ResourcesTherapist

Ahla Matra (she/her)

Not Accepting Clients
  • Sex positive Yes
  • Queer affirmative Yes
  • Practiced trauma therapy Yes
  • Worked with student survivor-victims Yes
  • Worked with male survivor-victims Yes
Types of Therapy

Mindfulness Based, Self-compassion

Cost

1500 – 2000

Location

Mumbai (online only)

Languages

English, Hindi, Malayalam

Qualifications

MA. in Applied Psychology (Specialisation in Clinical Psychology)

  • Sex positivity to me is being able to think about, explore, and experience sex and sexuality outside the narrow confines of what society and culture consider "good" and "appropriate." It is about focusing away from shame and guilt towards fun, pleasure, joy, freedom, and intimacy. In my practice, I attempt to create a safe space where clients can explore their sexual and gender identity and their relationship with their bodies without shame and judgment.

  • Being an LGBTQIA+ ally means to actively support and advocate for the rights of LGBTQ community members. To me it also means staying informed on the laws and policies impacting the LGBTQ community, understanding their unique life stressors, and playing an active role in spreading awareness and advocating for equal rights and respect.

  • The outcomes of trauma therapy can look very different for different people. Trauma has the troubling quality of deeply impacting our sense of self through shame and guilt. Trauma therapy might attempt to reorganise these internalised beliefs about the self, to process the emotional wounds it inflicts, to make meaning of the experience, to restore a sense of control and safety, and to reintegrate the self.

  • A typical session might last anywhere between 55 to 60 minutes. Depending on the agenda of the session, each session might look slightly different. As a therapist, I hold space for the client to bring in whatever is bothering them or causing them distress. We then collaboratively go on a journey to discover underlying feelings, thoughts, sensations, and experiences that reveal more about the concern. Whatever the concern may be, the crux of therapy is to turn towards ourselves with curiosity and compassion rather than fear and shame.