Sadaf Arafati
Co Founder - Depth psychology approach
I have masters in clinical psychology from TISS, Mumbai and I'm the founder of Guftagu Counselling and Psychotherapy. I understand therapy as a relational space—one where we slow down together and listen closely to what is unfolding between us. My work is shaped by depth psychology, queer-affirmative and intersectional perspectives, and an ongoing curiosity about how our inner lives are deeply influenced by the social worlds we grow up in and move through.
In the therapy room, I pay attention not only to what you bring, but also to what emerges between us—moments of closeness or distance, ease or discomfort, care, irritation, longing. These patterns often echo how you have been met by others in your life, and noticing them gently can open up new understanding. I try to offer a space that feels warm, attuned, and thoughtful, where feelings are not hurried into solutions, and where complexity, uncertainty, and contradiction are welcome.
I believe therapy is less about fixing what is “wrong” and more about understanding what makes sense. Alongside compassion for our wounds, I also believe in acknowledging our agency and our shadows—we are shaped by harm, but we can also cause harm, and learning to hold both with honesty is part of how change becomes possible, within us and in the world around us.
Outside the clinic, I write and teach about mental health, culture, and belonging. I love art, reflective writing, long conversations, and noticing the small, ordinary details of everyday life that reveal how we learn to love, defend, and survive. I share my home with cats, hoard books and postcards, and find meaning in collecting fragments that tell stories. I love arts based interventions and paying attention to the body because many a times, words are quite a limited way to know ourselves.
Therapy with me is an invitation to understand yourself more deeply, so that new ways of relating—to yourself and to others—can slowly and thoughtfully emerge.
Practicing since 2015
Services offered-
Individual therapy
Couple’s therapy
Family therapy
Group therapy
Trainings and workshops
Supervision
Book a session here
Request for Collaborations: guftagutherapy@gmail.com
Aryan Somaiya
Co Founder - Analytic and relational approach
You might be here because something feels difficult to hold alone—an emotional weight, a sense of disconnection, or experiences that remain hard to name. Psychotherapy offers time and space to pause, to speak freely, and to explore thoughts and feelings as they arise, without needing them to be logical or resolved too quickly.
I hold a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pune and have been practicing as a psychotherapist since 2017 and I am co founder of Guftagu Therapy. My work is informed by psychoanalytic and relational approaches, which values listening closely to thoughts, feelings, imagination, and inner experience—whether or not they feel clear or logical. In this space, fantasies and emotional impressions are understood as meaningful parts of understanding yourself. Psychotherapy also involves speaking about complicated feelings as they emerge within the therapeutic relationship, including feelings about the therapy itself.
My work emphasises containment, relational dynamics, and attention to what is unspoken, denied, or dissociated. I understand distress as shaped by both intrapsychic and sociopolitical realities, and I view the therapeutic relationship as the primary site for repair and transformation. At its heart, my practice is about making room for your whole self—holding what feels difficult, honouring complexity, and supporting a deeper sense of connection, choice, and aliveness.
I am also a certified arts based therapist and have co created and co authored Queer affirmative therapy (QACP) and Trans Affirmative Mental Health Care Guidelines Manual.
Practicing since 2017
Services offered-
Individual therapy
Couple’s therapy
Group therapy
Trainings and workshops
Supervision
Book a session here
Request for Collaborations: guftagutherapy@gmail.com
Pouravi Khare
Senior Executive - Collaborative approach to psychotherapy
I am Pouravi Khare (she/her), located in Mumbai. I have done my Master's in Psychology (Clinical specialization) from VES College, Chembur.
I came to Psychology from the need to heal my own feelings of emptiness and despair. So when I started formally studying it, it felt like a familiar world. I approach therapy as a collaboration between people who have a lot to teach each other.
Lived experience holds a high value for me and I firmly believe that each of us already has a map of their own healing, just waiting to be unfolded. I am passionate about social justice. Nobody is a "blank slate" and therapists are no exception. Keeping a systemic lens is very important to me.
I consider myself an introvert who loves to geek out about books (especially sci-fi!) and TV shows. I love working out, learning Japanese, and reconnecting with my inner artist!
Practicing since 2023
Services offered-
Individual therapy
Couple's therapy
Book a session here
Mansha Pati
Executive - Person centered approach
I am Mansha Pati, I have completed my master’s in LifeSpan (counselling) Psychology from St. Xavier’s (autonomous) college, Mumbai.
As a child, curiosity always got the better of me. I was always asking questions about why things were the way they were, which grew into why people were the way they were; as time has passed my curiosity has become more refined but I still hold that curiosity as a therapist who wants to know more about her clients.
I have previously had the experience of working with people dealing with work stress, Identity issues, relationship conflict, work life balance, self image and body dysmorphia. I’m passionate about working at the intersection of care and context, supporting individuals while staying attuned to the larger systems they’re navigating.
Beyond therapy, I like reading cult classics, talking about pop culture, writing about anything and everything that I'm trying to make sense of. I love learning more about art, culture and history.
Practicing since 2025
Services offered-
Individual therapy
Book a session here
Vasudha Ramani
Trainee Therapist - Narrative and acceptance-commitment approach
Hi, I’m Vasudha. I’m currently in the final semester of my Master’s in Clinical Psychology and am training as a (trainee) therapist at Guftagu.
I’m interested in conversations that go beyond quick motivational advice and instead gently explore what life actually feels like for you. My work is primarily informed by narrative therapy, which views individuals through their lived stories rather than diagnostic categories.
Alongside this, I draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, focusing on understanding emotions rather than fighting them, and on building a life that feels meaningful to you. I don’t believe therapy has to sound complicated to be effective. Depending on your needs, I may also draw from approaches like CBT, the Rogerian (person-centred) approach, or dignity-based work, always in a way that feels collaborative and grounded.
My intention is to create a space that feels safe, honest, and jargon-free, where we can slowly explore new ways of understanding yourself and your experiences.
Services offered-
Individual therapy
Book a session here
