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#ShatterTheStigma

The Empathy Centre aims to empower people on their mental wellness journeys, while breaking down the taboos surrounding therapy. Based out of Mumbai India, The Empathy Centre was founded by Ms. Rahat Lookmanji, a trained mental health practitioner, to provide a safe space for people from all over the world to heal, grow and achieve their goals and dreams.

Why Online Therapy?

The global pandemic has fundamentally changed the way the world functions. The uncertainty of tomorrow has led to a spike in mental health concerns for each segment of society. The Empathy Centre aims to provide the tools and resources to improve your mental wellbeing from the comfort of your own home. Online counselling allows you to efficiently get the guidance you need, without the hassle and added expense of having to travel to and from a clinic.

Types of Sessions

Client Testimonials

  • It helped, in ways that make it hard to put it in words.

    “She genuinely cared about helping me. Instead of referring to the playbook, she figured out a game plan that would work for me.
    And it helped, in ways that make it hard to put it in words” Read More
    Mr Perception

  • It’s Been a Wonderful Experience!

    “I have had a wonderful experience with Rahat during my therapy sessions.
    She’s been patient, kind and made me feel extremely comfortable to work through my concerns at my own pace.” Read More
    Ms Perseverance

  • I Feel So Much More Confident With Who I

    The thought of speaking to someone I barely knew made me slightly nervous and uncomfortable, but when I spoke to Rahat nothing felt like that. She made it extremely comfortable and simple for me by giving me my space and comfort, which is extremely necessary for me as a person. Read More
    Ms Infectious Laugh

  • To say that my time spent with Rahat has been the wellspring to my growth would be an understatement.

    “Sometimes angels don’t come into your life clad in an all-white ensemble flying towards you to take you where you should be. Sometimes you come across them while trodding on the road not taken to help you realize where you should be. For me, that was Rahat.” Read More
     
    The Girl with a Steel Spine

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Latest Instagram Posts

  • To say that my time spent with Rahat has been the wellspring to my growth would be an understatement.

    Sometimes angels don’t come into your life clad in an all-white ensemble flying towards you to take you where you should be. Sometimes you come across them while trodding on the road not taken to help you realize where you should be. For me, that was Rahat.
     
    To say that my time spent with Rahat has been the wellspring to my growth would be an understatement. A year ago, I felt as though I hit a brick in the wall and while I knew that I needed to create a new door (avenue) for myself, I didn’t think I had the courage to carry on. Everyone around me said I had hit rock-bottom. I grew up watching the television show ‘Friends’ and even then, I resonated with Rachel in more ways than one when she said “But today, it’s like there’s rock bottom, then fifty feet of crap, then me.”
     
    No matter how hard I tried to let bygones be bygones, I kept hurting and internalizing everything. I experienced these sporadic outbursts where my emotions just welled up, and I couldn’t stop weeping, despite wanting to. I forgot all sense of self, could not get myself out of bed in the morning, lost my appetite and wore nothing but sweatpants. Even listening to music did not help. Trust me, I could have made Mickey Mouse cry if he met me then. When I spoke to Rahat for the first time, well, I was not a delight. I just felt dull.
     
    At first, it seemed obvious. I should do more things that make me happy. Why would anyone be sad? But these things – engaging in physical exercise, having social interactions, changing your appetite and just getting yourself out of your room – may seem easy. They are, but I just couldn’t. I did not have the energy or will to. I don’t know what changed in this past year, but reflecting on my time spent with Rahat, nothing really did change. There was just a paradigm shift in my perspective and the way I adapted to situations. I just became intrinsically motivated to do more. And that is why therapy helped me.
     
    As I write this today, I want you to know that I am not where I used to be. When I hit rock-bottom, Rahat was a rock I am glad to have found amidst the rest. She has the most amazing quality of listening to you and identifying what really is the problem. If you thought your apples were bitter and it was because there was something wrong with your tastebuds, Rahat could make you see that the apple tree had weak roots. My biggest takeaway from The Empathy Centre was to have empathy towards myself, especially when I cannot control the things around me.
     
    Mental health concerns have always been stigmatized in our society and I did not know how people would perceive me anymore given what I had been through. Rahat was always artful and articulate in her approach towards helping me #ShatterTheStigma. During one of our sessions, she told me about Kintsugi, the Japanese Art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold which serves as a metaphor for embracing your flaws and imperfections. Today, I am proud to quote William Ernest Henley when I say “My head is bloody, but unbowed.”
     
    Thank you, Rahat, for everything you have done!
    The Girl with a Steel Spine

Our client’s privacy is paramount, and therefore whenever we share a client’s testimonial, rather than saying; Ms X.Y, we give them a ‘nickname’ that highlights their uniqueness without giving away their identity. We also believe it may be fun for them to see their unique ‘nicknames’! We want to reiterate that this client’s testimonial has only been shared with her express consent.

“The Girl with a Steel Spine” is a 23-year-old female who has been in therapy with The Empathy Centre for a little of a year. She’s been through a lot in terms of her mental health and past traumas. She has shown so much perseverance and fortitude, putting in the work in order to get better and work towards attaining her true potential.

P.S.: The quote by Ernest William Henley is one of my tattoos! – Rahat.

The Girl with a Steel Spine

  • I Feel So Much More Confident With Who I am

    “This is the first time I have tried therapy. Have been considering it for a few years but I wasn’t confident and convinced enough to explore it. This time I went with my gut. 

    Through a friend’s reference, I contacted The Empathy Centre where I spoke to Rahat. At first, I wasn’t sure of how it would go, because I had no context to how therapies usually work. But Rahat made it really simple for me.

    The thought of speaking to someone I barely knew made me slightly nervous and uncomfortable, but when I spoke to Rahat it felt nothing like that. She made it extremely comfortable and simple for me by giving me my space and comfort, which is extremely necessary for me as a person.

    I’m an introvert who takes some time to build conversations and relationships, but with the first few sessions, I almost completely opened up to her.

    I’ve just had 4 sessions in the last 3 months but I can personally see so much difference and improvement in my behaviour, my choices and the way I perceive things. 

    Rahat gives each behavioural trait an understanding and works towards overcoming the obstacles, she’s consistently given me assignments based on her understanding, to help me work towards my personal goals. 

    I feel so much more confident with who I am in just 4 sessions and I want to continue working towards the same, with Rahat’s support and help.” 
    Ms Infectious Laugh

Our client’s privacy is paramount, and therefore whenever we share a client’s testimonial, rather than saying; Mr/Ms X.Y, we give them a ‘nickname’ that highlights their uniqueness without giving away their identity. We also believe it may be fun for them to see their unique ‘nicknames’! We want to reiterate that this client’s testimonial has only been shared with her express consent.

Ms Infections Laugh is a 29-year-old female who has been in therapy with The Empathy Centre for a few months. Her nickname came about because although she says she is rather quiet with new people, from our first session, her personality shone through. Even when discussing something difficult or serious, she is able to find humour in it. Her main areas of concern are anxiety, self-esteem and confidence issues and work-related concerns.

Ms Infections Laugh