TO
YOUR
BEST SELF
With Ajish Rajendran
Psychotherapist | Life & Relationship Coach
My Story
For a long time, I measured my worth through what I did and what I gave. Early on, often without conscious awareness, I chose paths that carried social approval and external validation. Engineering—especially from an IIT—felt like one of the most valuable identities one could attach to their name at that time. It seemed like a secure way to earn respect, certainty, and worth. Looking back, I see how deeply my choices were shaped by the belief that being valuable meant doing something that looked impressive from the outside.
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I moved from job to job, hoping that each new role would finally make me feel fulfilled and confident about my value. When that wasn’t enough, I turned to preparing for the UPSC—believing that achieving something highly respected would help me truly feel my worth. In my personal life too, I stayed in relationships where I believed my value existed only as long as I kept giving, adjusting, and accommodating—without thinking about receiving.
At that point in my life, I first approached a life coach, initially with the intention of “fixing” my then partner. What I didn’t expect was that the process would gently turn my attention inward. I began to see the unhealthy cycles we were both part of, and more importantly, my own role in sustaining them. That awareness marked the beginning of my healing—bringing greater clarity, self-respect, emotional honesty, and deeper connection into my life.
This personal transformation inspired me to step into my professional path as a coach and facilitator of healing. Over time, I earned my PCC credential from the International Coaching Federation. Coaching proved to be a powerful modality—especially for growth, clarity, and forward movement. However, as I worked more closely with people, I began to recognize its limitations.​​
I noticed that coaching is not for everyone—especially for those going through emotionally distressing or vulnerable phases of life. Many people need safe, compassionate handholding to help them feel, name, and stay with their emotions before they can think about goals or action plans. This realization led me to become a counsellor, trained in Transactional Analysis—a theory that clearly explains how our early life experiences shape our patterns, decisions, and relationships.
As my work deepened, another layer of understanding emerged. For some individuals, healing requires looking further back—into childhood, attachment, and the unconscious life scripts we live by. These deeper patterns were not always fully addressed through coaching or counselling alone. This insight led me to pursue my training in relational psychotherapy, with a strong socio-political lens.
Why a socio-political perspective? Because I believe the objective of psychotherapy is not to make individuals “society-ready.” Society has already doing that—through parents, authority figures, cultural norms, moral rules, and systems of reward and punishment. The true purpose of psychotherapy is to help people reconnect with the reality that they are already okay—that they can think for themselves, feel fully, and have the autonomy to change their lives and life choices if they choose to.
Over the years, I have worked closely with civil servants, diplomats, students preparing for the UPSC, helping them navigate anxiety, self-worth, and burnout. I have supported individuals through relationship struggles, guided startup owners in clarifying their vision, and helped professionals move forward in their careers with greater confidence and alignment.
At the heart of my work is a simple belief:
We are not defined by the challenges we face—we are far more than that. Every trigger, conflict, or emotional struggle is not a flaw, but an invitation. An invitation to heal what has been holding us back and to move closer to the life we have always wanted to live.
The more you learn to heal from what triggers you, the closer you come to your true potential—and to yourself.
Licence and Certifications
Happiness in Leadership: Driving Team Success
Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Gandhinagar
Professional Certified Coach from International Coach Federation
Transactional Analysis 101
Integrated Diploma in Counselling skills & Transactional Analysis
Regal Coach Certification from Regal Unlimited
Currently Pursuing
Diploma in Transactional Analysis from South Asian Association of Transactional Analysts
Grief Educator Certification from David Kessler (grief.com)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Will you try to tell me what to do or how I should live my life?
If your age is X, you have lived with yourself for X years. I meet you for an hour a week—I cannot know you better than you know yourself. My work is not to direct your life, but to help you recognise your own capacity to support yourself and live in ways that feel true to you.
What kind of people usually come to you — and would I even fit there?
People who come to me care enough about themselves to seek support—even if they don’t fully recognise that yet. Many are dealing with anxiety, low mood, grief, unresolved experiences, relationship endings, career transitions, or a sense of stuckness. Some are also grappling with existential questions shaped by the state of the world today. Our work often begins with recognising their own inner resources.
Do you judge people for their choices, relationships, or beliefs?
I offer a non-judgemental space where you can unpack what you are carrying. I believe in the capacity of clients to create change through their own choices, relationships, and belief systems. My role is to reflect what you are processing—not to judge who you are or how you live.
Will you be okay if my views or life choices are different from yours?
We are all individuals with different perspectives and values. As a therapist and coach, my work is not about fixing you or shaping you to match my views, but about helping you gain clarity and conviction in your own choices.
Have you worked with people who feel overwhelmed but still “high-functioning”?
Many of my clients are high-achieving and outwardly functioning well, yet feel disconnected, restless, or unable to find peace with where they are. This is a very common starting point in our work together.
Is your work inclusive of caste, class, gender, and different backgrounds?
I work with people across caste, class, gender identities, sexual orientations, belief systems, and backgrounds. Discrimination has no place in my practice.
Do you work online, and does that actually work?
I offer both online and offline sessions. Online sessions are conducted via Google Meet or Zoom at a mutually agreed time. For offline sessions, you can schedule an appointment in advance and visit the address listed in the footer.
Do you offer sliding-scale or flexible fees?
I offer sliding-scale fees based on income. If the lowest fee in the range also feels unaffordable, you are welcome to bring it up, and we can discuss it together.