In short
- You do not need a referral or a diagnosis. You can book directly.
- A session is 50 minutes (80 for couples), online by secure video or in person in Lucknow.
- The first session is about understanding what brings you. You will not be asked to relive anything you are not ready to talk about.
- What you say is confidential, with a few rare exceptions explained below. Sessions are never recorded without your written consent.
- If the fit is not right, we help you move to someone else on the team.
How does therapy work?
A short, plain-language film from BBC Ideas on what happens in therapy and why it helps. It is general information, not a description of our sessions.
What therapy does to your brain
A short video from BBC Ideas on how therapy affects the brain. It is general information, not specific to our sessions.
Before your session
Choosing who to see
You can pick a clinician yourself from the team page, where each person's training, areas of focus and languages are listed. If you would rather not choose alone, Help Me Choose an Expert asks a few one-tap questions and suggests someone. Or ask us: send your questions on WhatsApp before you book.
Booking and paying
You choose a time and pay the session fee online through Razorpay. Fees are shown in full before you pay: ₹1,000₹1,500 ($15) for a 30-minute session or ₹1,600₹2,500 ($25) for a 50-minute session with one of our psychologists, or ₹2,500₹3,500 ($35) with a Senior Clinical Psychologist (including the Founder). Packages bring the per-session fee down. Before your first booking you read and accept our client agreement, which covers confidentiality and cancellations.
Online or in person
Online: after booking, you receive a secure Google Meet link by email. Join from a quiet, private room if you can, with headphones and a charged phone or laptop. Sitting in a parked car or on a terrace is fine too; plenty of people do.
In person: sessions are held at our Krishna Nagar clinic, Lucknow. Our Indira Nagar clinic is no longer seeing patients. In-person times are arranged with our team on WhatsApp. Clinic address and team
What to have ready (optional)
- Any previous reports, prescriptions or assessment results, if you have them.
- The written summary from our free screening, if you took it.
- A few notes on what you want help with. It is fine if you do not know yet.
During the first session
The short answer: Your psychologist will ask what brought you in, what you have already tried, and what you would like to be different. It is a conversation at your pace, and you won’t be asked to relive anything you are not ready to talk about.
For a step-by-step guide to the session itself, what you can say if you don’t know where to start, and three questions to think about beforehand, read what to expect in your first therapy session.
Sessions can be in English, Hindi or several other languages the team speaks, including Kannada, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Sindhi. You can mix languages as you like.
At the end of the session
By the end you should have a sense of what the work would involve and roughly how often you would meet. Most people start weekly and space sessions out as things settle. Nobody is asked to commit to a fixed number of sessions; how long therapy runs is decided with your psychologist as you go.
If a different clinician would suit you better, for example a psychiatrist for a medication review, or someone who works specifically with couples or adolescents, your psychologist will say so and help you move across.
Confidentiality
What you share in sessions is held in strict confidence. We do not share personal or session information with anyone without your explicit written consent, with three rare exceptions that apply to every mental health professional:
- an imminent and serious risk of harm to you or to another person;
- disclosed or reasonably suspected abuse of a minor or a vulnerable person;
- a lawful order from a court or other competent legal authority.
Even then, you will be told wherever possible, and only the minimum information needed is shared. Sessions are never recorded without your prior written consent. Clinical notes are kept securely, only for your care, and you can ask to see your own records. For clients aged 13 to 17, how parents are involved is explained on the adolescent therapy page.
If it does not feel right
The relationship with your therapist is one of the strongest predictors of whether therapy helps, so fit matters. If after a session or two it does not feel right, tell us. It is common, it is not a failure, and we will help you move to someone else on the team.
Cancelling or rescheduling
Please give at least 24 hours' notice. Sessions cancelled with less notice, or missed without notice, are charged the full fee. A one-time emergency may be considered as an exception, at the therapist's discretion. The full terms are in our policies.
Common questions
Do I need a referral or a diagnosis to book?
No. You can book directly. Many people come without a diagnosis and simply describe what has been difficult. If a psychiatric opinion would help, your psychologist will raise it with you.
How long is the first session?
An individual session is 50 minutes, the same as every session after it. A couples session is 80 minutes.
Is what I say in therapy confidential?
Yes. The rare exceptions are an imminent and serious risk of harm to you or someone else, disclosed or suspected abuse of a minor or vulnerable person, and a lawful order from a court. Even then, you will be told wherever possible and only the minimum is shared. Sessions are never recorded without your written consent.
What if the therapist is not the right fit?
Tell us. It is common and it is not a failure. We will help you move to someone else on the team, with no need to start your story from scratch unless you want to.
Can I cancel or reschedule my first session?
Yes, with at least 24 hours' notice. Sessions cancelled with less notice, or missed without notice, are charged in full; a one-time emergency may be considered as an exception at the therapist's discretion.
Ready when you are
Fees are shown in full before you book, with no hidden charges. Sessions run online worldwide, and in person in Lucknow.