Rema K Giridhar
Certified Transactional Analyst & Psychotherapist
- Referred by a therapist
Hi, I'm Rema! I am a Certified Transactional Analyst in Psychotherapy, a qualification held by very few practitioners in India and one that takes most therapists a decade of supervised clinical work, personal therapy, and rigorous examination to achieve. That journey was not just professional training. It was a sustained process of understanding myself as deeply as I understand the people I sit with. Over the years I have trained across multiple disciplines, working with each seriously enough to bring it into practice. I go to three supervisors across three different fields regularly, because I know that blind spots do not announce themselves. I am very detail-oriented, and treat every client I carry as someone whose safety and growth I am accountable for.
Before becoming a psychotherapist, I spent several years in the IT and corporate world, a space that taught me structure, systems, responsibility, and the pressures of performance. That background informs how I think and how I hold a session, organised, purposeful, and always tracking the larger direction. My work today spans more than a private practice. I work in an academic setting and alongside a foundation that supports people facing serious illness, loss, and the end of life. That range, from young people finding their footing to people in the most difficult chapters of their lives, has given me a relationship with the full arc of human experience that most practitioners do not get. I have learned to be present in rooms where there is nothing to fix, only something to witness and hold.
One thing I have come to understand about this work is that for many people, what they are looking for first is not insight or change. It is simply to be told that they will be okay, by someone who means it. I have had clients reach out just to hear me say travel safe, nothing will happen. I know what it means to be the anchor figure for someone who cannot find that steadiness anywhere else. When that is what is needed, I give it without reservation.
2900+ hours of work in therapy
I didn't stop learning after my masters, I have been continuously investing in practical case-based training, client work, and my own personal therapy.
We show therapy sessions so you can better understand a therapist's real-world experience.
Two therapists may both have five years in practice, yet one might have completed 500 sessions while another has completed 3,000. This depends on whether they practice part-time or full-time and how consistently they see clients. Session counts make that difference visible.
Just as you would not trust a surgeon who has only read about the human body but never operated, therapy cannot be mastered through textbooks alone. While many master's programs in India are heavily theory-driven, practical training develops the real skill of therapy - learning how to ask the right question, when to hold silence, when to challenge, and how to respond in complex emotional moments.
Therapists are human, and they carry their own histories. When a client's experiences resemble their own, old patterns can get activated.
For example, if a therapist grew up with a highly critical parent and a client shares a similar experience, that old pattern can get activated. They may unconsciously over-identify, rescue, or react instead of staying objective. Personal therapy helps therapists recognise their own triggers and patterns so they can respond thoughtfully and continue to hold a non-judgemental space. Nobody is born non judgemental, it takes a lot of personal work to get there.
14+ years of in-depth, practical training in psychotherapy post masters
- 7+ years of advanced training in Transactional Analysis from International Transactional Analysis Association (ITAA)
- 5+ years of intensive training in Psychodrama with Vedadrama
- 6+ years (and ongoing) advanced training in Psychodynamic Therapy through PsyHub and with The PARC
- 4+ years of study and practice in Anthroposophy through Swadhaa Waldorf School and APARA India
- 1+ year of training in Art Therapy from Swadhaa Waldorf School
- Certification in Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT) through SAATA
- Intensive training in Bothmer Gym (therapeutic movement work) with Daniel Freeman, Aananda Play
- Intensive training in Gestalt Therapy from Wellspring (ASHA CBE)
- Training in Therapeutic Movement through CMTAI
Educational Qualifications
- B.A. in English Literature, PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore
- M.A. in Mass Communication and Journalism, PSG College of Arts and Science
- M.Sc. in Applied Psychology, Bharathiyar University
✨ Rema is one of a very small number of practitioners in India to hold a Certified Transactional Analyst (CTA) qualification in Psychotherapy, an internationally recognised accreditation that takes most therapists a decade to achieve. She has built on that with over fourteen years of serious training across psychodrama, psychodynamic therapy, art therapy, therapeutic movement, and Anthroposophy, making her one of the most extensively and unusually trained therapists available.
