About Interior Gardening
Niharica Shah (me!) founded Interior Gardening in October 2018 with the vision of creating emotionally safe and non-judgemental spaces facilitated by trained and ethically practicing professionals. Over the years, that vision has evolved, and now includes fortifying the mental health community in India not only through therapeutic offerings, but also by supporting the professional growth of colleagues, and creating a variety of community spaces where mental health can be addressed in less structured and more playful ways - almost like it's a part of our everyday lives!
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I believe that it is in nurturing each individual garden that we can create a more accepting and loving community (read ecosystem) together. Gardening, to me, showed up as a perfect metaphor to talk about cultivating ecosystems (individual and community-wide) of mental health care that allow for recovery and growth to be sustainable and equitable for all through different seasons.
Organisational Values
The values listed below are what we, at Interior Gardening, use as tenets to guide us in making decisions about the kind of care and services we offer, the partnerships we create, and the practices that support our professional selves.
Queer/Trans Affirmative
We believe that it is in affirming and celebrating our diverse identities - mind, body, and being - that we truly honor the full spectrum of the human experience. We stand by the LGBTQIA+ community in their fight for human rights.
Compassion
We extend to ourselves, as professionals, the compassion and humanity we offer to our service users and the larger community. It forms the foundation of the work we do.
Interdependence
Much like an ecosystem, we tend to our community's growth and health through mutual support and collaborative efforts. We recognise the unequal distribution of power & privilege structures in our systems and are committed to deconstructing them in our work.
Courage
We recognise the courage it takes to do things differently. We encourage making brave and creative choices that align with one's needs, individual diversities, & values.
Advocacy
We stand firm in advocating for client rights, ethical practices, and human rights of systemically marginalised communities, and the destimgatisation of mental health & therapy.
About The Founder
Hi there! I'm Niharica. I'm a Psychologist and Therapeutic Arts Facilitator. I hold a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology (Kingston University London), and I am trained and certified to facilitate Therapeutic Art and Movement (Artsphere; Artsphere, CMTAI & CID, Paris respectively). I am also a Professional member (PC0036) and executive board member of the Indian Association of Dance Movement Therapy.
I began practicing as a Psychologist in 2016 and have since worked with a variety of populations in different settings - community mental health, corporate counselling, student wellbeing programs at schools and colleges, teaching psychology at school and college levels, consulting at psychological centers, and of course, private practice as Interior Gardening.
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In my years of practice, and especially since the pandemic, I have come more and more to see and value the humanity in us all. I have come to understand that we do not heal in isolation. We heal in communities. We heal when we feel safe, seen, heard, valued, and know that we inherently have the right to belong. In the products and services offered through my consultancy, I encourage people to view their imperfections as very human parts that deserve to see the light of day.
Education and Certifications
M.Sc. Clinical Applications of Psychology - 2015
Kingston University London, U.K.
B.A. Psychology - 2014
Foundation for Liberal And Management Education (FLAME), Pune
Dance Movement Therapy Therapist Training - 2018
Artsphere, Pune, in association with CMTAI & the International Dance Council, Paris
Foundations in the Therapeutic Value of Art - 2016
Artsphere, Pune
Queer Affirmative Counselling Practices - 2022
Mariwala Health Initiative, Mumbai
Previously Associated With
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Tenerity Pvt. Ltd. (2021 - ongoing)
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Tavisca Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (2019 - '21)
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Just Being Center (2019 - '20)
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Soulsphere (2019 - '20)
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Taal Inc. Therapy Room (2019 - '20)
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Sentient Leadership (2019 - '20)
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Collective Quest (2019 - '20)
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Saathi Haath Badahna - (2017)
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Nanihi Centre - (2017 - 2019)
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Bapu Trust (2016-17)