my donation at the link in bio.

In 2019, I qualified for food stamps and government assistance because I didn’t make enough as a therapist. Ironically, I had left a stable non-profit job for a group practice. I was WORKING!

I did everything “right”. I went to a great school and got TWO master’s degrees. I was working towards my professional license. These things don’t happen to “people like me”. Not exactly your “model minority” story.

Many therapists are not honest about their financial situation because of guilt and shame around money. It has taken years of personal and professional development for me to heal my financial trauma. But not every therapist is in this position, especially therapists in training.

Instagram will make it look like therapists have “comfy” lives but Instagram is not reality. Only the top 10% of therapists make that kind of money and that’s typically after YEARS of “paying their dues”. Most therapists don’t make it to that point.

DO NOT ASSUME that someone who relies on government assistance of any kind is “lazy” or doesn’t work hard. Many people on food stamps have jobs. It could happen to anyone.

➡️ Wanna help out? Donate to or a local food pantry. Go grocery shopping with a buddy. Anything small helps!

Can’t donate right now? There’s no shame in that. Please SHARE this post so someone who can sees it 🙏🏽

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I never thought I would work at a non-profit OR in private practice. I actually really wanted to work with college stude...
10/30/2025

I never thought I would work at a non-profit OR in private practice. I actually really wanted to work with college students at university counseling centers. That never panned out.

I know many therapists on Instagram will make it look like becoming a therapist is easy and comfortable. I know that many of them make it look like they just went into private practice immediately after grad school and that it was a simple process. And maybe it was for them.

But it was not like that for me. And if you find yourself comparing your journey to theirs, please know that for 90% of therapists their journey does not look like that at all. Many therapists struggle in their career AND are successful at the same time. Success doesn’t always look like comfort.

I know many Brown therapists who went into this field unsupported, even shunned by family and community members due to mental health stigma. You took a risk (a noble one) only to learn certain things the hard way. It isn’t fair.

But it doesn’t have to look like that forever. You are allowed to pivot, do something else, maybe even change careers.

And you don’t have to go through it alone. There are so many Brown therapists who came before you and used to be where you are right now—they just don’t have a large social media presence.

❤️If my story was what you needed to hear right now, if it resonated with you, or maybe if it made you chuckle, SHARE it with a Brown therapist you know.

➡️ And consider joining my supervision group, Group EMPOWERMENT. Link in bio. Can’t wait to see you! 🤗

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10/29/2025

In case it isn’t obvious, this is me pretending to shoot hoops 😅

I love getting messages like this! Do you? Sometimes as therapists we forget we’re living proof of what’s possible.

Many people in tight-knit collectivist cultures who are questioning everything they’ve been told about what it means to fit in don’t know where or who to turn to.

But therapists in the cultural diaspora give them HOPE!

I have definitely taken my impact for granted. Yes, things are really hopeless right now, but for a lot of Brown and South Asian therapy seekers, our EXISTENCE is the hope.

We’re Brown therapists who attempt to practice what we preach. We sought out a career many people in our communities would never consider. And many of us are doing this with little to no support from our families.

If we can do all that, then we can be a source of inspiration for many.

👂🏽Was this the reframe you needed to hear? Sometimes you need to hear the little things to keep you going. This career is NOT easy—but having support from colleagues who have been there can make it bearable.

🛋️ Join Group EMPOWERMENT: Group Supervision for South Asian therapists today! Book your discovery call at my link in bio and let’s talk ☎️

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Listen, I’d be lying to you if I said I’ve never been there. I also thought I had to make compromises with the quality o...
10/28/2025

Listen, I’d be lying to you if I said I’ve never been there.

I also thought I had to make compromises with the quality of my work if it meant being more “culturally sensitive”.

“Maybe I can let this slide”
“Maybe I should go easy on them”
“Maybe I should let my client do what they want”

But all it did was make my client and I more resentful of each other. I had to ask myself—am I willing to be a “bad” therapist for a moment if it meant not making my client resentful for a lifetime?

I truly think most therapists have said AT LEAST one of the above to themselves if it meant being “good”. But is it “competency” or is it people-pleasing on a professional scale?

