Category: Mental Health

Author: R. Anandhi, volunteer, Ātmaprasāra

It was a Friday evening when Maheswari walked into the counselling room. There was a heaviness on her face that words could hardly describe.

As she settled down, she slowly began to speak. She shared that she had been on medication for eight years and felt tired all the time. More than advice, she needed someone who would simply listen.

That is where the counselling began.

At Ātmaprasāra, one of the most important skills our volunteers practise is listening. In Transactional Analysis, we learn that every person longs to be accepted and heard without judgment. Sometimes, that acceptance itself becomes the first step towards healing.

As Maheswari spoke, the burden she had been carrying seemed to become a little lighter. When asked what she enjoyed most, she smiled and said, “Singing”. She sang three beautiful songs. After a short meditation, there was a noticeable calm on her face – a momentary relief that had not come from a solution, but from the experience of being heard with patience and compassion.

Healing doesn’t always happen in a single session. But hope often does.

A listening heart cannot remove every problem, yet it can remind a person that they don’t have to carry their pain alone. Sometimes, that is the most meaningful gift we can offer another human being.