Here's what urban India’s wellness fix says about our mental health culture

Picture this yoursquore lying on a yoga mat as gongs and bowls reverberate in a sound bath The practitioner guides you through and by the end yoursquore in tears ldquoI still donrsquot know why I teared up in the session It was healinghellip an unexpected releaserdquo says entrepreneur Priyanka Mehta who tried sound healing while holidaying in BaliAcross Indian cities people are paying to cry smash crockery or for tarot and astrology mdash all in the name of wellnessAt Breakfree Club which offers waterfall treks expressive art therapy sound healing and more founder Savr Kumar sees steady signups ldquoPeople sign up for different reasons itrsquos either stress burnout to meet new people or have novel experiences Often I see people reach out as late as 11 pmrdquo he says pointing to the need for releasePiciStockThe expectation is often just to disconnect but catharsis can follow Yet while many readily pay for these experiences the word ldquotherapyrdquo still creates hesitation Kumar notes ldquoI donrsquot think therapy and these experiences are mutually exclusive But itrsquos difficult to find a good therapist or people have no time or find it expensiverdquoWhy is it easier to pay for forest bathing or to cry with strangers than to see a psychologist Perhaps because wellness feels light experimental even Instagrammable while therapy feels heavy clinical and still weighed down by stigmaPeople keen on improving their emotional and mental health try out alternative methods that promise to heal their inner child or provide relief from anxiety Dr Rajas Shah a physiotherapist and forest bathing guide says ldquoFor some itrsquos a status symbol some others fall for false marketing But some people are curious to understand what these methods are and how they can helprdquoPhysiotherapist and forest bathing guide Dr Rajas Shah centre in striped shirt takes a group for a healing session in the woodsAn artbased therapy facilitator and communications specialist Alisha Bhimani says that a lot of people arenrsquot aware of their underlying issues ldquoYour body stores trauma and emotions Practices such as art and dance movement therapy or breathwork and sound baths interact with the body on a subconscious level facilitating the release of these stored emotionsrdquo she saysShamanism practitioner Barkha Punjabi adds that many turn to her when nothing else is working ldquoTherersquos a lot of analysing in clinical therapy So people come to me when they are feeling emotionally stuckrdquo she says Her methods mdash seeking guidance from spirit or power animals mdash are rooted in centuriesold practices they can feel spiritual and deeply personal though not always logical ldquoSome people need evidence of logic In shamanic healing you may be talking to an animal Thatrsquos not for everyonerdquo she admits noting her work isnrsquot suited for severe mental disordersEven so alternative healing isnrsquot an easy shortcut ldquoIf you go once I call that a lsquosoul sparsquordquo says Anoopama Mukerjee Lohana an internationally accredited sound and somatic healing practitioner ldquoBut to begin a reset with sound healing you need at least five sessions of oneandahalf to two hours We do work with deeprooted issues but no one from the alternative healing tribe is against medical sciencerdquo she explainsAnoopama Mukerjee Lohana Dr Fabian Almeida Shruti Padhye and Tarun KatialSo where does one draw the line between alternative healing and clinical therapyFor Mehta a selfconfessed type A personality the idea of letting go of control has always felt uncomfortable but she never felt the need to consult a therapist In Bali she joined the sound healing session to simply try out a new activity ldquoIrsquom not someone who believes in all thisrdquo she admits ldquoBut I did feel that tingling sensation everyone talks aboutrdquoIt wasnrsquot an overnight transformation but it did spark small shifts She began dedicating five minutes each night to breathwork and grounding practices Four months later the routine has stuck ldquoItrsquos subtle but itrsquos a strong transformationrdquo she saysAs for independent writer Shirin Mehrotra who has tried both alternative and clinical approaches chakra healing felt like a natural first step to taking care of her mental health ldquoAt that time I lacked clarity and didnrsquot know whom to go to Since my friend was a chakra healer I trusted herrdquo she recalls Over eight to 12 sessions she found the process helped her navigate immediate challengesA few years later when anxiety surfaced she turned to therapy ldquoI had very distinct reasons for bothrdquo she explains ldquoWith therapy it was about deeprooted issues that stem from trauma or childhood But itrsquos not like I chose chakra healing first because I was against therapyrdquoMental health professionals point out both the appeal and the limitations of wellness fads ldquoTherapy is more longterm but rage rooms or cry clubs offer instant gratification Besides there is stigma around mental health services Wellness feels more in your controlrdquo says Shruti Padhye senior psychologist at Mpower Aditya Birla Education Trust initiativeStill she doesnrsquot dismiss these alternative practices outright If a patient tried any ldquoI would instead try to understand how it made them feel and try to bring those tools into our sessionsrdquo she addsThe concern however is when these practices are mistaken for complete solutions ldquoHealing practices serve as a temporary step for catharsis therersquos some benefit for sure But the risk is when people look at it as the only solutionrdquo says Dr Fabian Almeida consultant psychiatrist Fortis Hospital Kalyan He warns that these methods may ease the surface tension deeper psychological causes and psychiatric outcomes of distress can go unaddressedThat distinction mdash root versus relief mdash is where professionals draw the line ldquoItrsquos not a replacement for clinical therapy these are only preventive measuresrdquo says Dr Shah In his sessions he helps people ldquotap into their emotionsrdquo not treat mental illness ldquoUse these healing methods as a supplementrdquo he adds though he worries about misleading marketing that overpromises resultsSome practitioners see value in bridging the two Bhimani notes that even trained psychologists often recommend practices like yoga breathwork or journalling as complementary tools ldquoPeople should consider an integrated approach to uncover the root cause of discomforting feelings and support cathartic healingrdquo she saysDr Almeida whose own psychiatric daycare centre includes yoga zumba and meditation alongside therapy echoes this integrated model ldquoItrsquos all done in the supervision of their psychologist and psychiatristrdquo he says But he also stresses the importance of informed choices ldquoIn an era where life coaches and therapy centres are dime a dozen thanks especially to active social media marketing caregivers and seekers both I emphasise it should be mandatory for all wellness centres or clinics to provide a background of their services and certifications so that people can make informed choicesrdquoIf therersquos a silver lining itrsquos that alternative healing is a gateway to mental health care even if indirectly ldquoI know healing has become a trendy word nowhellip but if one wants to pursue it do it with trained and certified coaches Take it like going to the gymrdquo says Surabhi Dand psychotherapist and mindfulness coachHer advice make mental wellness part of your routine mdash meditation guided art journalling mdash but donrsquot overlook the value of talking it out ldquoThatrsquos how a lot of issues get resolved Everyone wants to be heardrdquoThe app that gives you all thinspSeeing the need for a 24x7 emotional wellness platform Tarun Katial launched coto His app connects users with verified experts across 10 modalities tarot astrology relationship coaching and spiritual services along with clinical psychologists and psychiatrists thinspThe founder and CEO says they decided to add nonclinical modalities as itrsquos ldquoeasier for users to adjust and transition between them seamlesslyrdquo He points out that there is no one path to discovering what works for you He adds ldquoClinical approach works better for a percentage of the population for others alternative healing is more acceptablerdquo and reasons that mental health is still stigmatised thinspInsights from coto also reveal that the urban youth seek mental health experts tarot readers and energy healers while those fromsmall towns opt for astrology