Sometimes, it can be hard to open up to those around us, even close friends and family. That’s when it can be helpful to speak with someone who is unbiased and trained to support you through whatever you’re going through.Mental health struggles are invisible but those who are struggling should never feel isolated or misunderstood. Myths about mental health makes it hard for people to understand when, why and how to seek help.

Research shows that talking about mental health can have a positive impact on you and society as a whole. It helps individuals understand that mental health issues are common and treatable. This prevents them from becoming too difficult to manage.

It takes courage to acknowledge when we need support and to take steps to prioritize our mental health. Whether you need support in the moment or want to talk about a longer-term plan – we’re here to help.

You can talk about any kind of emotional distress that you are experiencing or anything that is troubling or bothering you. Some of the issues that callers commonly talk to us about are:

1. Career
2. Peers and Friendships
3. Relationships and Sexual Intimacy
4. Family
5. Substance Use
6. Domestic or Sexual Abuse or Violence
7. Strong Emotions
8. Self Image and Esteem
9. Communication
10. Gender and sexuality
11. Societal Pressure
12. Loss and Grief
13. Work Life
14. Suicidal tendencies
15. Mental health concerns

It’s important to remember that everyone is different, so what you might be struggling with could look different from someone else’s concerns. If you are unsure about whether you can discuss a certain issue with us, give us a call. In case we are not equipped to handle that conversation, we will do our best to refer you to the appropriate support.

The helpline is available for you from Monday to Saturday between 12 – 8 PM.If the helpline number is engaged, please call us back after some time.

We are closed on the following public holidays:

We aim to provide support before it becomes too difficult!

You can call us anonymously and from a place you are comfortable in. On the call, our tele-counsellors will provide a safe space for you to share and think through your concerns and focus on small steps to take, if needed. They will also provide you information, coping strategies, resources or referrals as relevant. If it is mutually decided, you can call us back with updates too.

We understand that mental health is complex and different for everyone. It can affect people of different genders, ages, socio-economic backgrounds and cultural identities differently – and we ensure that our services are sensitive and inclusive to all. That’s why we take a personalized approach to counselling, focusing on your unique experiences and needs.

Due to the length of counselling calls, you might not be connected to a counsellor immediately. In case the line is busy, please try again in some time.

We take the privacy of our callers very seriously. Which is why we only connect with you when you call us on 788-788-9882 between 12PM – 8PM from Monday to Saturday. Our policies do not allow us to call back any missed calls.

You are not required to share your name or other identifiable details as this is an anonymous service. However, some callers may share their first name or other non-identifying information to help create a more personal and supportive environment during the call. It completely depends on what you are most comfortable with.

Counselling is a process that takes time and it can be difficult to determine if counselling is working for you after just one call. That being said, you can ask yourself whether you felt listened to, supported and can see a step forward.
If you have concerns about the effectiveness of counselling, you can discuss them with your counsellor and work together to adjust your approach if needed.

Yes, definitely. As a telephonic service, we have the advantage of not being limited to any particular location. If you are comfortable speaking with us in Hindi, English or Marathi – you can give us a call from anywhere! Muktaa Mental Health Helpline’s services are free. However, any applicable call charges from your telecom provider will need to be covered by you.

Yes you can call us. This is a safe place for you to share your thoughts and emotions. We maintain confidentiality but if there is harm to your life or that of others, we would encourage you to connect with your parents or guardians – unless they are the ones creating harm or risk you.

We take every step to ensure that the conversations you have with our counsellors are kept confidential. The helpline and our counsellors have strict policies, ethical guidelines and procedures in place to safeguard your conversation and ensure that it is not shared with anyone without your explicit consent.The only time when confidentiality may be breached is when the counsellor is legally bound to report certain information, such as a risk of harm to yourself or others, or if there is a legal requirement to disclose information. In such cases, the counsellor will explain the limits of confidentiality to you and seek your consent to share information.

Telephonic counselling can be an effective way to receive support and guidance for a wide range of mental health concerns. It follows the same collaborative process as face-to-face therapy or counselling, but the communication occurs via a phone call.

