Online therapist and psychologist for people in Chennai

Languages and who you can see

Many people in Chennai prefer therapy in Tamil. We want to be clear about what we can offer today: none of our clinical psychologists lists Tamil, so therapy with a psychologist is in English, Hindi or Malayalam. Our two Tamil-speaking psychiatrists, Dr. Divya Gurunathan and Dr. Samarth S Shetty, can see you in Tamil. If you would like therapy in Tamil with a psychologist, tell us, as it helps us plan who to bring in. Meanwhile the clinicians below offer therapy by video in the languages they list.

• Ms. Janvi KhokharClinical Psychologist · RCI CRR no. A114758Speaks English, Hindi.
• Ms. Kamakshi SabharwalClinical Psychologist · RCI CRR no. A116016Speaks English, Hindi.
• Ms. Liji VijayanClinical Psychologist · RCI CRR no. A102506Speaks English, Malayalam.

Living and working in Chennai

• Choosing the language of therapy. Many Chennai residents are fluent in English, and some find it easier to discuss feelings in English because the words carry less family history. Others find Tamil is the only language in which they can describe fear or shame. There is no right answer. You can try a first session and switch if it does not feel right.
• Therapy without the journey. Travel across Chennai can take an hour or more each way. Online sessions fit around work and family, and let you attend from a place where you feel safe.
• Privacy at home. Not everyone has a private room. If your home is crowded, tell your psychologist at the start, and plan with them: a headset, a walk with your phone, or a different time of day can help.

What people in Chennai often ask about therapy

Newcomers to therapy often wonder whether it will be too slow or too personal. A first session is a conversation, and you set the limit on what you share. Many people in Chennai balance long working hours with family duties, so evening or early-morning slots are worth asking about. If the idea of therapy is new in your family, you might begin with one or two sessions to see how it feels. Ask your psychologist how they will measure progress, such as sleep, worry or avoidance, so that you can both see whether the plan is working.

It can help to write a few lines before your first session: what is troubling you, when it began, what you have tried, and one thing you would like to be different in three months. You do not need to share these in full. They simply give you a starting point and save time. Some people find that naming goals makes the first session feel less open-ended.

Concerns people in Chennai bring

Our clinical psychologists hear about these most often. Each page covers signs, assessment and support.

• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• OCD
• Personality disorders
• Trauma and PTSD
• Acute stress

What a therapy session is like

Your first session with a clinical psychologist is an opportunity to describe what brought you, and to hear how they think about it. After the first one or two sessions, your psychologist will suggest a way of working: perhaps CBT to change unhelpful thinking and avoidance, exposure and response prevention for OCD, DBT skills for strong emotions, or schema or acceptance-based therapy for long-standing patterns. You will usually have short exercises to try between sessions. Sessions last about 45 to 50 minutes. A psychologist does not prescribe medicine.

See what a first online consultation involves.

Therapy alongside a psychiatrist

If medicine could help, or if you want to be assessed for a condition such as bipolar disorder or ADHD, a Mindly psychiatrist can join your care. Because the teams work together, your psychologist can refer you directly and share relevant notes, with your consent. People who want both talk therapy in English or Hindi and a Tamil-speaking psychiatrist often split their care in this way. See the guide on psychiatrists, psychologists and counsellors for more.

More from Mindly

• Online Psychiatrist in Chennai
• Find care by language and concern
• Our clinicians
• Talk to a psychiatrist online
• Tamil-speaking clinicians for depression
• Tamil-speaking clinicians for OCD
• Tamil-speaking clinicians for bipolar disorder
• Malayalam-speaking clinicians for depression

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Common questions