The seeds for PsychLine.in were sown early in 2013, when a fresh-off-the-boat girl, in all her naivety and impassioned fire, recognized that there is not enough being done to serve the purely basic statistical incidence rates of mental health struggles in India. Given the colossal population size of India, coupled with India’s regional diversity and cultural uniqueness, she realized that mental health needs of majority of the country is going unserved. With this youthful wisdom, some education and an earnest experience by her side, a very righteous and ambitious woman, Niharika Thakkar, set up an initiative called PsychLine.in in Indore, India.
She gradually built her clientele working together in collaboration with Psychiatrists, hospitals, schools, and rehabilitation centres for a couple of years. Her network of well-wishers and experts persistently guided and inspired her to keep it going on a daily basis. By the end of 2013, Niharika had worked at a de-addiction and rehabilitation center, had two on-going clinics, and was a consultant therapist at some of the most prestigious hospitals of Indore. She also worked as a Psychology teacher at a school. Meanwhile, PsychLine.in was growing fast within her community when an opportunity presented itself to broaden her sincere horizons in the field of Social and Behavioral Sciences- she was offered a grant to complete her PhD through Leiden University, Netherlands, one that is recognized to include names like Rembrandt, Albert Einstein, and the current king of Netherlands to their alumni list.
Upon starting her PhD in 2014, PsychLine.in took a back seat in Niharika’s life, and she moved to NY, America by 2015 with her husband. PsychLine.in and the ambition to start an organization for mental health care in India were often in her thoughts over the years, but surfaced passionately to the forefront again when the pandemic hit globally. Many of her old clients were reaching out to her once again, and the stresses of the lockdowns in India could be realized in every conversation. So in June of 2020, she went back to her original purpose and reinitiated PsychLine.in.
Our Mission
PsychLine.in aims to provide quality mental health services through affordable, technologically accessible, and practical solutions, to anyone struggling with stress, emotional disturbances, behavioural problems or mental health difficulties. Our efforts focus on making available a user-friendly online platform, in collaboration with a team of skilled therapists and experts to reach out to the grassroots of India, offering professional mental health care for all.
Our Vision
Our vision is to be able to meet every individual’s need in India with good quality mental health support. In our society, many members may seek therapy but the stigma and prejudice surrounding mental healthcare inhibits us from booking an appointment. Moreover, many others may need and seek care and support but do not have available options that are convenient or accessible. Unfortunately, the quality of mental health care available in India is also contentious. PsychLine.in’s efforts focus on incorporating global standards of evidence-based research with an Indian perspective through our values and expertise.
Our vision is simple:
(a) Spread awareness about mental healthcare to erase the stigma around it and welcome everyone in the community to explore options for counseling services.
(b) Make available good quality counseling support options for people struggling with life’s challenges, so that each individual is able to reach out for care any time, anywhere through an online platform in India.
(c) Train the next generation of mental health care professionals in India via trainings, courses, webinars, and internships for real-world experiences.
Within 6 months of setting up services we have been able to form a team of interns, referring doctors, and mentors. Together, we have been able to reach out to thousands of people on social media within months and are presently serving a large community in Indore, India. We have also received healthy media coverage through papers like Times of India, one of the leading newspapers in India. We have been collaborating with various professionals and spreading mental health awareness on various platforms. Future prospects would include moving to a broader audience in India and we firmly believe that there is no stopping us ! Write to us at contact@psychline.in to know more about our work, and if you are interested in collaborating with us to spread mental health awareness and provide quality care in India.