Once you call us on 788-788-9882, you will be connected to a trained mental health professional who will provide you with emotional support over the telephone. The counsellor will likely ask you some questions to better understand your situation and concerns. They may also ask you to provide some background information about yourself and your issues, thoughts, and feelings.

The counsellor and you will then collaboratively explore your difficulties and decide on the best suited strategies for coping and making positive changes.

Additionally, it can also involve seeking information about local supporting resources in the fields of food and nutrition, shelter and housing, de-addiction, vocational training, legal aid, crisis, livelihood, financial, education, documentation, medical and disability.

The length and frequency of telephonic counselling sessions can vary depending on your needs.

Counselling is a structured process where focus is fully on the client and their well being with certain frameworks. Friends rightly hold their personal view of the world including values, beliefs, prejudices and opinions. We know what is acceptable to one may not be acceptable to another so we make choices about who we speak to about certain issues which fragments the picture for us and our friends. There are also differences in levels of trust and reliability with friends and because they don’t want to hurt us, friends may also avoid painful truths. Counselling involves creating a safe, non-judgemental and dignified space where you constructively explore struggles and issues with a counsellor.

As a helpline focussed on accessibility, we do not want finances to restrict you from being able to get quality mental healthcare support. In case you are unable to bear the telecom charges of a counselling call, please do the following:
1. Give us a call on 788-788-9882 between 12PM-8PM from Monday to Saturday
2. When you get connected with a counsellor, inform them that you want them to give you a callback due to financial restraints.
3. The counsellor will confirm if you wish to receive a callback due to financial reasons
4. The counsellor will also confirm if you are in a safe place to answer the call and whether the phone you are using will be with you?
5. If all of the above are verified, the counsellor will immediately give you a callback.
6. Now, you can speak freely about whatever you wish to talk about.

Due to the length of calls, it is likely that you might be connected to whichever counsellor is available when you call. We can assure you that you will feel comfortable speaking with any of our counsellors as they have received the same kind of training.

The number of the calls and their duration depends upon the concern and the issue that you are going through. You can call us whenever you feel emotionally distressed and you feel like talking to us. We usually recommend our callers take a 7-days gap before calling us back to reflect and work on the things discussed in the previous call and avoid becoming dependent on the counsellors. However, there are situations where more frequent calls may be necessary. In such cases, the counsellor will discuss and reach an agreement with you.

Muktaa Helpline provides telephone counselling services, which means this is a safe place to talk about anything that’s been bothering you over the phone. We do not offer email, chat or in-person counselling at this time. If you prefer speaking to a professional in person, we can provide you with relevant referrals.

You can contact the organisation on the following platforms:
Email Id
Instagram:
Office number:

We document and record calls for training, quality assurance and research purposes. It helps us improve our services and ensure that our counselors are providing the best support possible. However, we take the privacy of our callers very seriously, and all recorded calls are stored securely and kept confidential. The helpline and our counselors have strict policies, ethical guidelines and procedures in place to safeguard your personal information and ensure that it is not shared with anyone without your explicit consent.
If you have any concerns about your call being recorded or would like your call to be deleted, you can inform the counselor during the call or send us an email at [insert email address]. We will promptly delete your call upon your request.

There are various signs and symptoms that could indicate a mental health issue like changes in mood, behaviour, daily life or physical symptoms. For instance, have you:

1. Been feeling sad, anxious, angry, irritable or hopeless for a long time?
2. Noticed changes in your behaviour like a sudden lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed, changes in eating and sleeping patterns or increased use of alcohol or drugs?
3. Been struggling with concentrating, making decisions or finishing tasks?
4. Been having frequent headaches, stomach aches, fatigue or insomnia?

If any of the above are affecting your daily life, it may be helpful to talk to a mental health professional to better understand what you are going through.

We are here to provide support to anyone who needs it, whether it’s the individual themselves or someone they care about. We can offer guidance on how to support a loved one who may be struggling with a mental health issue and sensitively have a conversation with them about their mental health. We can also provide resources and referrals to professionals or organizations that may be able to provide additional help.