Raushan Kamdar
Psychotherapist & Academic Tutor
MBACP | COSCA
My Practice
The personal experience and professional practice of psychotherapy has been one of the defining motifs of my adult life. My interest in the field began when I first sought therapy for myself as a young adult. Since then it has been a constant point of reference in my life. It continues to profoundly shape my own work as a therapist. Over the years, as I work with clients from diverse backgrounds and presentations, my therapeutic approach continues to develop and deepen. Teaching as an academic tutor has been the best way to continue learning. My passion for this work is notably sustained by a strong commitment to ongoing professional development. I continue to seek further training to stay informed of contemporary research and developments in the field.
At its core, I experience therapy as a valuable practice, process and relationship. It is a deeply personal journey that takes time and trust. It is not a quick-fix, and like most good things in life, it cannot be rushed. I value the therapeutic relationship as the hallmark of good therapy, which becomes the anchor through which difficult and deeper issues can be reached. This kind of committed, reflective, insight-oriented depth-work offers an opportunity for anyone interested in establishing a secure psychological connect with themselves and those around.
​
I have extensive experience in working with adolescents and adults with a range of psychological and interpersonal difficulties. I have an in-person and online practice where I see clients (aged 16+) from around the world. It is a privilege to work with a diverse demographic in my practice, where one's cultures, languages, ethnicities, intergenerational histories, lived experiences and identities are an important part of the therapeutic work.
​​​​
More details on my approach, theoretical orientation, and practice, are listed below.
​​
​​​
_edited.png)
Who can benefit from psychotherapy?
​
Short answer, everyone.
​​
Psychotherapy comes into its own when our usual ways of dealing with things are not working sufficiently well. It becomes a consistent, empathetic and confidential space in which one can safely bring different aspects of themselves and their difficulties. It allows us to pay close attention to the unique workings of one's conscious and unconscious mind and of psychological development. This can be helpful for understanding a range of psychological issues that have never reached a comfortable resolve, whether mild or acute, recent or long-standing. It is suitable to address specific problems, behaviours, crises, or trauma, as well as allows for a meaningful exploration of the fullest potential of one’s life.​
​
In my practice, clinical presentations vary greatly. These include (but aren't limited to) anxiety, depression, emotional overwhelm, volatility or numbness, interpersonal, family and relational issues, grief, bereavement & loss, complex trauma, suicidal thoughts, behaviours, self-harm, antisocial behaviours, self-esteem and confidence, loneliness and isolation, parenting difficulties, adoption, foster home experiences, abuse, discrimination, workplace and career stress, neurodivergence, sex & reproductive health, body image, disordered eating, dissociation, chronic illnesses, traumatic injuries, amnesia & memory difficulties, addictions, various aspects of identity (race, gender, caste, sexuality), immigration and cultural assimilation etc.
I also have experience of working with clients with complex and challenging mental health difficulties from a wide range of diagnostic groups, histories of psychiatric institutionalisation & hospitalisation, and use of medications.
​
Regardless of what brings you to therapy, you will find that it helps achieve lasting psychological development so that when the work comes to an end, you continue to benefit from the experience.
​
​
Psychodynamic Approach
Psychodynamic therapy is a therapeutic approach which presents the idea that our unconscious lives (the neglected, buried and wounded parts of our psyche and our early relational experiences) have an enduring impact on our present and powerfully underpin our sense of self. In therapy this involves making space for the depth, nuance and complexities of our inner worlds— pasts, present, relationships, identities, instincts, defenses, resistances, coping mechanisms, dreams, fantasies, emotions, losses, fears, and the body that carries it all. There is a gentle unfolding of these, explored curiously and empathetically to help reach an understanding of the way we experience ourselves and our external worlds. In this way, therapy may gradually bring about change through a greater degree of self-understanding to enable the individual to find the way forward to living more authentically and to deal better with the realities of life.
​​
​Over time, the work leads to a reduction in the difficulties which have caused the seeking of help and, ultimately, a profound and beneficial impact in how life is experienced.
​​
So what exactly do psychodynamic therapists do? To quote one of my favourite therapists-
​
"We make conscious—
the patterns that disable and limit
people—the ones that give ulcers either to
the individuals themselves or to recipients in
their orbit.
We understand these patterns and with
painstaking effort help the afflicted come to
understand them in themselves and others.
We help them respond strategically instead of
reacting impulsively or holding back endlessly.​
...
We help people be patient or impatient as
circumstances dictate, suffer appropriately but
not excessively, and rejoice to the utmost
when warranted.
We help people grow, change, integrate,
modulate, decrease self-absorption,
regard themselves accurately,
take themselves seriously but not too seriously,
free up emotional energy in the service of
creativity and mastery—
in short, become their
best selves.
The reverberations go well beyond the individual,
fostering richer and fuller family life,
as well as functional and productive organizations,
all with enormous ripple effect.
Our work can help break
the kinds of destructive cycles which,
if left untreated, keep echoing
through the generations."
​
Wendy Jacobson
Why Bother? A Psychoanalytic Graduation Speech
​
Psychosocial Framework
Central to my work is the psychosocial framework which looks at how our psychological processes and experiences unfold within and are shaped by the larger social-political-cultural structures and ecosystems within which we navigate our lives. This allows us to make space for how the social realities and political vectors of gender, race, sexuality, class, caste, familial legacies, and ancestral trajectories influence our psychological vulnerabilities. Therapy becomes a space where we explore the impact of how our positions in culture saturates the subjective experience.
​
My research interests explore how intergenerational histories, psychological experiences, identity and social realities saturate individual and collective unconsciouses. My graduate thesis (awarded distinction) explored intergenerational ‘hauntings’ and ‘post-memory’ within the 20th century history of the Indian Subcontinent, specifically how the grand narratives of public history seep insidiously into personal sentiments of loss, identity and individual trauma, ‘running the toxic errands of history’ (Maurice Apprey).
​
​​​
​
​