I’m DHARA GHUNTLA
Psychologist and Psychotherapist
Helping You Find Your Bearings in Life
Positive Psychology
Positive psychology is the therapeutic process of bringing out the best in people and help them reach their highest potential of functioning and success.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a type of talk therapy aimed at helping people towards better mental health.
Individual Therapy
Personal one on one therapy where the individual’s needs, their unhealthy thinking and behavioral patterns are understood and tailor-made solutions are provided aiming at better mental health. Here, healthier skills and habits are built that help the client manage difficulties like life stresses or emotional conditions.
Couples’ Therapy
Unhealthy interactions and interpersonal conflicts are understood and goals are set that aim towards better communication styles as well as better self-management skills. This helps both the individuals to understand their own needs as well as support those of their partners.
Workshops and Seminars
Various large and small group interactive sessions that aim at building new skills and practicing them within the safety of a closed group. Interpersonal interactions and sharing are important aspects of workshops and seminars.
Corporate Wellness
Providing support for the working population with stress management, being overworked, emotional management, and fulfilling multiple personal and professional roles. Helping organisations set healthy processes and working standards in place along with having mental health support easily available so that employees and managers are more productive.
What is Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is a type of talk therapy that is aimed at helping people towards better mental health. It has the potential to lead to :
- Positive thoughts,
- Positive emotions, and
- Positive behaviors.
A psychologist systematically leads and guides the person towards:
- Resolving past traumas,
- Learning healthier coping mechanisms of dealing with difficult situations and people,
- Empowering individuals to regulate their emotions, thoughts and activities,
- Aiming towards improved well being and quality of life.
Who can benefit?
- Individuals who feel stuck in unhealthy life patterns and are not able to function or thrive at their highest potential can benefit from individual psychotherapy.
- Individuals suffering from psychiatric conditions and who are unable to solve their problems on their own also benefit greatly from psychotherapy. An example would be a person who experiences intense depressive and anxious episodes, interpersonal conflicts, poor self management, death wishes etc.
- Individuals who are doing just fine but aim to achieve higher levels of success in their personal and professional lives.
What is
the process
like?
Individual psychotherapy entails one on one conversations between client and therapist which last on an average of 45 minutes to 1 hour.
The initial sessions are used in getting to know each other and forming a therapeutic alliance.
Also, therapy goals are identified and set, which are then revised as required
In later sessions, various techniques are learned and practiced, which aim at meeting the earlier set goals and resolving the difficulties experienced by patients.
On average, clients are expected to come to therapy about once or twice a week. This frequency reduces over time as symptomatic improvements are seen and more goals are met.
As the therapy progresses, goals are modified to help clients achieve their highest potentials.
As the problems are resolved and the client is able to function better, the frequency of sessions reduces further, and the client is able to function more independently.
FAQs
Will therapy last for years/rest of life?
Not necessarily. The duration of therapy depends on the severity of problems experienced.
When can I expect to start feeling better when in therapy?
It can be expected that a client feels better in the few initial sessions, with the sharing of problems. Most clients experience a significant improvement within 10 sessions.
What are my responsibilities as a client in therapy?
It is important that a client is regular to sessions, is open to suggestions from the therapist, and applies the changes suggested during times away from therapy. This will ensure that the client is an active member of the therapeutic alliance and has equal responsibility towards their own treatment.
What are my rights as a client in therapy?
Clients have the right to empathy, respect, anonymity (your personal details will not be shared with anybody), confidentiality (your problems will remain confidential), fair treatment (the therapist has the duty to offer best treatment opportunities possible).
Will the information I share with my therapist be told to others?
Unless physical harm is involved, information shared during therapy will not be shared with anybody unless approved by the client.
Is it important for a client to share all details of life when in therapy?
It is not mandatory to share everything. Having said that, it is better if the client shares as many details as possible so that the true nature and extent of problems can be understood. This understanding greatly aids in treatment planning.
Is psychotherapy used only for the treatment of psychiatric disorders? Can “normal” people also benefit from it?
Absolutely, psychotherapy is not limited to “treatment of disorders” only. It aims at overall growth and improvement in a person’s life. Even if an individual is not diagnosed with a mental disorder, they may be experiencing stresses and frustrations that may hinder their growth. Psychotherapy helps break such unhelpful vicious circles and aids people achieve their goals. This is often done using the concepts of positive psychology.
About Me
Over the last 12 years, Dhara has helped treat numerous psychiatric patients suffering from mental health issues like depression, anxiety, relationship and sexual issues, adjustment and personality disorders, stress-related problems, parenting, educational and occupational problems among others.
Having regularly engaged in individual, couple, family and group therapy sessions, she deals with multiple aspects affecting the illness to deliver comprehensive eclectic treatment to all the individuals affected.
Testimonials
“She is one of the finest therapists I have ever come across. During the session, I used to feel like home and was able to understand everything much better. It made me a whole new person. A person with depression should really visit her.“
“It has always been so comfortable talking to Dhara. The therapy sessions have been extremely helpful to me for my OCD. Dhara is just superb as a therapist and overall a fantastic human being. Thank you so much, Dhara for helping me out in my trying times.“
“Therapy has really helped me to overcome my anxiety. My conversations with Dhara were very open and fruitful. She gave me multiple solutions to my problems which helped me to regain my composure and also helped me calm down.“