Pause for Perspective

What Pause for Perspective does

Pause for Perspective is a Hyderabad-based psychological services organization founded in 2015 by Dr. Aarathi Selvan Ph.D., operating from a single headquarters in Begumpet, Telangana, with hybrid in-person and online (Zoom) delivery. The organization delivers individual, couples, family, and children's counseling; LGBTQIA+ affirmative therapy; religious and caste-marginalization counseling; and group therapy, alongside specialized programs targeting neurodivergent individuals and caste-oppressed communities. Its core intellectual property is the Embodied Social Justice methodology, which integrates mindfulness (drawn from the Ottawa Mindfulness Clinic's MBSM program), somatic practices, narrative therapy, and social justice frameworks (anti-caste, queer-affirmative, neurodivergent-affirming) into a therapeutic architecture that explicitly positions mindfulness as anti-oppression rather than productivity optimization. The supporting BEST (Body, Emotions, Sensations, Thinking) framework structures clinical practice.

The business operates multiple revenue streams: sliding-scale individual therapy (fee-for-service), the 8-week MBSM program at Rs. 10,000, an 18-month Fellowship in Embodied Social Justice in Mental Health at Rs. 90,000 with Rs. 25,000 monthly stipends, a 9-month Integrative Mindfulness Based Practices Training certification, clinical supervision services, and community support groups priced Rs. 100-500 per session with many free or pay-what-you-can offerings. The organization employs 20-30+ practitioners including clinical psychologists, counseling psychologists, and educationists, and partners with NGOs and collectives such as Dalit Women's Collective, QT Center, Butterflies CDC, and Commune+TFI Schools to deliver community mental health programs. Marketing relies on social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube), blog content, newsletter, WhatsApp, and the founder's TEDx speaking platform.

The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, no public revenue figures, and no parent company or subsidiaries. Operating geographies are concentrated in India (Hyderabad/Telangana) with the global footprint claim absent. It holds no patents, has no awards listed in the source data, and maintains no app or API, relying on third-party communication platforms for service delivery. The entity is operationally active and the organization is the legal name, with DBA references to "Pause" and a previous name of "Fellowship for Mental Health Advocacy for Individuals, Children and Their Families (FMHAICF)."

Name

Pause for Perspective

Legal name

Pause for Perspective

Website

https://hyderabadpsychologist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pause for Perspective is a Hyderabad-based psychological services organization founded in 2015 that delivers individual, couples, family, LGBTQIA+, and group therapy alongside mindfulness and professional training programs, using a proprietary Embodied Social Justice methodology integrating mindfulness, somatic practices, and anti-oppression frameworks for individuals and marginalized communities in India.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Services

NAICS

Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Offices of Physicians, Mental Health Specialists (621112), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mindfulness-Based Coaching & Training (MBSR/MBCT-style) (HSADAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group) (HSADAJAA), Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs (HSADAJAF)

Keywords

• Psychotherapy services
• Mental health counseling
• Couples therapy
• Mindfulness training
• Group therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Hyderabad

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual and Group Therapy Sessions: Fee-for-service therapy sessions for individuals, couples, families, and groups. Offered both in-person at Hyderabad center and online via Zoom. Sliding scale pricing available for marginalized communities.
2. Fellowship Program: 18-month full-time paid Fellowship program in Embodied Social Justice in Mental Health. Provides monthly stipend (Rs. 25,000) while fellows provide services, plus training fees (Rs. 90,000 for 18 months).
3. Mindfulness Training Programs: MBSM program fees (Rs. 10,000 for 8-week program), Integrative Mindfulness Based Practices Training Program, and supervision services for mental health professionals.
4. Support Groups and Community Spaces: Various support groups (ND Support, Queer MH, Anti-Caste Reading Circle, etc.) with small fees ranging from Rs. 100-500. Some groups free, some pay-what-you-can.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pause for Perspective delivers psychotherapy, couples counseling, family counseling, children's counseling, and group counseling through in-person sessions at its Hyderabad center and online via Zoom. It also runs an 18-month paid Fellowship and shorter mindfulness-based programs (MBSM) for mental health professionals, plus a portfolio of community support groups and organizational mental health awareness programs. All offerings are unified by the founder-developed Embodied Social Justice framework that integrates mindfulness, embodiment, and anti-oppressive social justice lenses.

