Hey!
I’m Ria Panditha;
therapist, certified life coach, relationship educator & grief recovery specialist but mostly a third culture adventurer at heart.
I was born in India, but didn’t spend much time there. Over the last 3+ decades, I have lived and worked in four continents and loved how each of those experiences added to my story.
My love for learning about culture, music and language stemmed from the times I attempted to learn the oud from a friend in the Middle east, experienced racism myself in the middle of a cornfield in Indiana, sat in huts with the Masai tribe in Kenya learning the art of Jewellery making, or tasting damper for the first time in Perth, Western Australia.
My deep love for people, and their unique story is steeped in the rich encounters I have been blessed to have all over this world. This love started with my travel, found its footing when I decided to pursue psychology, counselling and coaching in my education, and is slowly but surely, finding it’s confidence and maturity, in this business of TLC, Tender Loving Care as The Life Consultant.
A little more …
The smart part >>
Psychology, coaching, music & other qualifications I have and my high school secret. It’s all in here.
My working style >>
With well over a decade of experience, I found my personal style of consulting. Here it is.
The human side of me >>
I cry and scream and sometimes forget to brush my teeth. Here’s a sneak peek of the messy side.
The last few things >>
My promise to you and my beliefs in us and the process of TLC, I lay it all out.
I got some smarts, let me tell you about it
I am a qualified therapist and have extensive training, through a B.SC, in Psychology, with an emphasis in relational counselling, mediation and reconciliation. Oh and slipped in a music and gerontology degree somewhere in there. I spent years after that through my graduate work, diving deep into topics like conflict management, servant leadership, strategic communication and ethics.
I am also a certified life coach, a certified relationship educator and most recently became a grief recovery specialist. I have a genuine appreciation for gratitude work, meditation and breath-work, considering myself a life long student of self-centering practices.
Yes, I have been on dean’s lists for most of my student life. Except in high school, I didn’t do too well there, I was slightly distracted, meeting the love of my life. Cut me some slack. But I took off my rose colored glasses, put on some normal ones and achieving stellar SAT scores got me an international scholarship to study in the US. I wore my geek hat proudly for the next few years, winning a capstone award and an honors psychology merit. Learning has always been a good time for me.
And just in case you were wondering, I put my rose colored glasses on again and married that boy I met in high school, just eight years later. All’s well that starts well.
So here’s my style & the way I get down with the work
You are probably thinking “okay cool” but what can I expect from you? What does meeting with you actually feel like? So, here’s the deal:
I have over 15+ years of experience with young adults, adults and couples in community based organisations, universities and private practice settings.
You can expect a safe environment, free from judgement and a brown-eyed human sitting across from you, encouraging and supporting you in creating more compassion for yourself. Through my practice, my own learning and life experiences, I support you in finding wholeness, meaning and purpose. Also, you need to know that conflict excites me and I believe that incredible growth comes from doing it right, so I am not afraid of reflecting the truth back to you, in kindness, pushing you to look at the hard stuff in a soft way. So come prepared to learn, be fully heard and leave feeling lighter.
I have an open, experiential approach to consulting and feel drawn to culturally sensitive and holistic models of treatment. I believe in the power of connection and support all people from diverse backgrounds; race, class, sexual orientation, gender, gender queer, cultural identities and more. My years of experience in this field has taught me that I am never done learning, people are as predictable as they are surprising, and it is the greatest honor to hold space for another human being.
I will bring my whole entire self to the room AND the zoom. With a collaborative, warm approach, I use an innate sense of curiosity, story telling and listening to understand (not respond), to meet you on your journey of health. Other approaches I might utilize are: Internal Family Systems, Mindfulness practices, Conflict management, Positive Psychology tools, journal prompts and writing practices, goal setting and accountability.
And a little bit of the human side of me
Aside from geeking out on mental health research, and listening for a living, I am also a wife, a daughter, sister and friend. I take each of these roles seriously, and like everyone else, I too, have issues that arise from having a beating heart. As I said before, I love conflict. I know that might sound strange, but I have learned from experience, the growth that can come from it being done well. All that to say that I am a passionate fighter. In all things. Even about whose turn it is to take the garbage out. I’ve also been taught the humility and integrity that occurs when I say sorry, so I am quick to apologise. Humanness is so often about walking a line and knowing when to step to a side. That’s what I love exploring within myself and other people; the fight and the humility, the passion and the tender prose. It’s all in here. And I know that it’s all in you too.
As a highly social being, spending time with my people around a table sharing food, would be at the top of my list, along with hanging on the couch with my husband. If I am on my own, I am either reading, playing the piano or going through the motions of my on again/off again relationship with all things cake.
Above all, I am human. I make mistakes and I cry and get angry over silly things like socks being left on the floor. A couple of years ago, I gave myself permission to graciously mess up and show up just as I am. So no pretence here. I believe that life happens sometimes and I can get a little weird about it, but gosh I am committed to learning, and continuously strive to walk the line of grace and growth with intention and honesty. After all, as the writer Ram Dass says “We are all just walking each other home.”
Last few things you need to know
I promise to serve you not as someone with all the answers, but as a fellow human being, a collaborative confidant, who sees you fully, and digs out the gold you already have within you.
I believe, from personal experience in my own therapy journey, that being fully witnessed by another human being, without judgement is fundamental to healing. I recognise that my witness to your life is one to be honoured and valued.
I want you to know that in whatever way you have found yourself to this little internet space of mine, you are not alone. I hope that when we do meet in person, you show up just as you are- excited, grieving, anxious, unsure, heartbroken. It honestly doesn’t matter how you arrive, I will work hard for you to feel safe, comforted, and fully accepted.
I can’t wait to meet you in the middle ground.
