Tejesvini Balaji

I am a US-trained Mental Health Counsellor, licensed by the Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai. I provide individual and couples counselling, supporting adolescents and adults through a range of emotional, relational, and life concerns.

I work with individuals experiencing anxiety, burnout, ADHD, depression, grief, low self-esteem, loneliness, relationship and family difficulties, and challenges related to major life transitions. I have a particular interest in working with young adults and university-age clients as they navigate identity, relationships, academic and career pressures, independence, and the transition into adulthood.

My therapeutic approach is collaborative, person-centred, and tailored to the individual. I draw from Person Centered Therapy (PCT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), integrating different interventions according to each client’s needs and goals.

At the core of my work is the belief that therapy should provide a space in which clients can feel understood without judgement while also being supported in making meaningful changes. I work with clients to better understand patterns in their thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and relationships, while developing practical skills that can help them navigate difficulties both within and outside the therapy room.

I also work with couples and have completed Level 2 of Gottman Method Couples Therapy training. My work with couples focuses on helping partners better understand their relationship patterns, strengthen communication, manage conflict more constructively, and develop greater emotional connection.

Before returning to Dubai, I worked as a Mental Health Counsellor at a university counselling centre in the United States. My clinical experience there included individual counselling, group therapy, crisis intervention, risk assessment and safety planning, and ADHD assessment. Working within a multidisciplinary mental health team also gave me experience collaborating with psychiatrists and other mental health professionals to provide coordinated care.

Having grown up in Dubai and later trained and worked in the United States, I bring an understanding of different cultural contexts to my clinical work. I aim to provide therapy that is culturally responsive, collaborative, and sensitive to the different personal, familial, and social contexts that shape each client’s experience.

Works with Patient:

• Adolescents (14+), Adults, Couples

Languages:

• English
• Hindi

Setting:

• In-person
• Online

Services Offered:

• Individual Therapy
• Couples Therapy
• ADHD Assessment

General and Specific Concerns for Adolescents/Adults:

• Anxiety
• Perfectionism & Burnout
• ADHD
• Depression
• Grief
• Adjustment Disorders
• Body Dysmorphia
• Attachment Concerns
• Emotion Regulation
• Trauma Therapy
• Family/Relationship Issues

Qualifications and Memberships:

• M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Nebraska at Omaha
• B.A. in Psychology with a Family Studies minor from the University of Nebraska at Kearney
• Level 2 Gottman Method Couples Therapy
• Social Counsellor License from the Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai
• American Counseling Association (ACA)
• Nebraska Counseling Association (NCA)
• Chi Sigma Iota Psi Chi