Question 1

What is the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?

Accepted Answer

A clinical psychologist treats mental health difficulties with talking therapy and psychological assessment. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can prescribe medication. Ms. Mansi Tanna is a clinical psychologist and does not prescribe. Where medication is worth considering, she says so plainly and can coordinate with a psychiatrist so both sides of your care fit together.

Question 2

What makes someone a clinical psychologist in India?

Accepted Answer

An MPhil in Clinical Psychology and registration with the Rehabilitation Council of India. Many titles in the wellness space are unregulated, so the registration number is the thing worth checking. Ms. Mansi Tanna's RCI registration is A105936, and you are entitled to verify it for any professional you consult.

Question 3

Do I need a doctor's referral?

Accepted Answer

No. You can message on WhatsApp and book directly. If a medical opinion turns out to be needed alongside therapy, that will be discussed with you.

Question 4

Is the first call really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It is a 15-minute WhatsApp call with no obligation to book afterwards. It is a conversation to see whether this is the right kind of support for you, not a therapy session, and no diagnosis is given on it.

Question 5

How do I know if my problem is 'serious enough' for therapy?

Accepted Answer

There is no threshold to cross. People come with panic attacks and people come because something has felt slightly off for a year and they cannot name it. If it is costing you sleep, work, study or relationships, that is reason enough. If therapy is not what you need, you will be told that honestly on the free call.

Question 6

What if it turns out not to be the right fit?

Accepted Answer

You will be told directly, and pointed towards a professional or service that suits your situation better. That includes referring on where a psychiatric opinion, a medical investigation or a specialist service is what is actually required.

Question 7

What happens in the first session?

Accepted Answer

The first ten minutes cover confidentiality and practicalities. Most of the hour is spent understanding what has been happening, how long it has been going on, what you have already tried, and what you want to be different. You are not pushed to describe anything you are not ready to describe.

Question 8

How long is a session and how often will I come?

Accepted Answer

Sessions are 50 minutes. Most people start weekly, because momentum matters early on, then move to fortnightly and monthly as things improve. Fortnightly from the outset is workable for many difficulties if that suits you better financially or practically.

Question 9

How many sessions will I need?

Accepted Answer

Nobody can promise a number, and anyone guaranteeing an outcome should be treated with suspicion. Focused work on a specific difficulty, such as panic attacks, often runs to somewhere between eight and twenty sessions. Longer-standing patterns and trauma histories take longer. Progress is reviewed against goals agreed at the start, so you can see whether it is helping.

Question 10

Which methods are used?

Accepted Answer

Mainly cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and dialectical behaviour therapy skills, chosen according to the difficulty rather than applied uniformly. Assessment work uses standardised psychometric tools. The approach page describes each method and when it is used.

Question 11

Will I be given homework?

Accepted Answer

Usually something small to notice or try between sessions, because most change happens outside the room. Nothing is assigned for its own sake, and if something is not working it gets changed rather than repeated.

Question 12

Can I have sessions in Gujarati?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sessions run in Gujarati, Hindi and English, and many clients move between them within a single session. Describing feelings in the language you grew up with is often easier, and it is completely fine.

Question 13

Is what I say kept confidential?

Accepted Answer

Yes. What you say in session stays in session. The limited exceptions are a serious risk to your life or someone else's, and where the law requires disclosure. These limits are explained clearly in the first session, before you share anything.

Question 14

Will my family be told anything?

Accepted Answer

Not without your written consent. This is asked about often, particularly by adults still living in a family home. For clients under 18, some information is shared with a parent or guardian as required, and what will and will not be shared is agreed openly with the young person at the start.

Question 15

Will anyone see me at the clinic?

Accepted Answer

Sessions are held at Wockhardt Hospitals on Kalawad Road, a general multi-speciality hospital where people attend for every imaginable reason. A visit there carries no implication about why you have come, and nobody at reception announces the department you are visiting.

Question 16

How are records stored?

Accepted Answer

Clinical notes are kept securely and are not shared with employers, insurers, family or anyone else without your written consent. The privacy policy sets out exactly what is collected, how long it is kept and what your rights are.

Question 17

Is online therapy as effective as meeting in person?

Accepted Answer

For most common difficulties, including anxiety, depression and OCD, the research shows online therapy performing comparably to in-person work. Some assessment work is better done face to face, and that will be said if it applies to you.

Question 18

What if I have no privacy at home?

Accepted Answer

A very common problem in a shared household, and a solvable one. Sessions are taken from parked cars, terraces, empty offices and rooms borrowed at a friend's house. Headphones help considerably, and a session can be paused if someone walks in. It is worth raising on the introductory call rather than letting it stop you.

Question 19

Where do you see clients from?

Accepted Answer

In person across Rajkot, and online from Jamnagar, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Morbi, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and the rest of Gujarat, as well as elsewhere in India.

Question 20

What do I need for an online session?

Accepted Answer

A phone or laptop, a reasonably stable connection and headphones. If the video drops, the session continues on audio. Nothing else is required.

Question 21

How much does a session cost?

Accepted Answer

A 50-minute individual session is ₹1,000, the same in person and online. Assessment work is quoted separately because it involves several appointments plus scoring and a written report, and the quote is given before you commit.

Question 22

How do I pay?

Accepted Answer

By UPI or bank transfer, before the session for online appointments and at the clinic for in-person ones. Dated receipts are provided on request.

Question 23

What is the cancellation policy?

Accepted Answer

Rescheduling is free with at least 24 hours' notice. Inside that window, sessions are charged in full, because a reserved 50-minute slot cannot be offered to anyone else at short notice.

Question 24

What if I cannot afford the fee?

Accepted Answer

A small number of reduced-fee slots are kept for people in genuine financial difficulty. Please raise it on the introductory call; it will be discussed without awkwardness. Free options also exist and are listed on the resources page, including Tele-MANAS on 14416.

Question 25

Will I be put on medication?

Accepted Answer

Not by a clinical psychologist, who cannot prescribe. If medication looks worth considering, you will be told plainly and referred to a psychiatrist. Therapy and medication are not alternatives, and many people do well on both.

Question 26

Will I be given a diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Only where one is clinically useful, and always with an explanation of what it means and what can be done about it. A label handed over with no explanation is not much use to anybody. Some people come specifically for diagnostic clarity, which is what the assessment services are for.

Question 27

Can you help someone who does not want help?

Accepted Answer

Not directly, since therapy needs the person's own participation. What can help is a session for you on how to have the conversation, what to say and what to avoid saying, and what options exist if the situation deteriorates.

Question 28

What if I am in crisis right now?

Accepted Answer

Therapy is not an emergency service. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, contact emergency services on 112, or Tele-MANAS on 14416, which is free, 24x7 and available in Gujarati and Hindi. Please do not wait for an appointment.

Frequently asked questions

Before you book

Sessions and how therapy works

Privacy and confidentiality

Online sessions

Fees, payment and cancellation

Medication, diagnosis and urgent situations

Not sure if therapy is right for you? That's exactly what the free call is for.