We invited Damini Grover, Counseling Psychologist, Writer, Facilitator for an Interview with Most Popular Stories to know more about her entrepreneurial journey.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey as an
entrepreneur
I did my schooling at Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram. I completed my B.A in Psychology Honours from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University & Masters in Counseling Psychology from Amity University where I was awarded the Gold Medal for excellence in Academic Achievement.
I was very clear from the beginning that I wanted to work independently and started my own practice and built it up gradually.
I have always been interested in multiple things and I like to engage myself in different things. I am also a CELTA certified English Language Trainer for Adults and I juggled both the fields for about a year before getting into Counseling & Therapy full time.
I realized very early on that working with individuals would require me to have a wide range of skills and a lot of knowledge about different aspects of life.
I went onto become a Master Practitioner of Hypnotherapy and it opened up a whole new world of looking at and working with deeper issues & concerns.
Since then, it has only been a journey of growth & learning. I have certifications in various therapies and am also a certified Emotional Intelligence Practitioner & Facilitator & Life Coach.
Apart from Psychology, I have always been passionate about Dancing and have been a Latin & Ballroom Instructor as well. Writing is very close to my heart. From scribbling poems in my diaries, I eventually graduated to writing a Hindi poetry book. I write for the Elephant journal as well and I have a self-help book coming soon.
All these interests & experiences have added richness to my counselling & therapy work where I’m able to look at life from a wider perspective. Over time, the canvas of my life and work has only expanded.
2. Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?
I have always been a free-spirited person and the idea of a structured work environment never fascinated me. I have multiple interests and the thought of not being able to cater to any one of them is very painful. Hence, having my own set-up was a natural choice for me. After completing my studies, starting my Counselling & Therapy practice was an organic call. I dove into it and have only grown since then. I wanted to be an independent practitioner so that I could connect with individuals from all walks of life & facilitate their journey of self-awareness & development. It also gives me a chance to work on my self-development continuously which in turn adds to my work.
3. What was the vision behind it?
I wanted to cater to my independence and the need to explore. Along with that, I wanted to adopt an eclectic approach to working with individuals. I felt that being in my own space would allow me to do both. I was always fascinated by the idea of having my own venture and being able to reach out to people in different ways.
4. Describe the services that you offer to your customers and in what
the way they are unique?
I work with individual clients and help them cope with various concerns like anxiety, depression, relationship, family issues and self-growth & development. I am trained & certified in various therapeutic modalities like CBT, ACT, Hypnotherapy etc. I also conduct workshops & webinars on various self-help and development topics like Managing Conflict, Understanding Personality Differences, Emotional Intelligence etc. I am also a writer and author. I have written a Hindi Poetry book titled ‘Rehguzar’. I write for the Elephant Journal and have a self-help book coming out soon.
5. In your opinion what are the keys to success?
Success means different things to different people. So, for starters, one should define what success means for oneself. It could be money, achievement, status, power, contribution etc.
No matter what the definition may be, being successful requires one to be – consistent, focussed, handle setbacks well and turn them into opportunities for growth.
6. What advice would you give to someone starting out as an aspiring
entrepreneur?
Being an entrepreneur requires an individual to be able to take risks, constantly learn new things, be open to communication & ideas and always keep the big picture in mind!
The social media links are as follows-
website –www.daminigrover.com
Instagram- www.instagram.com/damini.impowered_
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/damini-grover-7689719a/
facebook-https://www.facebook.com/Impoweredforcounseling
elephant journal – https://www.elephantjournal.com/profile/damini-grover/