Interpreting maladies of the mind

Having worked as a coun­selor for over 11 years, Ajay Karki has seen it all, even though he is only 33. From young drug users breaking down into tears as they narrate their seemingly insurmountable addictions, to adults choking on their words as they describe their terrible relationships. But what was it that initially piqued his interest in psy­chology and counselling? “I had always been interested in other peoples’ lives, and how thoughts brew inside the human brain and how they shape our personality,” Karki says. He first wanted to pur­sue a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Tribhuvan University. But as soon as he heard of psychology—a subject which not only granted an opportunity to investigate the human mind, he found out, but also to directly help peo­ple—Karki changed his mind. His passion for psychology has not faded since.

As a counselor and hypno­therapist, Karki has worked with hundreds of patients at his clinic, Healing Rain­bow, Nepal, “a platform for psycho-spiritual coun­seling, energy healing, personal growth and col­lective evolution”.

"I will never offer free counseling, as making someone pay is also a way to make them accountable for their outcome" Ajay Karki counselor and hypnotherapist

Karki charges a patient between Rs 1,500 to 2,000 a session

Most of Karki’s patients are young and typically struggling with anxiety and depres­sion, and thus unable to realize their full poten­tial. But as the young are more open-minded, “what I find is that they are able to overcome their mental problems sooner compared to the adults,” Karki says.

He also works with school students, and the most common prob­lem there is performance anxiety, which stems from huge expectations regarding grades and per­formance. But he also gets cases whereby someone from a rural area has been brought to him after all else has failed, including a trip to the local dhami. At this latter stage of mental illness, Karki can do little.

Is there any other notewor­thy commonality among his patients besides them being mostly young? “One common problem is that by the time someone comes to my coun­selling session, that person would have already gotten countless suggestions from people with limited knowl­edge of how the human mind works,” Karki says. “Casual advice like reminding the sufferer how strong he or she is right now can actually backfire as the person could then start comparing their troubled present to a trou­ble-free past.”

Then there are the chal­lenges of working as a coun­sellor in a poor country. “With less than 1,000 mental health personnel in Nepal, we often have to advise patients in areas that are not our spe­cialization,” Karki says. He says that such a situation was bound to come as the oldest institution of higher learning in Nepal, Tribhuvan Univer­sity, did not offer specializa­tions in Master’s degrees in Psychology until 2017.

The pay is also dismal, with a counsellor making any­where between Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 a month. Karki say that he charges a patient between Rs 1,500 to 2,000 a session. Those from impover­ished families get a discount.

“But I will never offer free counseling, as making some­one pay is also a way to make them accountable for their outcome,” he says.

“Only individuals who are extremely patient and who have problem-solving skills are suited for this profession,” Karki says. However, he also says that, seeing people come out of their mental anguish is highly rewarding. “The smile that accompanies their ‘thank you!’ when they get better is almost heavenly,” he says.

(To contact Karki search for ‘Healing Rainbow Nepal’ on Facebook