Arts for Mental Health Initiative

Where body, expression,
and healing meet.

A.M.H.I was founded in 2024 to bring the depth and rigour of expressive arts therapy and somatic practice into wider reach — for individuals, communities, and organisations across India.

We believe that everyone carries an innate capacity for healing: one that is accessed not only through words and analysis, but through the body, movement, image, and creative expression.

"The body knows what the mind
is still trying to understand."

Our work is trauma-informed, person-centred, and rooted in the understanding that real change happens when thinking and feeling come together.

Bhargavi Raman
MA Movement Therapy Expressive Arts Therapist BA LLB · National Law School IEATA · IADMT · CMTAI Member
About

Bhargavi
Raman

Expressive Arts & Somatic Therapist · Experiential Learning Facilitator · Mental Health Educator

"I work at the intersection of body, emotion, and cognition, where the most enduring change lives."

I am a qualified Expressive Arts Therapist (MA Movement Therapy), with a somatic and trauma-sensitive mindfulness focus, experiential learning facilitator and mental health educator.

I offer personal and group therapy sessions, mental health education programs, curriculum development, and EXA-based supervision to enable transformative shifts in adults, young people and children, towards better mental health and well-being.

Lawyer by education (National Law School, 2013), I am also a movement practitioner, singer, open water swimmer and deep sea diving enthusiast: someone who believes that the way we inhabit our bodies says everything about how we inhabit our lives.

6000+

Individual Therapy Hours

800+

Group Therapy Hours

13+

Years of Practice

1000+

Coaching Hours

Experience

  • EXA & Somatic Therapist, Private Practice (2019–now)Individual and group therapy. Themes: anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, relational injuries, grief, perfectionism.
  • Founder, Arts for Mental Health Initiative (2024–now)Mental health education through expressive arts therapy and experiential learning.
  • MHPSS Project, Karnataka State Home for Women (2025–27)Community-based trauma-informed care with Govt of Karnataka, FAHI and NIMHANS.
  • Supervisor & Trainer, SMART (2024–now)Bangalore's Foundational Course in Creative and Expressive Arts Therapies (FECAT).
  • Visiting Faculty, Azim Premji University (2023–2024)Core elective: Arts for Promoting Mental Health.
  • Mindfulness & NLP Coaching (2018–now)1000+ hours with senior managers, lawyers, entrepreneurs and creative professionals.
  • Lead Facilitator, Mind & Life Institute (2022)Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness® for Young Peacebuilders.
  • Senior Trainer, Asia-Europe Foundation (2019)Training on Prevention of Violent Extremism through experiential learning.
  • Co-Founder, Svadhyaya (2021–23)Private practice of psychotherapy, expressive arts therapy and coaching.

Training & Education

  • MA Expressive Movement Therapy (2022–24)Savitribhai Phule Pune University, Pune.
  • BA LLB (Hons.) 2013National Law School of India University, Bangalore.
  • Integral Somatic Psychology® (2025–26)Professional Training, Dr. Raja Selvam.
  • Somatic Experiencing® (2026–28)Peter Levine, currently pursuing.
  • Complete Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness®David Treleaven, currently pursuing.
  • Advanced Training in EXA Therapy (2022–23)Expressive Body: Through Wounding, Trauma, Healing and Well-being. SMART, Bangalore.
  • EXA Therapy Practitioner (2020–21)Foundation Course in Expressive and Creative Art Therapies, SMART.
  • Certified NLP PractitionerSue Knight School, 2014.
  • Positive Psychology CertificateUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Modalities & Frameworks

How the work is held.

Each modality is a language. The work draws on several, chosen not by protocol but by what the person or group needs in a given moment.

02

Expressive Arts Therapy

Visual art, movement, drama, music, and expressive writing as therapeutic languages. The medium follows the person. No artistic skill needed.

Inter-modal EXAVisual ArtExpressive Writing
03

Dance Movement Therapy

Working directly with sensation, posture, breath, and movement as pathways to emotional processing and self-regulation.

Somatic AwarenessMovementBody-Based
04

Depth Psychology

Jungian frameworks: inner child work, shadow work, archetypes, complexes, and natural dream-work.

JungianShadow WorkInner ChildDream-Work
05

Drama, Play & Storytelling

Narrative, dramatic enactment, and role exploration as pathways to self-understanding and relational repair.

Drama TherapyNarrativeRole Work
06

Community-Based MHPSS

Group therapy, psychoeducation, and arts-based interventions in community and institutional settings. For contexts of chronic adversity and marginalisation.

Group TherapyPsychoeducationCommunity
07

Mindfulness & NLP Coaching

TSM® and NLP for pattern recognition, reframing, and goal-aligned action. Effective for performance pressure, procrastination, and chronic indecision.

TSM®NLPCoaching
08

Experiential Learning

Arts-based and participatory methodologies for education, organisational learning, and human rights training.

FacilitationOrganisationalEducation
View projects and collaborations →
"We are more than individuals navigating this world. Building communities of practice: healing happens in the collective container of care."
Professional Affiliations

Rooted in a community
of practice.

IEATA · International Expressive Arts Therapy Association IADMT · Indian Association of Dance Movement Therapy CMTAI · Creative Movement Therapy Association of India The MHPSS Network
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Work Together

Ready to start a
conversation?

Whether you're exploring therapy for yourself, looking for a facilitator for your organisation, or curious about the courses, reach out. The first step is always a call.