Product overview

Pause for Perspective is a psychological services organization founded in 2015 by Dr. Aarathi Selvan, offering a comprehensive portfolio of mental health services centered on Embodied Social Justice. The organization operates as a platform of interconnected services including individual, couples, family, and group counseling for adults and children; specialized LGBTQIA* affirmative counseling; mindfulness-based programs (MBSM and Mindfulness Sangha); professional training (18-month Fellowship and 9-month certification programs); and clinical supervision services. The core approach integrates mindfulness, narrative therapy, and social justice frameworks with anti-caste, queer-affirmative, and trauma-informed practices. The organization employs 17+ clinical psychologists and psychological counselors and supports community mental health through partnerships with NGOs and collectives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Counseling One-on-one therapy for adults delivered by clinical psychologists and psychological counselors, emphasizing personal agency, mindfulness, and a compassionate therapeutic approach grounded in Embodied Social Justice. Offered at the Hyderabad center and online via Zoom.
• Couples and Family Counseling Therapy for couples and families using Imago therapy, Developmental Model for Couples, Relational Life Therapy, and mindfulness-based approaches. Addresses infidelity, intimacy, parenting challenges, marital distress, and family dynamics.
• Counseling for Women Specialized therapy for women informed by feminist and intersectional perspectives, covering voice reclamation, body image, postpartum depression, gender identity, and work-life balance.
• LGBTQIA+ Counseling Queer affirmative counseling for LGBTQIA+ individuals, delivered by practitioners trained via the Mariwala Health Initiative, addressing identity, coming out, and queer-specific stressors through a social-justice and feminist-informed model.
• Career Counseling Career assessment and counseling that combines psychometric tests with expert counseling to support career, educational, and life decisions.
• Religious and Caste Marginalization Counseling Therapy for individuals experiencing mental health distress linked to religious and caste-based marginalization, addressing anxiety, depression, relationships, addictions, and neurodivergence within those contexts.
• Counseling Services for Children Mental health counseling designed specifically for children, delivered by trained practitioners using age-appropriate therapeutic approaches at the Hyderabad center and online.
• Group Therapy and Support Groups Multiple ongoing support groups including Neurodivergent People Support Group, Queer Mental Health Support Group, Anti-Caste Reading Circle, Mindfulness Sangha, and groups for grief, men's mental health, and caste-oppressed individuals. Led by mental health professionals and peer support practitioners.
• Mindfulness Based Symptom Management (MBSM) Program Eight-week program with eight sessions plus a retreat day, developed at the Ottawa Mindfulness Clinic, Canada, that adapts mindfulness as a tool for anti-oppression and incorporates explicit ethics to counter McMindfulness.
• Mindfulness Sangha
• Fellowship in Embodied Social Justice in Mental Health Eighteen-month full-time paid fellowship training mental health professionals in community and psychotherapy practice, covering somatic explorations, neurodivergence studies, anti-caste framework, queer affirmative work, narrative practices, qualitative research, and embodied ecology.
• Supervision Services for Mental Health Practitioners Clinical supervision for mental health practitioners, both internal and external, grounded in embodiment, mindfulness-based practices, narrative approaches, social justice, anti-caste, and anti-oppressive frameworks. Includes weekly group supervision, bi-weekly individual supervision, and peer supervision spaces.
• Integrative Mindfulness Based Practices Training Program Nine-month certification program in Embodied Social Justice for mental health professionals seeking advanced training in mindfulness-based practices.
• Mental Health Awareness Program for Organizations Mental health awareness programs delivered to organizations, colleges, hospitals, and corporate settings to raise awareness and reduce stigma surrounding mental health. Reached over 10,000 individuals between September and December 2019.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached over 10,000 individuals through Mental Health Awareness Program in 2019
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dalit Women's CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner18 months of weekly community-based mental health sessions conducted with children at the Dalit Women's Collective from January 2025 to June 2026. Work used stories, art, body maps, movement, play, role play, and group conversations to support children in naming emotions and building coping strategies.
