Meenal Chaudhari (She/her)

a fair number of my clients tend to be psychotherapists in training. they come into therapy in order to learn how to do therapy. studying about psychological issues they often identify their own issues and want to address them and resolve them as far as possible. i enjoy working with them as they know all the concepts and the lingo, they are sold on the value of therapy and ready to do the work.

i have struggled with a low grade depression most of my life and can easily identify with my clients with depression. i help them to see what is their nature and what is the depression doing to them. i work with their feelings of helplessness and hopelessness by focusing on their strengths and achievements. i invest in their dreams and goals and help them to feel motivated and energized to take charge of their lives.

anxiety and stress seem to be the norm in Silicon Valley. i help clients tap into the energy behind the anxiety and use it for their purpose. negative self-talk is often at the root of the anxiety; recognizing and identifying this voice of the inner critic is half the battle. then changing it with appreciative statements and/or surrender to the Higher Power is the next step in the road to recovery and strength.

One can address symptoms and deal with them but until and unless we have worked through the underlying root cause(s) the issues will re-surface in some form or shape. therefore i love to do depth work and my clients find it highly rewarding, because when they plumb their depths they find incredible treasures of self-acceptance, unconditional love, profound peace and incredible joy. it takes trust, commitment and courage to do depth work.

all healing happens in the here and now. one has to experience the feelings, emotions, thoughts, behavior that one is seeking or that one is trying to avoid in order to embody and transcend it. i use experiential therapy through play, sand-trays, art, nature walks, role plays and many other interventions. my clients love these modalities and enjoy their experiences.

the framework i use sees all human being as comprising Layers of Self. first is the physical layer and somatic or body-oriented psychotherapy works at this level. second is the layer of energy and breath-work and energy work is best here. third is the mental-emotional layer and most psychotherapy approaches address this. fourth is the intuitive-wisdom layer and depth or narrative therapy works here. finally is the bliss layer and transpersonal or spiritual therapy works here.