If culture is trauma decontextualized, and we’re defending culture in the name of “cultural competency”, then what are we really defending? Is it worth defending?

I’m not saying you shouldn’t understand culture, but understanding is not the same thing as agreement. You can understand your client’s cultural story without agreeing with how they respond to it.

Don’t let the fear of being a “bad” therapist keep you from being a great one!

🛋️ Did this resonate? SHARE if you agree and join my supervision group today!

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Spooky, right? 👻 Tell me what your haunted house looks like ⬇️ If you’re a Brown or South Asian therapist who’s sick of:...
10/24/2025

Spooky, right? 👻 Tell me what your haunted house looks like ⬇️

If you’re a Brown or South Asian therapist who’s sick of:

-being handed all the POC referrals at your group practice
-having supervision be admin hour
-being the only therapist of color in a sea of white ones
-having to constantly explain the importance of your career

I want you to know you’re not alone! This is more common than you think.

I’ve been there. I went into this field knowing it would be hard, but I didn’t think it would be THIS hard. I’ve been in scenarios JUST like ones above.

Are you ready for ACTUAL clinical support (and not just admin tasks)?

Join Group EMPOWERMENT: Clinical Supervision for South Asian Therapists today!

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I don’t know what Brown or South Asian therapist needs to hear this but you’re allowed to be culturally competent AND us...
10/22/2025

I don’t know what Brown or South Asian therapist needs to hear this but you’re allowed to be culturally competent AND use evidence-based interventions.

Yes even the “Western” ones. It was never supposed to be one or the other. Sticking to only one of both extremes is unhelpful.

I know there’s been a lot of talk about how therapy is Western and therefore “bad”, but that doesn’t mean you have to throw everything you’ve learned to the wayside.

It’s about tailoring your skills to the CLIENT in front of you. Just because you don’t like a “Western” therapy tool doesn’t mean your client won’t.

I’ve spent years trying to figure out how to do this. Caught in-between extreme arguments for and against evidence-based therapy, I learned how to strike the balance between acceptance and change.

It’s about progress NOT perfection.

If you’re a Brown or South Asian therapist feeling stuck right now, it’s OK to feel that way. That doesn’t mean you have to get rid of everything you’ve learned.

➡️ Learn how I did it. Comment “EMPOWERMENT” and I’ll send you my free guide to help you with your practice and skillset!

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Raise your hand if you’ve been guilty of comparing yourself to those Brown therapists you follow on here 🙋🏽‍♀️There isn’...
10/21/2025

Raise your hand if you’ve been guilty of comparing yourself to those Brown therapists you follow on here 🙋🏽‍♀️

There isn’t many of us yet there are so many of us entering this field, so it’s NORMAL to compare yourself to them

It shows:
-You want a benchmark of where you’re supposed to be
-You want hope that a successful career is possible
-You want GUIDANCE on how to actually do this s**t!

Listen, they’re great at what they do—and they’re paving the way forward for all of us! But you don’t have to do what they’re doing to be successful.

Good marketing skills get you clients, but good clinical skills keep them. Let me help you!

💬 DM/Comment “EMPOWERMENT” and I’ll send you my FREE guide to help you plan your next session! 💌

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10/16/2025

If you’re sick of hearing, “It’s just cultural”, I’m your gal 🙋🏽‍♀️

Just because it’s cultural doesn’t make it OK (or that you have to put up with the BS).

Going to therapy for the first time can be hard. Going to therapy with a therapist of your cultural background isn’t always easy either.

For one, shared cultural identity doesn’t always mean shared values. And two, we come from tight-knit cultural communities that can also be very judgmental.

And because therapists are human, it’s expected that sometimes therapists can be judgmental too.

It’s important that you to find a therapist who not only understands your cultural background, but also gets that it’s not always easy to be open and honest with someone of your cultural identity, and that some of the “cultural” stuff is just BS!

➡️ Are you considering trying therapy with a South Asian therapist who gets it? Let’s be “Bad” together! Follow me to book your free intro call ☎️

🙆🏽‍♀️ Are you a South Asian therapist who wants THIS kind of support too? Sign up for my supervision group starting in November! Book Your Free Discovery Call at my link in bio. 🛋️

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