When we recorded this epsiode in July 2026, students in India had taken to the streets in protest and we can’t stop thinking about what that kind of collective courage does to the human nervous system. As therapists and South Asians living in the US, we talk about the grief and rage we’re holding while watching young people ask for safer, fairer education and face brutality for it. We also name the longer history of student organising led by Dalit, Bahujan, and Adivasi communities and why ignoring caste and systemic harm leaves mental health conversations incomplete.

From there, we step back and reflect on our whole first season: the constant balancing act between present-moment reality and practical mental health education. We share what worked, what felt heavy, and why blending culture and humor (yes, even Bollywood) can sometimes open doors that clinical language can’t. We also get honest about a big theme for South Asian mental health and immigrant therapy: Western frameworks are useful, but they can miss family context, somatic distress, indirect communication, and the lived experience of community and interdependence.

We end with a personal, professional question we’re still learning to answer: how much should a therapist self-disclose on a public platform while staying ethical and client-centred? Plus, we share what we’re excited to build next season, including more guests from across South Asia and more conversations that make therapy feel culturally real.

If this season helped you start a new conversation at home, subscribe, share the show with someone you love, and leave a review so more listeners can find it.

We would love to hear from you! write to us

Thanks for listening! we would love to hear from you, write to us,

Your hosts,

Malika & Gitika

Malika is the Founder of Ik Aas Counseling, know more at https://malikabains.com/

Gitika is the Founder of Pranh Healing & Wellness, know more at https://www.pranhwellness.com/

Mental health rarely announces itself with a neat label in South Asian families. It shows up as “my heart is anxious,” a heavy head from thinking too much, a stomach that will not settle, joint aches that will not quit, or a crushing tiredness that sleep does not fix. In this episode, licensed mental health professionals - Malika and Gitika- want to make that hidden language visible, because so many people are suffering in plain sight while being told, directly or indirectly, that it is “just stress” or “all in your head.”

We dig into the real ways anxiety, depression, and panic can present in the Desi community, including how distress moves through family dynamics: withdrawal, silence, irritability, staying in the room, snapping at loved ones, losing interest in things that used to bring joy, and the habit of saying “I’m fine” while shutting down. We also talk about panic attacks that feel like heart attacks, why that experience sends people back to cardiology instead of counseling, and how the mind-body connection is often misunderstood when Western clinical language does not match how people actually describe pain.

We also name the hard topic many families avoid: suicide. Sometimes it is not said as “I want to die,” but as spiritual or passive wishing, hopelessness, or a belief that only a divine power can end suffering. We share why asking about suicidal thoughts does not “put ideas” in someone’s head, and we highlight the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the US, including the option to request support in your language.

If you want practical clarity, culturally informed mental health insight, and a more compassionate way to respond to yourself or your family, listen through and share it with someone who needs better words for what they feel. Subscribe, leave a review, and send us your questions through the link in the show notes.

Additional Resources referenced in the episode: Afghan Symptom Checklist https://cectresourcelibrary.info/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Afghan-Symptom-Checklist.pdf

We would love to hear from you! write to us

Thanks for listening! we would love to hear from you, write to us,

Your hosts,

Malika & Gitika

Malika is the Founder of Ik Aas Counseling, know more at https://malikabains.com/

Gitika is the Founder of Pranh Healing & Wellness, know more at https://www.pranhwellness.com/

A lot of us grew up thinking a “good family” means staying close no matter what, but nobody teaches you how to stay connected without swallowing your own truth. We pick up our DDLJ thread and use Simran’s family to talk about something bigger: healthy family dynamics, unhealthy patterns that get normalised, and what mental health awareness can look like inside real Desi homes.

We break down a continuum of parenting styles in simple terms: the healthy parent who leads without fear, the good enough parent who makes mistakes and repairs, and the emotionally immature or emotionally unaware parent whose unprocessed trauma or overwhelm makes everything revolve around their feelings. We get specific about the difference between “I’ll miss you” and “you’re abandoning me”, and why that distinction matters when adult children are choosing education, work, marriage, or any life that doesn’t match the family script. Along the way, we name how immigrant grief and identity pressure can quietly shape control, rules, and conditional love.

Then we pivot to practical tools for adult children who want a relationship but also want peace. We share a mature awareness approach from clinical work: express and let go, focus on the outcome not the emotional derailment, and manage not engage by choosing safer topics and time limits. We also keep it honest: this takes nervous system regulation and internal work, not a one-time “boundary talk”. If you’ve ever wondered how to be authentic without burning bridges, press play, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation.

We would love to hear from you! write to us

Thanks for listening! we would love to hear from you, write to us,

Your hosts,

Malika & Gitika

Malika is the Founder of Ik Aas Counseling, know more at https://malikabains.com/

Gitika is the Founder of Pranh Healing & Wellness, know more at https://www.pranhwellness.com/