Questions, answered with care.
The first conversation about therapy or psychiatry can feel full of unknowns. Here are some of the questions people most often ask us — answered the way we’d answer them on the phone.
Don’t see your question? Ask us — we’d rather you did.
Therapy & treatment
How different kinds of therapy actually work — and which one might fit where you are.
One-to-one therapy is a private conversation between you and a trained therapist, in a quiet room or over a video call. Together you make sense of what you’re carrying — stress, low mood, a relationship that hurts, a loss that hasn’t softened, a habit that’s grown harder to manage. The work usually moves through getting to know each other, naming what’s going on, agreeing on what you’d like to change, and then taking small, real steps toward it. Sessions are confidential and yours to lead.
Group therapy is a small circle of people — usually six to ten — meeting regularly with a trained therapist to work on something they share. It might be addiction, grief, anxiety, or simply the ordinary difficulty of being human. The group offers something one-to-one work can’t: the relief of hearing someone else say what you thought only you felt. Everyone agrees to keep what’s said in the room in the room.
An IOP is a structured treatment programme for people working through a substance-use issue who don’t need round-the-clock care or detox. You keep living at home and going to work or college; you come to the clinic several times a week for a mix of one-to-one therapy, group sessions, family work, and relapse-prevention skills. It sits between weekly outpatient therapy and a residential stay — typically nine or more hours of treatment a week.
Assessments & consultations
What a clinical assessment or psychiatric consultation actually involves at Samarpan.
A psychological assessment is a careful look at how your mind is working right now — the way you think, feel, focus, remember, and relate. It uses standardised questionnaires, structured conversations, and sometimes performance-based tests, interpreted by a clinical psychologist. The point isn’t a label for its own sake; it’s clarity. A good assessment tells you what’s going on, what kind of help is likely to fit, and what to expect next.
A psychiatric consultation is a longer-than-usual conversation with one of our psychiatrists. They’ll ask about your history, your current symptoms, your sleep, your relationships — the whole picture, not just the file. Together you’ll arrive at a working understanding of what’s going on and a treatment plan that might include therapy, medication, lifestyle support, or a combination. Medication is one tool, not the only one, and any prescription is something you decide on together.
Support groups
Why peer support sits alongside clinical care — and how to join one.
Support groups are spaces where people living with a similar challenge — a diagnosis, a recovery, a season of grief — meet to share what they’re learning. They’re not a replacement for therapy or medical care; they’re the bridge between treatment and the rest of your life. Most of our groups are free and run on a regular schedule. You’re welcome to simply listen for as long as that feels right.
People who come tell us a few things again and again: they feel less alone; they feel less judged; they pick up small, practical ways of coping from others further along the road. Talking openly about what you’re going through tends to lower its volume. You also tend to find motivation — not from being pushed, but from watching other people quietly keep going.
Your sessions
What to expect from the work itself — length, pace, and what stays between you and your therapist.
There’s no single answer — it depends on what you’re bringing and the kind of work that fits it. Shorter, focused approaches like CBT often run over eight to twelve sessions. Deeper, longer-term therapy can run for months or longer, with regular check-ins on whether it’s still serving you. Your therapist will share an honest treatment plan early on, and you’ll revisit it together as things change. You’re never tied in.
Yes. What you bring to a session stays between you and your therapist. Confidentiality sits at the heart of how we work and is built into our code of ethics. There are a small number of legal exceptions — the main ones being if there’s a serious, immediate risk of harm to you or someone else, or in matters involving child safety. If any of those ever became relevant, your therapist would talk to you about it directly, not around you.
Still have a question?
Our Care Coordinator can talk you through anything that’s still unclear — no commitment, no script. The conversation stays between us.
In immediate distress? Samarpan is not a 24/7 crisis service. Please call iCall +91 91529 87821 or AASRA +91 98204 66726.