Expressive Arts, Somatic Experiencing, Trauma Healing & Guided Breathwork
About Dr. Sudha Priyadarshiny
I am Sudha, a Mental Health Counselor and Expressive Arts Therapy Facilitator based in Bengaluru. I have a background in Medicine (M.B.B.S., NSCBMC Jabalpur) and in Psychology (M.Sc. Psychology, SNHU, USA).
I am trained in Expressive Arts Therapies, Narrative Therapy and Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy, along with several psychotherapeutic approaches like CBT, RECBT, SFBT, EFT/TFT, among others.
My journey of Expressive Arts and Movement Therapy started with the Foundation Course in Expressive & Creative Arts Therapies (FECAT) from The Studio for Movement Arts & Therapies Trust (SMArT), Bangalore; moving on to Narrative Therapy from Children First & Dulwich Centre, and Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy from The Embody Lab, USA.
My special interests include the challenges faced by people working in medicine, as well as trauma, anxiety, self-esteem and relationship difficulties.
Life WILL throw you a curveball!
I have battled a range of experiences that got me interested in psychology and how we can overcome our challenges to rediscover meaning, purpose, strength, hope and happiness.
My education and work experiences in Medicine and my family life growing up with doctor parents have made me realize the struggles of people in this field and how I can help them.
Having survived a dysfunctional home in childhood, critical liver illness, autoimmune diseases, brain tumor, and other more universal traumas like heartbreak, betrayal, and bereavement, I have also realized the importance of mental healthcare, friendships and social support networks.
Psychology and expressive arts therapy opened up a new path to me to help others in the way that I have always wanted to. Through Reclaimind I wish to support others in their journeys of mental well-being.
What is Expressive Arts Therapy?
Expressive arts therapy is a multimodal approach that combines psychotherapy and counseling with the creative/artistic process to promote emotional healing.
Our innate desire to create and to express is channelized through music, writing, reading literature and poetry, memory books, videos, dance, movement, drama, painting, and other such artistic approaches.
We create art drawing inspiration from our deepest emotions, sometimes from feelings buried deep within our subconscious. The creative expressions allow us to delve deeper into ourselves and start a journey of self-discovery and emotional healing.
I incorporate narrative approaches as well to help people tell their life story and to understand and form a meaning of their lives. In this creative endeavor, as a facilitator, I guide the person to explore, understand, analyze, initiate change, heal and empower oneself.
Expressive arts therapy can help achieve emotional growth and get clarity in relationship issues. The flow of creative expression can lead to profound insights, nurture positive changes and strengthen one's emotional health.
Working with doctors and healthcare professionals
My background in medicine has given me a particular interest in the emotional and personal challenges that can accompany a career in healthcare.
Doctors and other healthcare professionals often work in environments involving high responsibility, uncertainty, difficult decisions, long hours and repeated exposure to illness, suffering and loss. These experiences can affect personal wellbeing, relationships, professional identity and one's sense of meaning at work.
I offer individual therapeutic support to healthcare professionals who would like a private space to explore these experiences and work through personal or professional difficulties. This is an area of special interest within my broader practice at ReclaiMind.