Hi. I'm Mallika. I am so glad you're here.
I am a licensed clinical mental health counselor (LCMHC; 16403) and professional school counselor. I'm also a second generation Indian American, the proud product of the immigrant dream. I graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a double Bachelor's in Psychology and Comparative Literature, before earning my Master's degree in Counseling from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. I've always believed in the power of storytelling. The stories we tell have a real impact on the lives we lead and similarly, when we change the story, we change our lives.
I have worked in mental health care since 2017, both as a clinical mental health therapist and professional school counselor. I recognize it can be enormously difficult to trust in the process of therapy, especially if you have never tried it before, come from communities where therapy is weighed down by stigma, or hold histories of damaged relationships and/or traumatic experiences. I also recognize that for many, even considering therapy comes at a real cost (of money, but also of time, effort, and other resources). I value your decision to trust in our partnership. As your therapist, I will be nonjudgemental, provide hope, and encourage you to practice strategies that allow you to accomplish your goals. I will balance unconditional positive regard with gentle accountability because I believe you deserve to live your life fully.
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Why Anchored Alliance?
When I was a kid and something went right, my dad would tell me to "anchor the feeling." He'd encourage me to bottle up my joy/excitement/hope and hold it in my chest, to preserve it and call upon it when things felt harder. I didn't know it at the time, but my father in his unknowing wisdom (mental health wasn't something we really talked about) had stumbled upon something pretty profound. He knew that while good moments may come and go, the things we cultivate can sustain us. My hope is that we build a partnership you can anchor, but more so, that we can work together to find the "anchors" you've had all along, and maybe even some new ones to hold onto.