Karthika SK
Where I Am Most Myself: Beside Someone Healing
Introduction
Some of the most powerful moments in my life have happened in quiet rooms, where a person finally finds the words for something they have carried alone for a long time. I am Karthika SK, a practising psychologist registered under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP), and it is those moments that first drew me to the study of the human mind during my undergraduate years.
That curiosity has since become a calling, one that has led me through clinical settings, child development, assessment, counselling, and mental health education.
My Journey at The Apollo University
I completed my M.Sc. in Clinical Psychology at The Apollo University, Chittoor. At Apollo, supervised training, psychiatric and behavioural health exposure, and case-based learning taught me that people are not diagnoses. They are individuals shaped by their relationships, families, and lived experiences.
Every person who enters the therapy room carries a story worth hearing, and that belief remains at the heart of my work.
Career Journey
Today, I am a Consultant Psychologist at Dreamtime Learning, where I walk alongside children and families, nurturing social-emotional learning and psychological well-being. I have seen how a child who feels safe and understood begins to trust their own emotions and the people around them.
I also practise part time as an individual practitioner and Counselling Psychologist at Mantracare, offering a compassionate, non-judgmental space for people seeking clarity, healing, and growth.
Lifelong Learning
Learning, for me, is a lifelong companion to practice. I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Counselling Psychology at The Apollo University. I am also completing a second M.Sc. in Counselling and Family Therapy and specialising in couple therapy, with training in CBT, EFT, SFT, and DBT, so that I can meet each person with an approach suited to their needs.
My Approach and Gratitude
I do not see psychology as the repair of what is broken, but as the nurturing of what is possible. I am grateful to God for the guidance, opportunities, and people who have shaped this path, and I carry that gratitude into every room I enter.
The Apollo University gave me more than a degree. It gave me the foundation to sit with people in their most vulnerable moments, the mentors who taught me to listen before I speak, and the belief that healing begins with presence. Every person has an innate capacity for growth, and my role is to listen deeply, ask thoughtful questions, and create a space where they feel seen, accepted, and free to discover their own way.
For me, psychology is not merely a profession. It is a way of understanding people, and ultimately, a way of helping them understand themselves. I am proud to carry the values of The Apollo University with me, and I hope to keep giving back to the community that first taught me how to heal.
Words of Wisdom
“I do not see psychology as the repair of what is broken, but as the nurturing of what is possible.”