I've worked with clients ranging from professionals navigating workplace stress, leadership pressures, and burnout, to individuals facing relationship challenges, emotional overwhelm, and deeper questions of meaning and direction and I work especially well with clients who like to work through multiple modalities as we progress and not limit to one.
You are in the right place if you are not primarily seeking support for neurodivergence or psychosis.
Approaches I Use
- Transactional Analysis (TA)
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Psychodrama
- Gestalt Therapy
- Bothmer Gymnastics
- Art Therapy
✨ Rema works across multiple layers of a person's experience, thought, feeling, body, and the deeper patterns formed over a lifetime. She brings in creative, art, movement-based, and expressive approaches alongside conversation, adapting what she uses to what each person needs and what the work calls for at any given moment.
What sessions with me feel like
The first two or three sessions are mostly about getting a picture. What is happening, how long it has been happening, and what kind of person you are underneath the presenting concern. Goals come up early but I hold them loosely, because what someone thinks they are coming for and what they actually need to work on are rarely the same thing at the start.
I work through whichever channel is your strongest, thinking, feeling, or behaviour, and I do not impose my own nature on anyone. Validation comes before anything else. Before insight, before challenge, before any technique. Many people arrive needing to feel seen and steadied first, and until that is in place, nothing else lands properly.
I bring in art therapy, breath work, and body-based approaches alongside conversation, depending on what each person needs. I do it carefully and at a pace that feels safe, never pulling something into the open before there is enough containment to hold it. Guided imagery and expressive work are tools I reach for thoughtfully, not routinely.
Sessions close with some concretizing of what happened, what moved, what you are taking with you. I give the reins to the client, but I always know which road we are taking.
Session Basics
Languages
Fluent in English, Tamil and Telugu
Location
Coimbatore, India
Mode
Online only
Duration
60 minutes
Available for
Individual Therapy
Rescheduling/Cancellation Policy
24-hour notice required
Outside therapy
I cook for people the way some people write letters, it is how I show care. Baking especially, there is something about the precision of it that I find grounding. Twice a week I go for tai chi, and those two days are non-negotiable for me. I love learning, I am always in the middle of something new, and I think that restlessness is what keeps me honest in the work.
I've been referred to Mindbun by therapist Chaitali Shetty.
Therapists know what good therapy feels like. That's why this referral is stronger, and why you can trust it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What approaches do you work with?
I work primarily with Transactional Analysis, while integrating psychodynamic therapy, psychodrama, Gestalt therapy, art therapy, and body-based approaches. This depth-oriented work helps us understand long-held patterns and support change at emotional, cognitive, and experiential levels.
What languages do you offer sessions in?
I offer sessions in English, Tamil, and Telugu.
What type of people may not be the right fit for you?
I may not be the right fit if you are primarily seeking support for neurodivergence or psychosis.
Are your sessions more structured or exploratory?
My sessions balance both. I hold a clear direction for the work while allowing space for deeper themes, emotions, and insights to emerge at a pace that feels safe and meaningful for you.
Will I get exercises or reflection work between sessions?
Sometimes. If helpful, I may suggest reflective practices, expressive work, or awareness-based exercises, but these are always tailored to you and never mandatory.
What if I disagree with you?
I genuinely welcome disagreement in our work together. If something I say doesn't sit right with you, I encourage you to share it openly. Therapy is a collaborative space, and your voice matters deeply here. Often, moments of disagreement lead to powerful insights, about patterns, boundaries, needs, or past experiences. Exploring these moments together can become an important part of your therapeutic growth and help us build a more honest, trusting relationship.
What if it doesn't feel like it's working after a few sessions?
Let's talk about it openly. Therapy is a collaborative process, and it's important that you feel safe sharing if something doesn't feel right. Sometimes, naming what isn't working can lead to meaningful shifts in the work itself. You are always free to pause, take a break, or explore a different therapist if that feels better for you. We can have that conversation together first, or you can also reach out to the Mindbun team for support in finding a better fit. Your comfort and growth matter more than pushing through something silently.