Is Theata healing beneficial? Read on to find out

(From left) Arpita Agarwal, Nakshi Satra and the reporter at a brief trial session

"Take a close look at the bathroom - It has a wall clock that doesn't work because the brain relaxes and gets creative ideas while one is on the pot or in the shower and hence we must not feel the pressure of time," said Theta Healer Arpita Agarwal, at one point during our walkthrough of their bright office-cum-workspace in Worli as a part of our test drive for a theta healing session.

(From left) Arpita Agarwal, Nakshi Satra and the reporter at a brief trial session

A bit amused, we were shown a few masks on the walls of the bathroom; this was "to encourage people to reveal their true identities," she continued. Of all the test drives we've signed up for, this particular reference took the cake. Twenty minutes earlier, we met Theta healers, Arpita Agarwal and Nakshi Satra to check out what the buzz about theta healing was.

The reporter with Arpita Agarwal looking at the masks placed in the washroom of the ATL office. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar

Being our first session, we went with an open mind. Paintings, lights inspired by planets and stars with an astronomy connect, a table washed in light and dark shades (we were told later that it depicts the dark and light side of an individual's personality) caught our eye. The flooring was a mix of stone and wood to represent the cold (stone) and warm (wood) side of each person.

"We have played with elements to create a space that is inspiring. We take down a person's desires and then create a therapy accordingly. This could include art therapy, meditation, fun exercises, and hypothetical situations created to gauge a person's thought process. We also use colour therapy andfood therapy too as these have the ability to alter mood. Recently we have introduced acting and writing therapy. Whatever you are interested in can be turned it into a therapy," shared Agarwal.

Time travel
Curious to know more about the the real deal, we were told that typically, 12 to 16 sessions for an hour and a half suffice for theta healing seekers. "However, we can't spell out how much time it will take to rectify the problem completely. We do two sessions a week or at times, even one so that the person can return and work on themselves. As opposed, to psychologists our sessions are more fun and engaging," she continued. We then sat down for our mini session and were asked to list five of our most important desires. A series of questions followed to gauge how we stop ourselves from achieving those desires.

While we weren't able to judge the outcome from a 15-minute Q &A session, we felt that anyone with a little drive and motivation could do this on their own. Also, for a serious problem, we recommend you see a psychiatrist, who may also be able to prescribe medicine.

We were not exactly convinced about the results of this new-age therapy since each session costs about Rs 3,000. and you never know how many you'd need. We were told that if someone enjoys travel and lists that as their desire, the therapist can travel with the person to a "quiet, serene location and discuss their issues there as well." Not for us, this one.