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The State of Mental Health Practice in India — The Alternative Story
Research Initiative · 2026

The State of Mental Health Practice in India

The first practitioner-led survey on what it actually means to work as a therapist or counselor in India today: the economics, the challenges, and the lives behind the practice.

Take the Survey
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Average monthly income of a practicing therapist in India
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Percentage who hold multiple income streams to survive
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Of practitioners who receive regular clinical supervision
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Hours per week spent on work beyond direct client sessions

We don't know the answers yet. That's the point.

Why this survey exists

There is no reliable data on what it means to practice in India.

We know a great deal about mental health need in India. We know almost nothing about the people trying to meet it.

How much do practitioners earn? What does a viable practice actually look like? Who is entering the field, and who is burning out? What does it cost to be a therapist here, financially and personally?

These are dark numbers: information that shapes careers, livelihoods, and care quality, that nobody has systematically gathered.

The Alternative Story is changing that. This survey is the first step toward a public, practitioner-verified picture of mental health work in India. Built from the ground up with practitioners, for practitioners.

"The field cannot advocate for itself without knowing what it looks like."

The Alternative Story, 2026
What we're asking

Six areas. One honest picture.

🎓
Background and Training
Qualifications, certifications, registration, and the paths that brought you to practice.
🏢
Practice Context
Where you work, how you work, the populations you serve, and the modalities you use.
₹
Income and Livelihood
Earnings, income streams, fees, platforms, salaries, and the economics of staying in the field.
🔍
Supervision and Development
Access to clinical supervision, professional development hours, and the barriers to both.
⚡
Challenges and Vision
What the practice costs you right now, and what would make it worth it.
🌿
Your Identity and Wellbeing
Who practitioners are beyond their credentials: identity, lived experience, and access to care for themselves.
Who should participate

If you provide therapy or counseling in India, this is for you.

✓
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists Whether you work in private practice, institutions, or both.
✓
Therapists and Counselors Across all educational backgrounds and therapeutic orientations.
✓
Early-career Practitioners Including those in their first 1-3 years after training.
✓
Practitioners across India Metro and non-metro. In-person, online, or hybrid. Any state.
What happens with the findings

This data belongs to the field.

01
A public report, freely accessible to all practitioners, institutions, and policymakers. No paywalls, no embargoes.
02
An anonymized dataset shared with researchers and mental health organizations for further analysis.
03
A living resource, updated as the field grows, that practitioners can cite, share, and advocate with.
About

The Alternative Story

The Alternative Story is a mental health startup based in Bangalore, India, founded and run by people with lived experience of mental health conditions and by therapists. We provide therapy, support groups, and more for people who need it.

We are pioneers of Pay-What-You-Want mental health services in India, making care accessible regardless of what someone can afford. Our published research on client-driven pricing explores what happens to mental health outcomes when people determine the cost of their own care.

This survey extends that work. By documenting the economics, challenges, and working lives of practitioners across India, we aim to build the evidence base the field has never had, and make it freely available to everyone in it.

Learn more about The Alternative Story → Read our PWYW research →
Practitioner-led Built with practitioners, not just about them
Open access All findings freely available, always
Field-first The profession's needs, not funders' agendas
Take the Survey

Add your voice to the first picture of practice in India.

It takes about 20 minutes. Your responses are anonymized and will never be attributed to you individually. Together, we build the evidence base the field has always needed.

Take the Survey
Not a practitioner?

I want to know the results.

The findings will be published as a free public report. Leave your email and we'll send it to you when it's ready, no strings attached.

© 2026 The Alternative Story A practitioner-led research initiative Contact