I work with people who want to better understand themselves and the patterns that shape their lives. This may include exploring purpose, questioning identity, navigating relationships, or sitting with existential thoughts about what it all means. I also support those working through themes of belonging, culture, and finding their place in the world.

To me, it is important that therapy feels like a real conversation where both myself and the person I am working with can show up authentically. I take a person centered and trauma informed approach, meaning you help shape what we focus on while I offer reflections, feedback, and suggestions that may help you notice patterns or consider new possibilities. I also regularly ask for feedback so our work stays collaborative and aligned with what you need.

I am informed by how our nervous system works and how experiences are stored not only in the mind, but also in the body. At times, we may slow down and pay attention to physical sensations, stress responses, or patterns in our bodies as a way of supporting healing and regulation. I have completed Phase 1 and Phase 2 training in Brainspotting, a modality that helps access and process trauma and stored nervous system responses. I sometimes use practical tools from cognitive behavioral and solution-focused approaches when they support your goals. I believe that a strong therapeutic relationship can create meaningful space for healing and growth.

As a child of immigrants, I value cultural humility and understand how layered identity can be. I welcome conversations about spirituality or religion if they are important to you. I also invite dialogue around societal norms shaped by colonialism, capitalism, and patriarchy, and how these systems may impact your lived experience.

I offer sliding scale sessions starting at $30 through Liberation Institute and work exclusively via telehealth.

If you resonate with the above, I would be honored to work with you.

Supervised by Miles Avery Ellis Ruttinger, LMFT #133402  

You can contact Liberation Institute directly and request to work with me.

Liberation Institute Contact below:

Email: info@liberationinstitute.org

Phone: 415-606-5296 ext. 102

By Ishan Gala

Creativity helps me change my outlook on daily life. It helps me see the beauty in mundane things and helps me realize the potential an individual can have to impact the world. Creativity allows me to be present. 

As someone who enjoys drawing, writing, cooking, and moving creatively, I often feel stuck. At times, it feels like my brain is incapable of producing an original thought. But I know this isn’t true, it’s a common phenomenon known as “creative block.” This can lead to some frustration and makes me wonder what the purpose of my creative pursuits even are. I can feel like I am forcing myself to do something for an arbitrary sense of accomplishment.  Thankfully, these blocks don’t last forever, and in the meantime, there are many other ways to practice creativity. One way to practice creativity without achievement is what I call Creative Mindfulness. I would define this as bringing creativity and imagination into normal parts of your everyday life and see how it interacts with your mind and body.

My name is Ishan, and I would like to share two practices that I developed that have helped me practice Creative Mindfulness in a way that integrates with my daily life. There is no pressure to perform with them, and the only thing you will have at the end of them is the memory of the experience. 

The Perfect Bite

Cooking is one of the most sensory-involved art forms. You interact with the ingredient using sight, smell, and taste while having ultimate control over the fate of your meal. This practice draws from that same idea, but instead of cooking a whole meal, it focuses on something much simpler: the individual bite.

This exercise is meant to be done while you are already eating a meal. Most food can work for this, but it’s preferable if it’s something you eat with a spoon or anything with multiple components or condiments.

The premise of this exercise is to see every bite of your food as its own individual dish. After all, you are the one who controls what goes into your spoon. You must mindfully and skillfully build each bite, experimenting with different combinations to discover what works best together. I realize this may sound complicated, but it is very intuitive, and you may have already done it subconsciously.

How to Practice the Perfect Bite

As you eat, slow down and begin to curate each spoonful intentionally. Think of the spoon as a container you are filling on purpose. Try changing the ratios of ingredients, isolating one component at a time, or blending multiple elements together. Notice how texture, flavor, temperature, and balance change from bite to bite. The goal is to slow down on something that you do every day without thinking much and really soak in the experience of it. 

A simple example of this can be found in something as ordinary as a bowl of cereal. Preparing cereal is often a controversial topic; people debate whether the milk should come first or the cereal. I would also struggle to find the right ratio of milk to cereal, often leaving me with an excess of one at the end, forcing me to pour in more to even it out. You also have to consider the sogginess of the cereal.

To do this exercise with cereal, use your spoon to curate each bite. Try different ratios of milk to cereal. Maybe even take a bite with just dry cereal or just milk. You could scoop some crunchier cereal from the top and mix it with the soggier pieces at the bottom. The objective is to do this mindfully and to notice how different each bite of the same meal can be.

The way I likely came up with this idea was while eating Indian food made by my mother. Though I can’t remember the exact meal, a common plate usually includes roti, dal, sabji, rice, salad, and yogurt. This exercise works especially well with meals like that, or anything with many separate parts, such as a bowl from Chipotle.

Every bite of this kind of meal is different from the last. Some may be bland, while others are rich, flavorful, or spicy. You can carefully scoop out individual components to try them on their own, then begin experimenting with combinations. Feel free to try strange pairings and break free from what feels “normal.” After practicing this exercise, I found myself thinking differently about the way I see food. Every time I order a pizza or make a sandwich, I think about the ingredients and how they will interact with each other. 

I like to think of the spoon as a mini bowl, and each part of your meal as an ingredient. Imagine yourself as a chef, carefully composing each bite to your liking. In this way, eating itself becomes a creative and mindful act.

