Our Journey So Far
Align Mental Health Services opened its doors in April 2023, with Priyanka Shah, Rachana Sundaram, Shachi Dalal, and Rakshanda Inam. Having had a successful individual practice for some time, Priyanka wanted to set up a collaborative space with like-minded individuals who could come together connected by a shared vision. The collaborative has been set up in order to create a wider impact in the mental well being space, by inviting in various professionals in the field, in order to stay abreast on practices as well by reaching out to groups of individuals who can prioritise their own mental wellness. Priyanka Shah is a narrative practitioner, Shachi Dalal is an eating disorder specialist, Rakshanda Inam is a trauma informed therapist and Rachana Sundaram is a Life transition Coach.
Events by the Collaborative
Since April 2023, we have hosted and facilitated several workshops.
From Critic to Champion
Facilitated by Life Coach, Rachana Sundaram, this workshop allowed participants to explore what their inner critical dialogue sounds like and feels like and ways to ‘catch it’ before it takes up more negative space in the mind.
Responding to Suicidality in Clients
Facilitated by Suicidalogy expert, Nyana Sabharwal, the talk allowed participants to recognise a proactive approach to supporting clients who express suicidal thoughts. She spoke about helping clients in identifying their support systems and thereby feeling more in control.
Understanding Eating Disorders in the Indian Context
Facilitated by Eating Disorder specialist, Shachi Dalal, the talk covered the symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia and the differences between the two. She also shared about what disordered eating looks like. She shared a few success stories as well to help understand how this silent illness can be overcome.
A talk on Serotonergic psychedelics
Priyanka Shah, Counselling psychologist, moderated a talk by neuroscientist Dr. Vidita Vaidya during which new research as well as possibilities around the use of serotonergic psychedelics assisted therapy were explored.
Broken Bridge: Surviving Suicide
Guest speaker, Sanaya Sethna, shared her personal story of loss and talked about societal attitudes around suicide, ways in which she and her family coped and talked about the lessons learnt along the way. The talk busted many myths and the single story around suicide.
Sacred Circle
We are proud to announce the launch of our first Sacred Circle. Sacred Circles is an old aboriginal practice based on the teachings of the Canadian Plains Indians where healing, is viewed as a “transition toward meaning, wholeness, connectedness, and balance”. Sacred Circles comprise of a group of individuals who come together at a designated time each month to connect with each other through their life stories. They leave this space feeling ‘seen’ and ‘heard’.
Facilitated by Rachana Sundaram and Shachi Dalal.
Participant’s Testimonial
“I had heard of the sacred circle but it was my first time to experience it at Align and it soon became a part of my healing journey. Mother of one preparing myself to deal better with the Empty Nest Syndrome, The Sacred Circle helped me with my troubled times where we prayed, shared, cried & also laughed. For me my stories spoken aloud within the circle amongst fellow humans, made me more mindful of my challenges and helped me find solutions as well”
– Komal
Call us to enquire more.
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In this book, Tal Ben Shahar, shares strategies that one can apply to daily life in order to cultivate happiness. A must read for young adults and up.
