When we recorded this epsiode in July 2026, students in India had taken to the streets in protest and we can’t stop thinking about what that kind of collective courage does to the human nervous system. As therapists and South Asians living in the US, we talk about the grief and rage we’re holding while watching young people ask for safer, fairer education and face brutality for it. We also name the longer history of student organising led by Dalit, Bahujan, and Adivasi communities and why ignoring caste and systemic harm leaves mental health conversations incomplete.

From there, we step back and reflect on our whole first season: the constant balancing act between present-moment reality and practical mental health education. We share what worked, what felt heavy, and why blending culture and humor (yes, even Bollywood) can sometimes open doors that clinical language can’t. We also get honest about a big theme for South Asian mental health and immigrant therapy: Western frameworks are useful, but they can miss family context, somatic distress, indirect communication, and the lived experience of community and interdependence.

We end with a personal, professional question we’re still learning to answer: how much should a therapist self-disclose on a public platform while staying ethical and client-centred? Plus, we share what we’re excited to build next season, including more guests from across South Asia and more conversations that make therapy feel culturally real.

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We would love to hear from you! write to us

Thanks for listening! we would love to hear from you, write to us,

Your hosts,

Malika & Gitika

Malika is the Founder of Ik Aas Counseling, know more at https://malikabains.com/

Gitika is the Founder of Pranh Healing & Wellness, know more at https://www.pranhwellness.com/