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."
Bhargavi Raman is the founder of AMHI and a somatic therapist with over 13 years of experience in arts-based facilitation, expressive arts therapy, somatic psychotherapy, and trauma-informed practice. She holds training in Somatic Experiencing® (ongoing), Integral Somatic Psychology®, inter-modal Expressive Arts Therapy, Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness®, and Polyvagal-informed therapy. Her focus is on gently shifting the nervous system from survival states into safe and thriving ones. She also works in community-based MHPSS projects in collaboration with governments and organisations.
She has worked with over 300 individual clients and 45+ organisations across 8 countries — including Mind & Life Institute, Asia-Europe Foundation, the Government of Karnataka, NIMHANS, FAHI, Azim Premji University, Google, L&T, Toyota, and SoulUp. Her work sits at the intersection of body, emotion, art, and depth psychology, grounded in a commitment to social justice, inclusivity, and the belief that healing is both personal and collective.
Lawyer by education (National Law School, 2013), she is also a movement practitioner, singer, open water swimmer, and deep sea diver — 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.
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.
Trauma-Informed Work
Grounded in SE®, ISP®, TSM®, and Polyvagal Theory. Safety, pacing, and nervous system regulation as the foundation of all work.
Expressive Arts Therapy
Visual art, movement, drama, music, and expressive writing as therapeutic languages. The medium follows the person. No artistic skill needed.
Dance Movement Therapy
Working directly with sensation, posture, breath, and movement as pathways to emotional processing and self-regulation.
Depth Psychology
Jungian frameworks: inner child work, shadow work, archetypes, complexes, and natural dream-work.
Drama, Play & Storytelling
Narrative, dramatic enactment, and role exploration as pathways to self-understanding and relational repair.
Community-Based MHPSS
Group therapy, psychoeducation, and arts-based interventions in community and institutional settings. For contexts of chronic adversity and marginalisation.
Mindfulness & NLP Coaching
TSM® and NLP for pattern recognition, reframing, and goal-aligned action. Effective for performance pressure, procrastination, and chronic indecision.
Experiential Learning
Arts-based and participatory methodologies for education, organisational learning, and human rights training.
"We are more than individuals navigating this world. Building communities of practice: healing happens in the collective container of care."
Rooted in a community
of practice.
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.