“If you want to fly, you have to give up what weighs you down.” – Roy T Bennett.
Meet Amreen Gulnaaz, a 35-year-old empowered woman who intends to fly a little higher each day.
She has been part of the legal and compliance team at many of the listed companies in Hyderabad. She worked at KFin Technologies as a Compliance Manager at the Corporate Registry Division, Compliance Department. Amreen is originally from Hyderabad, has a Bachelor’s in LLA, an MBA, and is a qualified company secretary.
Amreen Gulnaaz shares that she has faced numerous challenges since childhood. Growing up, the birth of a baby boy was celebrated to such an extent that girls were often overlooked. She always felt a sense of rejection, and despite her professional success and accomplishments, she often felt inadequate and longed for acceptance.
Adding to her troubles, in November 2019, Amreen found herself in an unhealthy marriage. She couldn’t take the sense of betrayal from the man she chose as her life partner. As everything became overwhelming, she understood the relationship was not sustainable. She separated from her ex-partner within seven days of marriage.
She explains that, although walking away was a brave decision, it wasn’t easy for her to make. After reflecting on it for three months, she filed for divorce when she saw no change in her partner’s behaviours and no regret in his eyes, nor did his actions change. Despite societal criticism, Amreen gradually settled in with her parents and refocused on her career.
During this challenging phase of her life, the pandemic hit and the lockdown was imposed. In 2021, Amreen switched jobs and joined KFINTECH. Amreen’s company announced their partnership with YourDOST to assist employee well-being. Recognising the importance of seeking professional help to heal, Amreen knew it was the right time to reach out for support.
She consulted the experts on the platform and started taking the sessions. Armeen explains that she felt a stronger connection with Ms Deepti K Acharya because she was empathetic and matched her vibe.
“Ms Deepti made me feel like there was someone to understand me and empathise with my situation while society dismissed my claims and concerns about my marriage.”
Armeen elaborates that when she came out of the marriage and opened up about her ex-partner lying to her, the people in her circle told her that men lying was normal and there was something wrong with Armeen for pointing them out.
Hearing this, the counselor validated her emotions. She also reassured Amreen that it was not her fault and that lying or betraying someone’s trust wasn’t acceptable. Gaining trust in Ms Deepti, she slowly opened up about how she truly felt in these situations.
“I used to have a lot of negative thoughts. My thoughts constantly went back to the person who hurt me. It was my therapist who did her best to bring me back from thoughts and make them slowly disappear.”
She shares that thinking about the person who didn’t appreciate her and her affection made her feel like she wasn’t valuing herself enough. Amreen adds that connecting with the experts whenever she felt emotionally drained brought her relief, helping her realise that her world wasn’t confined to a single situation.
The counselor guided her to write down the things that made her happy, her expectations in life, etc. At first, Amreen refused as she thought there was nothing for her to be happy about. However, due to Ms Deepti’s insistence, Amreen tried the activity. Whenever she couldn’t sleep, she would take a piece of paper, write what made her happy, and put it in a jar, which she could pick up and read whenever she got emotional.
“What started as a reluctant activity became an inbuilt habit now. It became an instant mood lifter for me.”
Ms Deepti also suggested that Amreen include regular physical activities in her daily routine and shared some videos on how to practice meditation to find peace. They also worked on identifying her triggers that make her feel low so that they could avoid them in the future.
In addition to this, Amreen also shared her feelings with the counsellor after she moved in with her parents. She explains that she often felt upset and argued with people about societal issues. When someone openly committed unethical acts, she would object and try to correct them, but this usually changed nothing and only drained her energy, leaving her frustrated.
The counselor helped Amreen view things from a different perspective, guiding her to understand that people are shaped by their unique upbringing, and that societal change takes time. Amreen began expressing her disagreements in a new way—while still maintaining her straightforward nature, she adjusted her tone to create a more constructive dialogue.
Eventually, Amreen stopped second-guessing her decisions, whether related to changing jobs or other matters, and started taking proactive steps to move forward. Instead of trying to impress those around her, she stopped measuring her self-worth based on others’ opinions and focused on taking charge of her life to impress herself.
“Taking bold steps makes us question our actions. I realised that, be it in my personal or professional life, I do not have to stay in a toxic environment, and I don’t have to blame myself for just looking out for myself.”
Amreen shares that she began reflecting on her life goals and worked on letting go of her regrets. She explains that simply staying in one place with the hope that things will improve in the future is not a solution and can negatively impact mental health. As she began to heal, she continued weekly sessions with Ms. Deepti to stay clear of any negative thoughts and maintain her progress.
“When I felt it was difficult to express myself to my own people, Ms Deepti stood by me, and thanks to her, I no longer have those negative thoughts. She was more like a friend than a counselor for me. Even now, when I’m in touch with her, I can be completely transparent, as if I’m speaking to my own soul. I truly feel that she is a blessing in my life.”
As Amreen rates herself 4.5 out of 5, she works on understanding herself better every day and keeps taking those bold steps. We are proud of her and respect the inspiring path she has led for other women to follow.
Amreen’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Always think and realise that nobody is worth putting up with the negativity.”
2.“Find the strength to handle any situation despite criticism.”
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