A day in my life as a Trainee Therapist.

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Devyani Agarwal

If someone would have told me a year back that i’ll be juggling training sessions, metro rides

and therapy sessions all with a smile on my face I would probably laugh nervously and run for the hills. But here I am thriving in this chaotic yet beautiful rhythm of it all and honestly i wouldn’t have it any other way.

My day starts with the Delhi metro, just like thousands of others, mentally preparing themselves for the long productive day ahead. There’s something grounding about that metro ride. It's one of the few moments in the day that feels slow. It’s where I remind myself that I’m not just commuting, I’m walking into a space where I hold people’s stories, their pain, their vulnerability. By 11, I’m at Psych Hub. It’s like walking into a bubble where the outside world doesn’t matter for a few hours. This is where the real work happens. From assessments to role play sessions, it’s not just about tools but afternoons full of discussions, sharing wisdom, supervisions and of course a few hours with two little fur balls. Now, role plays sound fun until you're the one in the “therapist chair” and your “client” throws you a curveball. I’ve been in role plays where I froze, stumbled over words, or ended the session wondering what just happened. But I’ve also had moments of clarity, where something I said landed, and the pretend-client smiled and said, “That helped.”

In those moments, I get a glimpse of what this job is truly about. What most people don’t realize is that becoming a therapist doesn’t just mean learning about others—it means learning about yourself. And let me tell you, that’s the hard part. Some days, training makes you confront your defenses, your biases, your wounds. And weirdly, that’s part of the growth too. By the time we wrap up around 3, there’s a soft tiredness in the air. We laugh,

pack up, make reels sometimes and head back home.

Once I’m home, it’s a shift in role. If I have client sessions, I take them. And even though I'm

technically a trainee, when I sit across from a client even on a screen, I try to show up with

everything I have. It’s a privilege to be trusted, even in these early stages. There’s something

humbling about real therapy sessions. You realise quickly that no theory fully prepares you for the silence of someone trying not to cry, or the courage it takes for them to say, “I’ve never toldthis to anyone before.” Those are the moments I carry with me. They remind me why I chose this. After sessions, I make it a point to ground myself. Some days, it’s deep breathing. Some days it’s just lying flat on my yoga mat. Other times, I water my plants, do a quick workout, or play with my playlist until I land on a song that feels just right. Grounding helps me return to “me”

I won’t sugarcoat it. There are hard days. Days when I feel like I’m not good enough. When I mess up in a role play and wonder if I’ll ever learn how to “do therapy right.“Days when asession leaves me emotionally drained. But these moments also teach me that growth isn’t linear. That becoming a therapist isn’t about having all the answers, but about learning to sit with not knowing. To be human with another human. I’ve learned that clients don’t always rememberyour perfect interpretations. They remember how you made them feel. And that’s what I hold on to. If you’re reading this wondering whether this field is for you, or if you’re in the middle of your training feeling overwhelmed, just know you’re not alone. We’re all figuring it out. And sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is show up again tomorrow. I’ll be there too. Probably on the 10 AM metro, with my water bottle in one hand and a bag full of therapy notes in the other, wondering how I got so lucky to be doing work that feels this real.