KANGAROO MINDS

There was a time when emotional language was painfully limited. People struggled to explain manipulation, burnout, trauma, anxiety, emotional neglect, unhealthy family systems, or abusive relationships because the vocabulary simply was not widely accessible. Therapy terminology entering mainstream conversations changed that in many important ways. Suddenly, people had words for experiences they had silently carried for years. Conversations around boundaries, attachment styles

For many students, the days following exam results are some of the most emotionally charged moments of their young lives. Months of preparation, sacrifice, stress, and anticipation culminate in a handful of numbers that can influence everything from college admissions to family conversations about the future. In a society where academic performance often carries enormous weight, exam results are rarely viewed as just scores on a page. They become symbols of potential, hard wo

In recent years, the conversation around identity has deepened in beautiful and necessary ways. We are beginning to see how different parts of who we are — our minds, bodies, desires, and ways of perceiving the world, interlace like threads in a rich tapestry. Among these evolving conversations lies a powerful intersection: the confluence of neurodiversity and Pride. It is a meeting point where neurological differences and LGBTQIA+ identities coexist, influence, and sometimes

There is a conversation that feels deeply uncomfortable to have openly, especially in mental health spaces that often emphasize compassion, understanding, and nuance above all else. But discomfort does not make the conversation unimportant. What happens when the people training to become mental health professionals cut corners getting there? And what is the ethical cost of cheating in Mental Health education? We aren't talking about occasional human mistakes or struggling aca

Therapy is often described as a safe space - a place built around healing, trust, emotional honesty, and vulnerability. And for many people, it can absolutely become that. Therapy can offer life-changing support, emotional insight, safety, regulation, validation, and healing in ways that deeply matter. But one of the most uncomfortable truths about therapy is that even in healthy therapeutic relationships, there is still an inherent power imbalance present, and pretending tha

No one really talks about how hard it is to become a pet parent for the first time - it's almost like an unspoken postpartum which is rarely every acknowledged because your "child" isn't one who walks on two feet. There’s a quiet chaos that comes with it, the kind that doesn’t always look like a breakdown from the outside, but slowly chips away at your sense of self from within. You’re suddenly responsible for another living being, one that can’t speak, can’t explain what the

For lakhs of students across India, life is often divided into two phases: before the exams and after the exams. Vacations are postponed until after the exams. Family functions are skipped until after the exams. Sleep, hobbies, friendships, birthdays, and sometimes even mental health are placed on hold until after the exams. Entire childhoods become organised around one singular promise - just get through this, and things will be okay. And then, one day, the exam finally happ

In an age defined by technology, speed and constant stimulation with anything and everything available at the click of a button, it is striking that some of the most effective tools for mental well-being look “old-fashioned”. Knitting needles and yarn wrapped in a warm ball, bread and cakes rising patiently in a warm kitchen, hands buried in soil while tending to plants; activities once dismissed as “grandma hobbies” are quietly making a comeback. Far from being outdated, the

There is something profoundly intimate about sleep. Each night, we surrender control, close our eyes, and trust the dark to restore us. Yet in a world that praises productivity and late-night hustle, sleep is often treated as a luxury rather than a necessity. What we are slowly relearning, both through science and lived experience, is that sleep is not just rest for the body, it is nourishment for the mind. The quality of our sleep quietly shapes our emotional resilience, our

Therapy has helped countless people understand themselves more deeply, process trauma, navigate grief, improve relationships, regulate emotions, and feel less alone in their struggles. Conversations around mental health becoming more normalized has been an important and necessary shift in a world where emotional suffering was often silenced for far too long. For many people, therapy creates the first space where they feel truly heard without judgment. But like any deeply infl

There’s something oddly satisfying about ticking off a to-do list. That tiny checkmark, that small moment of victory, offers a fleeting sense of accomplishment. But what happens on the days when you can’t tick off anything? When the list looms large, and your energy, mood, or circumstances just don’t cooperate? Those are the days the traditional to-do list becomes a source of guilt rather than motivation - a glaring reminder of what you didn’t get done. This is where the powe

Therapy is often described as a safe space. A place where people can speak honestly, feel heard, process emotions, question patterns, and explore difficult experiences without fear of judgment. For many people, therapy genuinely can become one of the most healing relationships they experience, especially in a world where emotional vulnerability is often misunderstood or dismissed elsewhere. But conversations around therapy and mental health spaces have increasingly become so

The idea of nazar, or the evil eye, is one that crosses countries, religions, and generations. Whether it’s a black thread tied around a wrist, a spoonful of salt waved and thrown, an evil eye charm on a bracelet, or a “touch wood” said hurriedly after a compliment, there’s a deep cultural belief that being admired or envied can attract harm. Some see it as superstition. Others see it as truth. But what’s often overlooked is how deeply these beliefs, especially when dismissed

Human communication often revolves around the exchange of ideas, experiences, and opinions. Yet in our eagerness to connect, we often fall into a familiar habit: giving advice. Whether in personal relationships or professional settings, the instinct to offer solutions is deeply ingrained. It is a way to show care, to share wisdom, and to demonstrate competence. However, beneath this well-meaning impulse lies a subtle limitation. Advice, while sometimes helpful, can close conv

There’s something deeply validating about hearing “Well done!” or “You’re so talented!” Most of us grew up craving those words, working hard to earn them from teachers, parents, coaches, and friends. Praise feels like a warm spotlight - it affirms our efforts, reassures us we’re doing something right, and for a moment, it silences self-doubt. But when we dig a little deeper, we begin to see that praise, while well-intentioned, can also create unhelpful dynamics, especially wh

We are living in an era where artificial intelligence is no longer just a futuristic concept—it’s here, shaping how we work, communicate, and even think. From chatbots that carry on seemingly intelligent conversations to AI-generated art that can mimic the styles of human masters, the technology is astounding. But as AI grows more sophisticated, a new phenomenon is quietly emerging: AI psychosis. At first glance, the term may sound dramatic. After all, machines don’t have min

“Just leave.” - If only it were that simple. It’s the most common thing people say when they hear someone talk about abuse at home - "If it was that bad, why didn’t you just leave?" The assumption, of course, is that leaving is a choice available to everyone. But for many adult children in toxic homes, especially within South Asian families, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In so many of our homes, the idea of adulthood is conditional. You may be old enough to vote,

For centuries, the brain has been regarded as the command center of the human body, the seat of thought, memory, and emotion. Yet modern science has revealed a surprising truth: our gut, the very place where we digest food, is so complex and influential that it has earned the title of the “second brain.” This is not merely a poetic phrase or a metaphor for instinct; it reflects the discovery of a rich nervous system within the gut that communicates constantly with the brain a

One of the most common responses people hear when discussing harmful experiences in therapy or mental health spaces is this: “Therapists are human too.” - And that statement is absolutely true. Mental health professionals are human beings first - They can have bad days, blind spots, emotional reactions, personal struggles, biases, countertransference, communication failures, burnout, limitations, and moments where they genuinely get things wrong. No amount of education or tra

There’s a strange kind of loneliness that comes with being the one who always helps. The one who listens patiently, holds space gently, gives advice lovingly, and stays up all night when someone else is hurting. The one who remembers birthdays, who sends that text after a tough week, who shows up, every single time. The one who knows how to soothe everyone else’s pain but rarely gets asked: “How are you, really?” It’s a role many slip into so naturally that it almost feels li