Free and low-cost support
Mental health resources and helplines in India
Not everyone who needs support needs private therapy, and not everyone can afford it right now. Everything on this page is free or low cost, and none of it requires a referral.
Free helplines you can call today
All of these are staffed by people trained to listen. You do not need a diagnosis, an appointment or a reason that sounds serious enough.
Tele-MANAS
24x7, free
The Government of India's national mental health helpline. Counsellors available in Gujarati, Hindi and English, with escalation to a mental health professional where needed.
Vandrevala Foundation
24x7, free
Crisis intervention and counselling by phone and WhatsApp, staffed by trained counsellors across multiple Indian languages.
AASRA
24x7, free
Long-running suicide prevention and emotional support helpline, offering confidential listening without judgement.
iCall (TISS)
Mon to Sat, 10am to 8pm
Free telephone and email counselling from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, staffed by qualified mental health professionals.
KIRAN (Ministry of Social Justice)
24x7, toll-free
National helpline offering early screening, first-aid psychological support and referral, available in thirteen languages.
Emergency services
24x7
For immediate physical danger, a medical emergency, or when someone has already acted on a plan to harm themselves.
Low-cost options in Gujarat
Private therapy is not the only route to competent care, and it is worth knowing what else exists locally.
Government hospitals in Rajkot
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Hospital (the civil hospital) has a psychiatry department with outpatient consultations at nominal government rates. Bring identification and expect to wait, but the psychiatric care is real and prescriptions are affordable.
Hospital medical social workers
Larger hospitals employ medical social workers who can help you navigate departments, costs and paperwork. They are underused and worth asking for by name at the reception desk.
University counselling services
Many colleges and universities in Gujarat now run a counselling cell for enrolled students, free of charge. If you are studying, ask the student welfare office rather than assuming it does not exist.
Employer assistance programmes
A growing number of Indian employers include a confidential counselling benefit that most staff never hear about. Human resources can tell you whether one exists and whether your employer sees who uses it, which is usually no.
How to help someone who is struggling
People often want to help and are afraid of making things worse. A few things are reliably useful.
Ask directly. If you are worried that someone is thinking about ending their life, ask them plainly. Asking does not plant the idea; the research on this is clear, and being asked is frequently a relief.
Listen longer than is comfortable. The instinct is to reassure, to solve, or to point out everything they have to be grateful for. All three tend to end the conversation. “That sounds exhausting, tell me more” keeps it going.
Do not promise total secrecy. If someone is at risk, you may need to involve others. Promise that you will not gossip, not that you will never tell anyone.
Help with the logistics. Depression makes phone calls feel enormous. Offering to sit with someone while they send the message, or to go with them to the first appointment, removes a real barrier.
Reduce access to means, and stay. Where there is immediate risk, do not leave the person alone, remove access to anything they could use to harm themselves, and call 112 or Tele-MANAS on 14416.
Choosing a mental health professional
India regulates some mental health titles and not others, which is why the same service can cost wildly different amounts and vary wildly in quality. A few checks are worth making, of anyone including this practice.
- Ask for the qualification and registration number. A clinical psychologist in India holds an MPhil in Clinical Psychology and is registered with the Rehabilitation Council of India.
- Ask which method will be used for your difficulty and why that one. A clear answer is a good sign.
- Be wary of guaranteed outcomes, fixed-number packages sold upfront, and anyone who diagnoses you within ten minutes.
- Confidentiality limits should be explained to you before you disclose anything, not after.
Ms. Mansi Tanna is registered with the Rehabilitation Council of India, registration number A105936. Her training is set out on the about page, and the methods used are described on the approach page.
Reading, if that is where you would rather start
Some people want to understand a difficulty before speaking to anyone about it. The articles on the blog are written for that, in plain language and without motivational filler:
- What happens in your first therapy session
- Panic attack or anxiety attack? The difference, and what helps
- Signs of ADHD in adults in India, and why it gets missed
Reading is a reasonable first step and a poor substitute for an assessment. Nothing on this website, including these articles, is medical advice or a diagnosis of your situation.
Not sure if therapy is right for you? That's exactly what the free call is for.
A short, no-obligation chat to see if working together is a good fit. Not a therapy session.
Prefer to talk first? Call +91 90818 55755 or email hello@mansitanna.com.