Yes, all information shared by a client with the counselors is safe, secure and confidential.

Yes, as per government regulations it is mandatory to inform clients that the conversation will be recorded. Please bear with us. If you are unable to connect to a counselor, please call back or WhatsApp us. Our counselors may even call back. Please note that the number from which you may get a call will be +918048166625 and not 9999666555. It is safe to answer the call.

It is our goal to answer calls and WhatsApp messages as soon as possible. However, there are times when the traffic on the helpline is very heavy. Our counselors will reach out to you as soon as they can. Calling us back in rapid succession actually overloads the system. Be assured that someone has noted your call and will call you back.

We understand the need to speak to the same individual, but this is not possible because we are a 24x7 operation. Our counselors work in shifts, so it is quite likely that when you call back, the same counselor may not be on duty. However, keeping the comfort factor into consideration, we will soon be starting our paid service where you can choose a counselor from our panel and schedule an appointment to consult the same counselor as many times as you wish to.

Please remember that the free helpline is a crisis intervention helpline and should be used for emergencies only. Our counselors usually handle calls coming in quick succession, mostly from those who are in acute distress and really need the support. If it’s not an emergency, please think about calling at another time if you can’t get through the first time. You can always opt for our WhatsApp chat service. As mentioned before, repeated calling can clog the system. After the initial session, you can call the free service a maximum of three or four times in a month.

Our counsellors speak multiple Indian regional languages. You can ask the counselor who has taken your call to inform the team about your language preference. If the specific language counselor is unavailable at that time, they will call you back when they login next.

No

Yes you can. You can ask the counselor attending your call to inform the team and if the specific gender preference counselor is available, he/she will reach out to you.

If you are feeling that your mental health may be suffering, you can record your symptoms and take a few tests available online. However, do note that these are not very accurate. The best way is to speak to a professional therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist.

Get yourself assessed and diagnosed by a licensed/registered therapist and proceed with the recommended treatment plan.

As per government regulation, all conversations are stored and cannot be deleted upon anyone’s request.

Crisis intervention or counseling requires training and expertise. We would advise you not to attempt counseling if you are not a trained professional. The best way to help them is to encourage them to speak to a professional therapist. As an organization, we do not offer solutions or training to friends, family and caregivers for the same reason.

We don’t call anyone indirectly based on such request. We encourage you to share our contact details and ask the person seeking support to contact us directly.

Medications are prescribed by psychiatrists and is out of scope of work for counselors at the moment. We hope to bring this service to you soon. In the meanwhile, we encourage you to continue to engage with the same psychiatrist who has prescribed the medicines to you.

A group therapy or support group session provides a safe and confidential space for you to explore your concerns and learn through collective experience. It can help you feel heard, understood, more in control, and a reminder that there are people rooting for you.

While the content would vary based on the topic and the focus of the day, the sessions follow a basic structure of initial check in, exploration, identifying future steps and wrapping up.

No, they are free sessions that happen on a weekly basis.

You can explore our group therapy page and register for any group that you feel relatable with.

Yes, It will be used to send you the e-mail invite, resources (as per the requirement) for the session that you are signing up for.

This helps us to contact you and keep you updated about upcoming sessions.

You can sign up for as many groups as you want which you feel could help you, according to your own schedule and availability.

The weekly sessions are held for 60 minutes each.

Sessions are primarily in English, however, some sessions also take place in regional languages and you can join as per your comfort. Within the sessions you could also check in with the facilitators if you could share in a different language than the session is planned in.

It is understandable that it might not be easy to open up to strangers; however, it is a safe space for you to share and explore your thoughts and feelings. However, it is not compulsory to unmute, you can also interact by sending in your responses through the chat(which is only accessible to the facilitators), or using the emoticons to react or just listening in to others participants.

You do not have to keep the camera on. It is a safe space and you can engage as per your comfort level.

You can choose to share as much or as little as you are comfortable with. You can choose to simply listen in, or use the chat option if you don't feel comfortable talking to the group at large. The facilitators will attend to your concerns in an anonymized manner.

Sessions are led by trained mental health professionals. You can explore the profile of each facilitators on the specific group.

Sometimes listening in on other individuals' concerns and how they worked through them can also be helpful. Perhaps you can try it out to see if it helps you? You don’t have to share, you can simply listen in as well.

Post registration, you would be receiving a joining link to the meeting via email. You can join in through the Zoho Meetings app on your phone or directly via browser at the scheduled time.

The sessions are held virtually (online) only.

The sessions are confidential in nature. Our Privacy Policies explain how we treat your personal data and protect your privacy when you use our Services.

It is okay if you miss a session because of other commitments. You can simply join in for the next and restart your journey towards healing.

You can write an email to grouptherapy@vandrevalafoundation.com and ask to be removed from the alert list.