Tasneem Nakhoda admits that a lot of professions excited her during what she calls her ‘impressionable’ years. Counseling is what eventually grew on her, helping her reach out to those in the thick of emotional need.
Now, at 35, this Bengalurean is making an impact with her programmes, (the first of its kind), that reaches out to parents, children and teenagers in Anganvadis across LR Nagar, Viveknagar and Koramangala and provides free counseling services and training programmes!
Tasneem tells us that it had always been her intention to reach out to more people seeking emotional help – and that included families who were financially weaker. That became the backbone of her counseling centre, Tattva.
After assisting one of her friends from Voice, an NGO in setting up a school in Viveknagar, there was no looking back. “It was the best place to take this forward,” she says.
Explaining why she thought it was utmost crucial, “One of the main concerns here is poverty, which further leads to a diverse range of concerns – marital issues, alcoholism, domestic violence, children dropping out of school due to additional expense, lack of proper nutrition for parents and children, lack of motivation to take care of oneself and no personal hygiene.”
She decided to give the kids who seemed to have a distorted view of life, a new lease, if you will. Tasneem and her team are now aiming to introduce constructive programmes for children and teenagers to help them focus on their strengths, build their confidence and help those who want to speak English better.
“Constructive outdoor activities, programmes around education, learning through games and story telling will also be a part of the agenda,” says the psychotherapist, who revels in the limitless possibilities, the sense of transformation and positivity that she’s able to bring about. She also ropes in professional hairdressers to give free haircuts to the kids.
With a master’s degree in psychotherapy and counseling, Tasneem is also working with parents on awareness programmes and training them for employment, like her successful nanny training for instance.
With a black belt in karate and being a trained Reiki healer and winner of several Toastmasters speeches, Tasneem still makes it a point to spend some quality time with herself. Spending time with her friends and family is her other favourite way to unwind. Ask her what’s next and she’s quick to answer, “I may just surprise myself.”
