Welcoming a baby can bring about many changes for parents, both mentally and physically. While there are numerous practices prevalent to aid parents to heal physically, the mental health of parent’s is often an overlooked aspect of their journey. There is a lot of stigma surrounding mental health issues in Nepal preventing those who are struggling from seeking help or speaking up. A loving and supportive environment can be helpful for struggling parents but like physical illness requires a visit to a doctor, mental illness can also be remedied by help from professional therapists and/or counselors.
*Due to COVID-19, most sessions are online although office details have been provided for future reference.
** Note for parents or caregivers who reach out to them: Please note that some of them might have a booked schedule and therefore might not be able to take sessions with you for some moment. When you reach out to them and they cannot take you, they usually refer you to other professionals who might help you with your struggles.
Most professionals have boundaries regarding timing, fees, and what issues they specialize in, when reaching out to them, it is advised to make such boundaries clear. According to the case and financial situations, some professionals also provide free service if the clients are in genuine need. If you are struggling and are in need of help, please ask them if such services are also available.
Here are some therapists and counselors who can help parents in need:
1. Dr. Krista Rajkarnikar
2. Prathama Raghavan
3. Anita Prajapati
4. Mamata Pokharel
5. Srijana Sherchan
6. Karuna Kunwar
7. Pratima Khatiwada
8. Dr. Meeta Rana
9. Punjita Pradhan
10. Dr. Jaya Regmee
1. Dr. Krista Rajkarnikar
Dr. Krista has a Chartered Counselling Psychology Doctorate (HCPC Registered) and has worked in Scotland, England and Nepal. She has been in private practice for more than 8 years and worked for NHS in the UK, for specialized mental healthcare organizations, private and public hospitals, and with businesses for mental health assessments and consultations. Dr. Krista also provides training and clinical supervision. Her therapy sessions are 50 minutes long. Sessions can be held offline at her office in Sanepa or online. For inquiries and appointments, one can reach out to her through…
Email: kristarajkarnikar@gmail.com
Contact details: N/A
Working hours: N/A
Language: English
Appointments to be made two/three weeks in advance
2. Prathama Raghavan
Prathama Raghavan has a PhD in Developmental Psychology from Université Paul-Valery, Montpellier, France. She is a developmental psychologist by training working with children, adults, and families. She works with children and young people with disabilities and learning differences and their families too. She uses Narrative Practices and EMDR – therapy for trauma. She has worked in the humanitarian Mental health sector with communities in Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar related to maternal mental health, child well-being, and trauma.
Her sessions are held in her office at Dhobighat or through online sessions. Her morning sessions are usually from 9:30 am and her last session is at 6:30 pm (On Sunday, Monday, and Thursday afternoons from 2 pm and full day on Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Each session is between 60 to 70 minutes. Though she speaks Nepali and understands it well, it is difficult for her to hold counseling sessions entirely in Nepali. For inquiries and appointments, one can reach out to her through…
Email: prathama.raghavan@protonmail.com
Contact details: +977 9808960176 (also for WhatsApp and Viber)
Working hours: Sunday, Monday and Thursday 2 pm to 6:30 pm and on Tuesday, Wednesday 9:30 am to 6:30 pm.
Language: English, French (She understands Nepali but her consulting will be conducted in English)
Appointments to be made two weeks in advance
3. Anita Prajapati
Anita Prajapati has been a mental health professional for the last nine years and is currently practicing group therapy and narrative therapy in private practice as well as consulting in organizations through training and workshops. She has a Master’s in Psychology from Tribhuvan University. She has worked in Mental health rehabilitation, mental health transition home, assisted mental health research programs, and NGOs (projects which look after child sexual abuse, street children, and underprivileged girls).
For a certain time being, her sessions are only to be held online. Her office is based in Thamel (behind Himalayan Java) and at Samantha Psychosocial care Pvt. Ltd., at Thimi, Bhaktapur. Her services can be charged or free according to the situation of the client and the sessions range from 45 minutes to an hour for prices ranging from 1500 – 2500 NPR. She reaches out to her clients through emails, phone calls, online calls, and texting apps like Viber and WhatsApp. For inquiries and appointments, one can reach out to her through…
Email: aneeta.sk@gmail.com
Contact details: +977 9841604816 (also for WhatsApp and Viber)
Working hours: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 9 am to 5 pm
Language: Nepali, English, Nepal Bhasa
Appointments to be made one week in advance
4. Mamata Pokharel
Mamata Pokharel is a Counselor who has been in private practice in Kathmandu for almost two years. She has a diploma in Counseling Psychology from Tribhuvan University and a diploma in Narrative Practices from “Narrative Practices India.” She has also trained in the cognitive-behavioral approach and emotional freedom technique. She mainly works with adults experiencing socio-emotional challenges. Her work is guided by core ideas of narrative therapy, incorporating certain tools from other approaches, especially mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral, and somatic approaches.
