Tracy Vadakumchery - I want to give my clients permission to live outside of the confines of what it means to be a “good” Indian

Shana is joined by Tracy Vadakumchery, who goes by the moniker “Bad Indian Therapist”. As an Indian-American therapist, Tracy wants us to unpack what it means to be a “good desi”. Her clients are South Asian Americans who are struggling with desi social norms and expectations and beauty standards.    For most of us, self-criticism is natural. We judge ourselves against log kya kehenge (what will people say), model minority myth and idealized perfection. Tracy helps us see that by people-pleasing, living in guilt and shame, our mental health is under constant attack. She empathizes with our lived experience, because it has been hers too, and she wants us to know that our authentic inner voice can co-exist in harmony with our culture and community.  Follow us on Instagram @herkajalwontsmudge and check out our website www.herkajalwontsmudge.com. Follow @thebadindiantherapist on Instagram.   CREDITS: Host and Creative Director: Shana  Head of Visual Design: Minal Jadeja Visual Designers: Akshat Agarwal, Shaumik Kanvinde   This is a Maed in India production Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Ruchi Sawardekar Junior Producer: Quoyina Ghosh Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni, Lakshman Parsuram, Nihar Temkar