Meet Priya Anandan an Advocate turned psychologist who helps people grow in a meaningful way

Life throws challenges at all of us from time to time, to the extent that some people find it hard to deal with those challenges and go into depression. What such people need is a friend who can help them overcome their stress and live better and happier lives. That's what psychologists do when patients go to them to tackle their mental problems. Meet Priya Anandan, an expert psychologist who helps people grow in a meaningful way and tackle their life challenges successfully.

Priya, 44, is a Certified counseling Psychologist who is there to assist you in whatever way you require. More importantly, she is committed to assisting you in bettering yourself and your life.

A former news reporter, Priya, is the founder of Chennai-based Breathin counseling & wellbeing. Her story reminds us of the saying that success comes only to those who believe in themselves and are prepared to win. Priya became a psychologist only after listening to her inner self and paying heed to her true calling. This former newspaper reporter from Chennai quit her Advocate job as she always wanted to be a mental health professional. The decision she took was right, as an intense need for more medics like Priya has been felt in the difficult and stressful times of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Priya says she wanted to become a psychologist to help people and positively impact their lives.

She says, "I was always interested in human behavior and motivations, and as I began to seek more information, I was convinced that psychology would be my career. The journey started with a gleam in the eyes and passion in the heart. Being a mental health professional was a life long dream. I was working as a part time reporter for a newspaper during college and I interviewed some psychologists for a story I was involved in. The experience reminded me how much I had enjoyed psychology and it inspired me to pursue my post-graduate education in psychology."

She is today an Advocate / Psychologist, Certified counseling Psychologist, Certified parenting expert, and Certified inclusive educator.

When asked to describe the work that she does, Priya explained, "I believe in having patience, staying humble and being open to new experiences every day. I can safely say that my job helps me to ask a lot of questions in a manner that I do not make them uncomfortable and make them walk away. My profession helps me in having fulfilling experiences in both my training and professional life. I feel grateful to have a job where I can hands-on help people come out of their miseries mentally and make them feel relaxed. Having patience, being humble and open to new experiences, and asking lot of questions helps me a lot."

She continued, "Because of client confidentiality I cannot discuss cases, but I can say that my job is always interesting and there have been more fulfilling experiences than I can count, both in my early training and in my professional life. I feel very grateful to have a job in which I can be of assistance to others and do something meaningful to me. I think I have grown more from my work with clients than I have from anything else in my life."

Priya also spoke about the need for client privacy, saying psychologists must never divulge information that might identify a client. This is because Priya believes psychologists are required to protect the privacy and confidentiality of their clients.

She emphasizes, "We must also be mindful about the personal

information we share about ourselves because it can impact the therapeutic relationship we have with our clients. Just like physicians, our first ethical responsibility is to 'do no harm'.”

Priya believes in quality over quantity, to provide the best service possible even as a psychologist.

She says, "First of all, I don’t see that many clients daily. Each session is approximately one hour, and I don’t

work 15 hours per day. If any mental health professional sees 15 people per day, they’re in the nod and smile school of psychotherapy." For myself and other committed psychologists, every session is like a chess game. I am 100 percent fully

focused during what is always an intense hour. And non-therapy tasks are also part of any mental health professional’s day."

Speaking about the kind of service she offers, Priya says she has 8 years of experience in counseling and the art of her approach involves understanding each client as a unique person with their strength and challenges. She then selects research-based techniques from across different types of therapy to help a client grow in a meaningful way.

Priya concludes by saying, "I aim to tailor my techniques to what is best suited for the client. I have a profound experience in helping clients to develop the tools needed to improve their mental health and manage problems more effectively.

I did a lot of research and worked up the courage to consult professionals in the field."

Finally, it's important to remember that despite a lot of stigmas attached to visiting a psychologist, it is critical to recognize that counseling and mental health treatment benefits everybody. Counseling can help you deal with concerns such as depression, anxiety, and stress, among others. As a counseling Psychologist, Priya can assist you in dealing with and overcoming these challenges. When stress and anxiety and tension linger, you must seek the help of someone like Priya, to avoid suffering from bigger health problems.