She is based in Pulchowk, Lalitpur and one can contact her for an online (through video chat) as well as offline session. One has to make an appointment to sit for her sessions which are an hour long but sometimes can run for one hour or more as per the need of the client and a service charge is also taken in return ranging around 2000 NPR. She reaches out to her clients through emails and WhatsApp for setting appointments and giving information other than her sessions. For inquiries and appointments, one can reach out to her through…
Email: mamatapk@gmail.com
Contact details: +977 9802042901 (also for WhatsApp and Viber)
Working hours: Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday 10 AM- 5 PM
Language: Nepali and English
Appointments to be made one week in advance
5. Srijana Sherchan
Srijana Sherchan is a certified counselor (Post Graduate in Counselling from TU) based in Sanepa height (Opposite Star hospital), Lalitpur. Her sessions can be both online (through video calls, phone calls, and messaging apps like Viber and WhatsApp) according to the request of the client) and offline as needed and are around 45 minutes to an hour-long for a charge of 200-500 NPR. She provides both charged and free services as per the requirement. There are many approaches ( like behavioral, cognitive, etc.) that she implements in her sessions according to the problem and need of the client. She reaches out to her clients through emails, phone calls, online calls, and texting apps like Viber and WhatsApp. For inquiries and appointments, one can reach out to her through…
Email: sherchan.srijana@gmail.com
Contact details: +977 9841330373 (Also for WhatsApp and Viber)
Working hours: Monday to Friday 5 PM – 6 PM
Language: Nepali, English, and Hindi
Appointments to be made two days in advance
6. Karuna Kunwar
Ms. Karuna Kunwar is a Psychologist and Critical incident and stress management Unit (CISMU) UN certified external stress counselor who is working for UN –Nepal. She has eighteen years-long experience including working with severe and enduring mental health issues, conflict victims, gender-based violence, etc. Her main area of expertise in this field is psychosocial and mental health including stress management and mindfulness. She is also serving as a senior psychologist at the Center for Mental Health and Counselling, Nepal (CMC-Nepal) in Thapathali, Kathmandu. She has worked in a range of humanitarian and development organizations providing therapy, supervision, and training. Her counseling work brought visible changes in thousands of people who are suffering from various mental health-related problems and back in normal life. She has published numerous articles on varieties of mental health and psychosocial issues. Her additional strength includes counseling, training, and supervision. For inquiries and appointments, one can reach out to her through…
Email: karunakunwar@gmail.com
Contact details: +977-1-014102037
Working hours: Sun-Fri 9 AM-5 PM
Language: Nepali and English
Appointments to be made at least two days in advance
7. Pratima Khatiwada
Pratima Khatiwada has worked in different organizations such as TPO Nepal, Voice of Children, CMC-Nepal, Nepal Red Cross Society, to name a few, as Psychosocial Counselor, Psychologist, and Project Coordinator. She has worked in this field for five years and is currently working in Nepal Red Cross society Soaltee Mode, Kathmandu. Clients with a history of abuse can reach out to her. Her sessions are 45 minutes to an hour long and her sessions are charged 1000-1200 NPR. For inquiries and appointments, one can reach out to her through…
Email: pratimak08@gmail.com
Contact details: +977-9842659261
Working hours: Sun-Fri 9 AM-5 PM
Language: Nepali and English
Appointments to be made at least two days in advance
8. Dr. Mita Rana
Dr. Rana is a Psychologist with M.Phil in Clinical Psychology from TU. She is the chairperson for TPO Nepal, an associate professor at IOM’s Department of Psychology and Mental Health, and also did part-time consultancy at the Gyaneshwor-based Himal Hospital. She has served in this field for 20 years. She currently works at TUTH OPD. Her sessions are 45 minutes to an hour long and also take private consultations which are charged 800 NPR. For inquiries and appointments, one can reach out to her through…
Email: mitarana21@gmail.com
Contact details: +977-9803003925
Working hours: Mon- Fri 4 PM-6 PM for private consultations, TUTH OPD Thurs 9 AM-5 PM
Language: Nepali and English
Appointments to be made at least two days in advance
9. Punjita Pradhan
She has a postgraduate degree in Counseling Psychology, Masters in English Literature, and has been working as a counselor since serving for the past four years as a certified counselor. Her work includes matters related to smart parenting and caretaking for caregivers but not necessarily all matters related to motherhood. Clients will have to read through her service agreement and intake assessment to begin sessions with her. Her sessions which last an hour or two are charged 1000 NPR. For inquiries and appointments, one can reach out to her through…
Email: punjita.pradhan@gmail.com
Contact details: N/A
Working hours: Monday to Friday 10 AM – 5 PM
Language: Nepali and English
Appointments to be made a week in advance
10. Dr. Jaya Regmee
She is a Psychiatrist and her work involves both medication and therapy and not just therapy/counseling). She currently works at Kathmandu Medical College as a Psychiatrist. Her career spanning more than five years involves working at Kanti Children’s hospital in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry OPD and community mental health project for TPO. Her sessions are 30-45 minutes long and follow-ups for medicine review last around 10-15 minutes. Her clients mostly reach out to her for maternity-related issues. For inquiries and appointments, one can reach out to her through…
Email: jayaregmee@gmail.com
Contact details: 9801342156 (functional between 10 to 5 pm)
Working hours: Sun-Fri 9 AM-5 PM
Language: Nepali, English, Hindi, understands Maithili
Appointments to be made a week in advance
Only a few facilities in Nepal provide psychological support (psychiatrist or clinical psychologist) for those with mental health problems, including the ones mentioned below. The list is not comprehensive; we hope it can be a starting point though.
– Nepal’s mental health mess by Arun Poudel (2020) on The Annapurna Express
1. Center for Mental Health and Counselling-Nepal (CMC-Nepal), Thapathali (01-4102037, 4226041)
2. Rhythm Neuropsychiatry Hospital and Research Center Pvt Ltd, Ekantakuna (01-5000700, 5000711)
3. Mental Hospital, Lagankhel (01-5522278, 5522266)
4. Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj (01-4412303, 4412505, 4412605)
5. Patan Hospital, Lagankhel (01-5522278, 5522266)
6. Kathmandu Medical College, Sinamangal (1-4242121, 4242015)
7. Private hospitals [Himal (01-4415076), Om (9802076225), Norvic (01-4258554), Mediciti (01-4217766), Metro (01-4721514, and others]
8. BPKIHS Dharan (025-525555)
9. Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara (061-526416/17/18/19)
