At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring meaningful and powerful stories from India and around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. As part of this endeavour, we invited Rajeshwari Bajaj for an exclusive interview with us. Rajeshwari is a Counselling Psychologist and Founder at Heal-in Counselling. Let’s learn more about her background, journey and her advice for our community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Rajeshwari:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
My journey into psychology is quite personal. Having gone through trauma myself and struggling to find accessible and effective therapy at the time, I felt deeply motivated to become the kind of support I once needed.
During the pandemic, I volunteered with a free tele-helpline, and witnessing the surge in emotional distress during that period really reinforced my commitment to mental health.
In 2021, I founded Heal In, a mental health organisation that started as a fully online platform to make therapy more accessible and affordable. As the response grew, in 2023, Shreya Choudhary and I expanded into an offline clinic in Pune.
Over time, we have partnered with IT companies and universities, conducted listening circles for people in distress, and created safe spaces like mom circles for postpartum support.
More recently, we have also explored holistic healing through sound therapy and integrated it into our wellness offerings. The journey has been about evolving with the needs of people, combining clinical approaches with creative, compassionate, and accessible forms of healing.
How did you discover your passion?
My passion for psychology came from lived experience more than anything else. Going through personal trauma made me realise how deeply our minds can affect every part of our lives and how difficult it can be to find the right support when you need it most. That gap between needing help and finding it really stayed with me.
When I started volunteering during the pandemic for a free tele-helpline, I got to listen to so many people who were struggling silently. That experience was incredibly grounding.
It showed me how powerful listening can be and how even small moments of empathy can create hope. That is really when I knew this was my path: to make mental health support more accessible, compassionate, and human.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
Honestly, my biggest source of motivation has been the people I work with, both my clients and my team. Every session, every story reminds me of the strength people hold, even in their most vulnerable moments.
Seeing someone gradually heal, regain trust in themselves, or simply breathe a little lighter is incredibly motivating.
On a personal level, I would also say my journey itself keeps me going. Remembering where I started, from feeling lost to now being able to hold space for others, gives me perspective and purpose every day. It is a reminder that healing is not linear and that growth often happens quietly, in small steps.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
Growth for me has come through a lot of trial and error. As a psychologist, people often assume you have it all figured out, but the truth is, it is not easy to hold space for others when you are still learning to hold space for yourself. There have been times I have felt emotionally drained or questioned my own capacity to help.
What has helped me grow is learning to be gentle with myself and reminding myself that I cannot pour from an empty cup. Setting boundaries, taking intentional pauses, and seeking therapy for myself have been game changers. I have also learned to embrace vulnerability, to accept that even as a therapist, I am human first.
My biggest downfall was probably trying to do everything perfectly, every client session, every initiative, every role. But over time, I have realised that growth does not come from perfection; it comes from authenticity, from allowing yourself to fail, feel, and still keep showing up with heart. That is what has shaped me the most, both as a person and as a therapist.
In your opinion, what are the keys to success?
I do not really believe in the idea of success as a final destination. For me, there is no such thing as making it, because the moment you feel you have succeeded, you stop growing. I think it is more about showing up consistently, even when things do not look or feel perfect.
The real key is to keep going, to stay curious, stay humble, and keep learning. Some days that means pushing forward with big ideas, and other days it just means showing up for yourself and your work, even quietly.
If I had to define success, it would be in the journey, in evolving, creating impact, and not giving up when things get uncertain.
What advice would you give to our readers?
Be patient with yourself. We live in a world that glorifies speed, achievement, and certainty, but real growth often happens quietly, in the in-between moments. You do not have to have everything figured out to move forward, just take the next small step.
Do not be afraid to ask for help. Healing, learning, even living, none of it is meant to be done alone. Find people, spaces, or practices that remind you of who you are beneath the noise .
And most importantly, remember that you can begin again, as many times as you need to. There is no fixed timeline for healing or success. Just keep showing up for yourself, with kindness.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
