About us

Wellbeing is not something we learn only in therapy rooms. Across cultures, people have always used art, stories, rituals and creative traditions to make sense of life’s experiences. My work is about bringing those practices back into everyday conversations about mental health.

Long before I trained to become an art psychotherapist, creativity was already quietly shaping how I understood the world.

I grew up in a culture where stories, colours and rituals were woven into everyday life. A kolam drawn at the threshold each morning, intricate patterns of henna on a bride’s hands, the rhythm of music and dance during festivals, the soft rustle of a saree passed down through generations — these were not labelled as “creative practices,” yet they carried deep meaning. They were ways people expressed identity, memory, devotion and emotion.

Looking back, I realise that these everyday artistic traditions were also ways people cared for their inner worlds.

Years later, when I discovered art therapy during my postgraduate studies, something clicked. I realised that creativity could be more than expression — it could be a powerful pathway to understanding ourselves and supporting mental wellbeing.

Today I work as an Art Psychotherapist, Counsellor and Clinical Supervisor, and I am the founder of Mindkshetra, a creative wellbeing studio and social enterprise based in Western Sydney.

Mindkshetra was born from a simple idea: that creativity belongs in everyday life, and that art can help people reconnect with themselves in ways that words alone sometimes cannot.

As a first-generation Indian Australian and native Tamil speaker, my work is deeply shaped by the intersection of culture, identity and mental health. Many people I meet — particularly young people and those navigating multiple cultural worlds — carry stories that are complex, layered and sometimes difficult to articulate. Creative practices can offer a gentle way to explore those experiences.

Through counselling, art psychotherapy and community programs, I create spaces where people can slow down, reflect and express what might otherwise remain unspoken. Sometimes this looks like drawing simple lines and patterns to calm an overwhelmed nervous system. Other times it might involve storytelling, collage, or reconnecting with cultural art forms that hold personal meaning.

My professional journey has taken many paths before arriving here. Earlier in my career I worked in fast-paced corporate environments as a Lead Training Specialist, designing learning programs and facilitating professional development. That experience taught me how people learn, how they communicate and how environments shape behaviour.

Alongside this, I have worked closely with young people through mentoring and counselling roles, including my time as a Program Counsellor with Raise Foundation. These experiences continue to inform my pragmatic and compassionate approach to supporting individuals and communities.

Since 2023, I have also been working with Western Sydney University as an Academic Placement Coordinator, supporting Master of Art Therapy students as they navigate their professional placements. I value this role deeply because it allows me to contribute to the next generation of creative arts therapists entering the field.

Beyond the therapy room, much of my work takes place in the community. I collaborate with local councils, schools and organisations to design programs that bring creative wellbeing practices into accessible public spaces. Initiatives such as Arts for Wellbeing during Mental Health Month invite people to experience art not as something reserved for galleries, but as a practical and meaningful part of everyday mental health.

In 2025, Mindkshetra was honoured with the South Asian Women in Business Award, a recognition that reflects not only my work but also the growing conversation around culturally responsive approaches to wellbeing.

I am also a storyteller by nature. Together with my daughter, I co-host the podcast Mindkshetra Talks: Lost in Translation, where two South Asian women from different generations explore identity, culture and the subtle dynamics of growing up between worlds. These conversations often mirror the questions many people carry — about belonging, tradition and change.

At the heart of everything I do is a simple belief: creativity is not a luxury. It is a deeply human instinct.

When we create — whether through art, writing, music, craft or movement — we give shape to our experiences. We make space for reflection, curiosity and healing.

That is what Mindkshetra represents to me.

The word kshetra refers to a sacred space or field — a place where something meaningful can grow.

Through art, culture and conversation, my hope is to help people create that space within themselves.

Because every mind deserves its own “kshetra” — a space to reflect, create and grow.