As you do this, see what comes up for you. How do you feel? Are there any emotions that you're feeling in your body? Does it feel empowering to create your own flavors?  What about physical sensations? Allow this experience to feel as meditative as you want. 

By Ishan Gala

Mind Concert

When I was a child of elementary age, I wondered why people went to concerts. After all, pretty much all music is available on the internet, and sometimes the quality of the sound is better at home than it can be over distorted speakers and in large crowds. After growing up, I realized that a major part of concerts is getting to connect with the artist as well as with the fans, and it is a vibrant social experience.

This exercise is about recreating that sense, using imagination as a form of mindfulness.

This idea formed in my head while daydreaming in my 11th-grade history class many years ago. I had a rap song stuck in my head, and I was a big fan of the artist at the time. I decided to try to imagine the song in my head since I wasn’t able to listen to music in class.

Surprisingly, it worked very well. Even though I didn’t know all the words, I really felt like the song was playing out loud. 

Then I remembered I had seen a video of the rapper performing on social media and had another idea. I tried to imagine him opening the classroom door and walking in, and performing in front of the class by the whiteboard. I tried to imagine it as realistically as possible, even making up a short backstory that he was a guest performer hired by my school. This experience felt powerful but also very humorous, and I struggled not to burst out laughing in class. I really felt like I was able to experience an in-class performance. It felt immersive in the same way a real concert does, despite happening entirely in my mind. Although it is hard to maintain that level of focus to make it feel so realistic, I was left with a memory that reminded me of the power we all hold.

After this, I would occasionally attempt to do this again, and at times it worked, and other times it didn’t feel the same. I have tried it in many different settings too, like my room, in my car, and outdoors. You can try this while the music is playing as well. Over time, I began to notice that there were different depths to the experience, which led me to organize it into levels.

How to Practice the Mind Concert

Before you begin, choose a song or artist you feel familiar with or emotionally connected to. You can do this exercise sitting, lying down, or even while moving slowly.

Level 1

Try it with music playing. Imagine yourself at a concert or having the performer right in front of you with your eyes closed. Once you have a visualization of how the performer will look, how they're dressed, and their body language, feel free to open your eyes and imagine them performing. 

Level 2
Try it without the music playing. It’s best to use a song you are familiar with, but you can even make up the parts that you don’t know. Just focus on the music, including the instrumental aspects first, then try to visualize the performer. Imagining the performer playing instruments is also a really fun twist. This level is kind of like daydreaming but being more intentional with it.

Level 3
Try the above, but push the limits of your visualization abilities. Think of a situation that would realistically lead to you being able to experience a performance. For example, when I imagined a rapper coming into my 11th-grade history class, I imagined that the principal had contacted him for an in-school performance.  Think of the passion that the artist feels for their music, as well as how you feel about it. Where would this passion be felt in the body?  You could imagine a crowd alongside you cheering them on. Think about how the performer would act if they were really there with you. Would they jump around and dance? Would they need a mic? Would they have background dancers? 

Feel free to take this however you want. The more sensory detail and creativity you bring in, the more vivid the experience becomes. Make sure you notice how you react to this exercise. Do you have an emotional response? Do you feel a collective sense of empowerment? Think about the millions of others who enjoy similar music.                                                                                                                                           

Conclusion

Usually, when people are thinking of creativity and mindfulness, they are not placed under the same bracket but I find that they are similar. I believe both of them can be exercised like a muscle and practicing them in our daily lives can have many benefits as well as make mundane things more enjoyable. I believe that it can also help connect people together although this is something that I plan to explore further. 

Thank you for reading my article. My name is Ishan, and I am a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee at Liberation Institute, practicing under the supervision of a licensed clinician. If you feel that my perspective resonates with you, the next step is to email incoming@liberationinstitute.org to schedule a standard intake assessment via Zoom with the Client Care Team at Liberation Institute. They will help determine whether our services are a good fit for your needs and, if appropriate, you may be matched with me to begin therapy.

I primarily work with adults who may be dealing with depression, anxiety, panic, stress, or challenges adjusting to life changes. Many people throughout adulthood are navigating important transitions, such as relationship changes, career pressures, uncertainty about the future, or shifts in values and expectations. Such experiences may sometimes lead to feelings of sadness, disconnection, or overwhelm. In our work together, I help clients better understand what they are going through and develop tools to manage symptoms of stress, depression, panic, and anxiety to move through life challenges.

My approach to therapy is collaborative, empathetic, compassionate, and tailored to each person’s individual needs. I draw from Person-Centered Therapy, Mindfulness-Based practices, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I believe that feeling truly heard and understood is an important part of the healing process, and I focus on building a trusting therapeutic relationship. Together, we may explore patterns in thoughts and behaviors that contribute to anxiety, depression, or stress, and practice practical strategies to help you feel more grounded. I often incorporate mindfulness techniques to help clients become more aware of their thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations, and to learn ways to stay present, even during difficult moments, over time.

As a therapist trainee, I am also committed to ongoing supervision, continued learning, self-reflection, and providing thoughtful, ethical, and compassionate care.

If you feel we may be a good fit, the next step is to email incoming@liberationinstitute.org to schedule a standard intake assessment via Zoom with the Client Care Team at Liberation Institute. During this process, they will help determine whether our services are a good fit for your needs. If so, you may be assigned to work with me and begin therapy.