At BrilliantRead Media, it is our constant endeavour to identify and share some of the unique and compelling stories from the startup ecosystem. As part of this, we invited Yashvi Prakash for an interview with BrilliantRead Media. Yashvi is a Counseling Psychologist and Founder and CEO of Serenity Wellness. Let’s learn more about her background, her inspiring journey so far and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Yashvi:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
I’ve been studying Psychology for the past 8 years now, considering my Junior college, Bachelor’s, and then Master’s. I had the opportunity to intern at Sion Hospital, which is a Government hospital here in Mumbai that really opened my eyes to the reality of how many people face mental health concerns every single day.
Post that, I completed a certification in Trauma and Grief Counseling to better help my clients and ensure I do it in a sensitive way without making them uncomfortable. I then worked with Phanes Clinic, wherein I built my practice style and learned all the intricacies of taking sessions and ensuring that I’m giving my clients all the help I can, in the most efficient manner.
This made me confident enough to start my own private practice – Serenity Wellness. Everything that I noticed through my internships and the people around me in general, solidified some key values that Serenity Wellness now stands for which are affordability, awareness, and accessibility.
I realised that there surely are a lot of people suffering, they just don’t have the financial backing to fund multiple therapy sessions with most Psychologists (which they truly need). So, I made sure I kept my consultation fee much lower in comparison to other Psychologists with the same qualifications as me.
I also realised that there are a lot of misconceptions about therapy and not many people are aware of what it is. And so, I started my Instagram page to spread awareness. I also set up my practice online to ensure it’s more accessible to people all around India, and even abroad.
The journey has been great till now, there has been a lot of positive growth and I intend to keep working as hard and keep learning as much as possible on the way!
How did you discover your passion?
I started out just knowing that something called Psychology exists without knowing what it entails. As I started studying the subject in 11th grade, I realised how naturally it came to me. I’ve always been empathetic by nature, and have always had the desire to help people in some way.
Studying Psychology gave my intent a professional direction, and also taught me that there is so much more to it than empathizing. The more I learned about it, the more engrossed I got.
I was told by my mentor that by the time we get done with our Master’s, a lot of us will get sick of the subject because we’ll study it in so much detail. Not me. It only increased my interest and genuine curiosity towards the subject.
Research, science-backed techniques, and therapeutic modalities have always been exciting to me. Now I get to practice aspects of these things for a living!
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
My love for what I do. It’s a very straightforward answer. The fact that I’m able to improve lives and make people feel better in some way drives me to keep going and working hard every single day.
The small wins count! When a client tells me they feel like they’re in a better space since they started taking sessions with me, it encourages me to not just keep going, but also improve upon myself and bettering myself for my clients each day.
Which is why the research and learning never stops. I keep upskilling and staying up-to-date with the latest research and books to gain as much knowledge as possible.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
My clients. Seeing them show up for themselves when they book sessions with me, motivates me to do my best as well for them. It takes courage to come for therapy, be vulnerable, talk about your insecurities and your fears. And that’s just the starting point.
To actually work on those things is another major challenge because there is a lot of resistance that comes up too. For them to fight that resistance and work on themselves – it’s very inspiring and motivating.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
Stopping before answering. Sometimes, we tend to listen just to react, not genuinely understand and respond. I practice taking a breath, processing what the individual is telling me, empathizing and understanding their viewpoint, and then responding.
This makes them feel heard, and my conversations are a lot more productive because of it. It helps me ensure that I form more genuine and wholesome connections with people.
Some techniques I use as self-care when I’m winding down for the day are listening to music or singing, journaling or reading. I love watching some comfort shows as well.
These practices help me spend time with myself and encourage giving importance to my hobbies such as singing. These things help me make sure I’m not solely focusing my time on work, and boost my confidence, self-esteem, and mood.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
My idea of success focuses a lot on happiness and satisfaction.
Some things that I believe are key, when you wish to be successful are:
> Believing in yourself and your work
> Making a positive difference
> Competing only with yourself, bettering yourself and not looking at others
> Validating and encouraging your own self instead of seeking it externally
> Accepting mistakes (you will definitely make some, and that’s okay) and learning from them
> Being true to your values
> Accepting when you don’t know something and being willing to learn about it
I believe success is achieved through a certain kind of mindset. Yes, money and fame are great. And working towards achieving those things is valid.
However, being happy and satisfied with your work is what inherently motivates you to keep going in a mentally healthy way. That drive is what leads to success.
What advice would you give to our readers?
No matter what field you are in, make sure you’re content and satisfied. Try not to overwork yourself and get burnt out. Have a healthy work-life balance, and try to take time out to do things for yourself. It makes a huge difference when it comes to your mental health.
If you’re facing a lot of stress or other concerns, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with getting professional help.
Last but not least, what about your journey makes it satisfying/exciting?
The fact that I’m getting to do what I love, have time for myself, and make a difference.
I’m doing my bit when it comes to spreading awareness around mental health and therapy while also working with clients to ensure they reach their therapeutic goals in the best way possible. Feedback from clients helps me a lot as well. Every time I receive positive feedback, I know I’ve done something right and that encourages me to keep going.
If something doesn’t work for a client, I get to use other alternatives, research more, and do better moving forward.
All of these things make my work extremely fulfilling and exciting because I’m constantly learning new things, upskilling, and exploring new therapeutic modalities to provide the best support to my clients. When I can see it working, that is enough validation for me to continue!
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