• QT CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQueer Mental Health Support Group held twice weekly at QT Center in Habsiguda. A free space for queer trans folks to share experiences through art, play, movement, and mindfulness.
• Commune + TFI SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health initiative in partnership with Pause for Perspective, supporting children in low-income schools in Hyderabad. Includes workshops on mental health awareness, gender equality, and violence prevention.
• ServeNeedyminorOthersCommunity mental health partnership supporting ServeNeedy's work with marginalized populations.
• Bharat DekhominorOthersCommunity partnership for mental health support and outreach.
• Butterflies CDCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChild rights organization partnered for community mental health work with children and adolescents.
• OneLife HelplinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining program provided to volunteers at OneLife Helpline focused on enhancing empathy, mindfulness, and effective communication skills.
• NatureArkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate Ark project partnership focused on providing mental health support to climate action volunteers and addressing eco-anxiety.
• Ottawa Mindfulness CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrigin of the MBSM (Mindfulness Based Symptom Management) program. Aarathi Selvan is a trained MBSM teacher certified by OMC, Canada.
• Mariwala Health InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQueer Affirmative Counseling Practitioner training certified by Mariwala Health Initiative. Published article in ReFrame Journal from MHI on embodied activism for mental health professionals.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• YourDOST: India-based mental health and emotional wellness platform serving individuals and corporate clients with online counseling and webinars. Comparable in serving Indian consumers seeking therapy and in operating B2C and B2B mental health awareness programming.
• Vandrevala Foundation: India-based mental health NGO offering free counseling helpline and community mental health programs. Comparable in providing community-oriented, accessible mental health services in India with a social-mission orientation.
• Amaha: India-based mental health platform offering online therapy, psychiatry, and wellness tools across multiple Indian cities. Comparable as a direct therapy service provider targeting individuals and couples in urban India, though with a broader (less social-justice-focused) positioning and tech-enabled delivery model.
• Lissun: Indian mental health platform specializing in family and child mental health, with both online therapy and offline center presence. Comparable due to overlapping family/child counseling offerings and hybrid in-person-plus-online service model in India.
• BetterLyf: India-based online counseling platform offering therapy across relationship, career, and mental health concerns. Comparable as an online therapy provider serving Indian consumers with similar demographic and use case overlap.
• iCall (TISS): Mental health counseling service and helpline run by Tata Institute of Social Sciences offering free/low-cost therapy across India. Comparable in operating a professional mental health service model with accessibility focus and trained psychologist counselors.
• MindPeers: India-based mental health startup offering online therapy and emotional wellness services. Comparable as an online therapy provider targeting Indian consumers seeking accessible mental health support.

Emerging players

• Sangath: India-based mental health research and service organization offering community-based mental health interventions. Comparable in operating a community-mental-health model in India with research orientation and trained practitioner teams.
• Wysa: AI-driven mental health app with human therapist escalation, serving Indian and global users. Comparable in targeting Indian mental health consumers, though differentiated by AI-first approach versus Pause's human-led mindfulness methodology.

Others

• Mariwala Health Initiative: India-based mental health funder and capacity-builder focused on social justice, queer-affirmative, and community mental health. Comparable as a peer organization operating in the same social-justice-oriented mental health space, and an existing training partner that certifies Pause for Perspective's QACP training.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pause_pfp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCX1eyE4LGyALypgx3J8S1dA
• Facebookfacebook.com/pauseforperspective
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pause-for-perspective
• Instagraminstagram.com/pauseforperspective/?hl=en

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pause for Perspective