Sreedevi is a 22-year-old software engineer at HCL Technologies, Madurai. As life was supposed to begin a new chapter, Sreedevi also had to walk through the storm it delivered.
A native of Chennai and a spiritual soul, Sreedevi always found comfort in her connection with Lord Krishna. Her childhood was filled with music, basketball, and cultural activities. Trained in Carnatic music for nine years, she was the life of any school event and never shied away from a crowd.
She finished her schooling and went on to pursue her Bachelor’s in Technology and began her career ad software engineer in the corporate world.
Her mother, an advocate and her biggest cheerleader, encouraged her to always be bold and confident. However, all of that changed when Sreedevi lost her mother to liver cancer. The loss came not just as a heartbreak, but a shock as her mother had kept her diagnosis hidden for years, bravely disguising her pain.
It was only after reading the medical report that Sreedevi discovered the truth. The guilt and grief were overwhelming. Just ten days after her mom passed away, she also went through a personal crisis in her relationship, which shook Sreedevi even more.
“Everything happened so suddenly. I was struggling to write my semester exams. I couldn’t talk to my friends. I didn’t want to worry my dad, who was grieving too. I felt like I was going to explode.”
That’s when she came across YourDOST during a wellness workshop at her company. Encouraged by a colleague, she downloaded the app and immediately connected with a counselor.
“I couldn’t believe I could chat with a therapist even at midnight if I was breaking down. That’s when I started using it regularly. I wanted to talk, to vent, to feel heard.”
Sreedevi’s first therapist, Ms Aditi, on the platform became her anchor. She recalls that even if she didn’t book a session, the therapist would follow up and ask her to take care of myself. She liked how she truly cared about her every emotion, and even a simple ‘hello’ in the chat.
She explains that the counselor helped her realise that emotions deserve attention just like physical health does.
Through therapy, she explored grounding techniques, meditation practices, mandala art, and journaling as tools for self-care and emotional well-being. She learned the 5-4-3-2-1 sensory technique to manage anxiety, practised full-body scan meditations, and began expressing herself again, slowly but steadily.
“One particular metaphor my therapist used stayed with me – If I give you a hot pan, will you hold it or drop it? That’s how you need to see painful emotions. I took that advice, I kept the pan aside and waited for it to cool down.”
This helped Sreedevi save her relationship without leaving any scars. Over time, she noticed herself slowly opening up again. Her speech, once impacted by anxiety, became more fluid. She started participating in cultural activities again and returned to singing, ‘her first love’.
“I’m not back to the old me completely, but I’m healing, and that’s what matters.”
Through the ups and downs, therapy gave her a safe space to understand her pain, rebuild her identity, and move forward stronger and more self-aware. She credits her therapist with every progress she has made and says that Ms Aditi was a ‘lifesaver’.
As she continues to take the counselor’s support, she rates herself 3.5 out of 5. We admire the way Sreedevi handled things and hope she remains happy and healthy in her life.
Sreedevi’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Even if the world thinks it’s a small issue, if it’s affecting you, it matters. Don’t bottle it up.”
2.“You don’t have to share everything with everyone. One trustworthy person or a therapist is enough.”
3.“If someone is opening up to you, don’t rush to fix it. Just listen, acknowledge, and support.”
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