Meet @indiansextherapist, Neha Bhat | psychology, sexuality, art therapy & mystical studies

Neha Bhat (ABT, ATR)
A Bridge Between Worlds

“guiding you to sexual-emotional wellness from a creative therapy lens“

https://www.thedirtymagazine.com/articles/the-new-resistance-neha-bhat

As every therapist will tell you, healing involves discomfort, but so does refusing to heal. And over time, refusing to heal is always
more painful.” Resmaa Menakem, Trauma Therapist & Author

get in touch

All information typed here will remain confidential. We do not participate in any unpaid labor practices. Thank you!

about her journey, In-depth

Neha Bhat is an Indian arts-based sexual trauma-focused psychotherapist, bestselling author and expressive arts practitioner weaving together the clinical and the mystical between India and the US.

Having attained multiple postgraduate degrees – one in Buddhist-based Expressive Arts Therapy, another in Sexual Trauma focused Art Therapy and Counseling and several advanced trainings in rape crisis therapy, she has served in trauma-focused roles in global institutions such as:

Indian prison systems and trauma care centers
The University of Michigan
The Art Institute of Chicago
Rush Medical Centre
Tata Institute of Social Sciences

Neha cares deeply about issues related to power, abuse, somatics and spirituality in connection to collective health, which she channels as visions of healing in her artwork, writing work and performance work in the media.

Her writing as a bestselling author of Unashamed: Notes from the Diary of a Sex Therapist (HarperCollins India), maps a path through shame, sexuality, and trauma for Indian readers across the globe.

In her clinical practice:
She has worked with more than 5,000+ Individuals, Couples, Indian Family systems (Mother-Daughter units, Father – Son units and such), Small organizational groups and work teams, legal systems for trauma survivors and perpetrators within the court and jail systems.

Her clinical specialties are:

  • Trauma Therapy;
  • Sexual violence focused trauma therapy;
  • Interpersonal Violence in Couples;
  • Sex focused psychotherapy;
  • Neurodivergence in teenagers and adults;
  • LGBTQ+ identity development;
  • Decolonial and indigenous approaches to wellness practices;
  • Art Therapy;
  • Theatre of the Oppressed and Somatic work;
  • Depression and Anxiety resilience;
  • Monogamous and Polyamorous Relationships;
  • Complex grief and personal empowerment practices & intergenerational trauma in the Indian psyche.

    Known as @indiansextherapist, she guides deep healing from sexual and relational trauma with a sex-positive, depth psychology, and arts-based approach.

    She publishes free psychotherapy tools on her social media platforms where she has a thriving community of 100k+ listeners and readers of her modality of inner work.
Select posts from Neha’s free psychotherapy account on Instagram @indiansextherapist

Currently, teaches part-time at various institutions including: NYU, St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, India, UC Berkley and the University of Michigan

Neha trains and supervises therapists, doctors, and wellness practitioners, offers in-person retreats, digital masterclasses, and intimate healing circles, and consults in Hollywood and Bollywood to foster trauma-sensitive media. Her work is a bridge between worlds: clinical, creative, and soulful, across institutions.

As a spiritualist, Neha has walked many paths within Hinduism and Buddhism, cultivating a deep respect for ethical interfaith dialogue. She believes in resolving long-standing relational conflicts through practicing emotionally intelligent, heart-centered models of connection between communities.

Public Bio (short) for the Press

“It is a waste of energy when we try to conform to a pattern. To conserve energy, we must be aware of how we dissipate energy”.
Jiddu Krishnamurti, inner work teacher

Neha Bhat
Sex & Trauma Therapist | Entrepreneurial Coach | Author

Neha Bhat (ABT, ATR-P) is a licensed sex and trauma psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and artist, practicing psychotherapy through an arts-based, creative wellness lens between India and the U.S..

She believes in helping people work through their taboo, messy truths to live a more loving life.

She has specialized in sexual assault trauma care for survivors of sexual violence at the University of Michigan, Art Institute of Chicago, Rush Medical Center, and Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

As a trauma-sensitive media consultant, Neha works on films, documentaries, and reality TV focused on sex and intimacy across Netflix, Amazon and other OTT platforms.

She regularly shares free psychotherapy tools as @indiansextherapist on social media and teaches therapy courses at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and multiple American universities.

Her Healing from Sexual Trauma Masterclass won the UN Laadli Award.

Her bestselling debut book, Unashamed (HarperCollins), provides an empowering roadmap to understanding sexuality, mental health, and trauma healing in a rapidly changing India.  
It won the Vogue Best Author Award.

Long Bio:

Neha Bhat (ABT, ATR-P) is a licensed Sex and Trauma Therapist and bestselling author who practices psychotherapy from an art-based, creative wellness lens between India and the USA.

Having worked in sexual-assault-trauma care at global institutions like the University of Michigan, the Art Institute of Chicago, Rush Medical Centre and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, among others, she employs trauma-focused therapy from a depth-based, multicultural context for people who have survived and perpetrated sexual violence and teaches therapists to use art as a tool of living and coping against systems of oppression.

Neha began her career in the theatre, art and film industry in Mumbai, where she worked as a dramaturg and performer, which is also where arts-based therapy sparked her interest as an area of further study. Her professional networks in the film and theatre industry both in Mumbai and in Chicago have impacted her work greatly as a sex therapist, resulting in her consulting on various films, documentaries and reality TV shows written around sex and intimacy across various OTT platforms including Amazon Prime, Netflix US and Lionsgate Play.

Trauma, Body and Somatics Self-Care Organizational
Workshop for Nurses, Chicago

In the press;
Interviews about Neha’s work:

Chosen Print Interviews

Neha Bhat wants you to Play
The Dirty Magazine, edited by Gilian Anderson
How Neha is creating a new therapy localized, specialized and catered to the complex Indian context


How Art Therapy Helps with Sexual Trauma Recovery
healthshots.com
In an article titled “Meet sex and trauma therapist Neha Bhat, who heals abuse victims through art”, Bhat discusses her approach to using art therapy to help individuals heal from sexual trauma.

100 Emerging Women Leaders
Her recently-released book Unashamed-Notes from the Diary of a Sex Therapist is like a breath of fresh air in a society that often hushes discussions on inter-generational trauma, sex, sexuality, and the intricacies surrounding inter-personal relationships.

Buzzfeed Feature
18 women to follow on Instagram

Miss Malini Feature

Pursuit of Balance with Nina Kler

FII Interviews: In Conversation With Neha Bhat
feminisminindia.com
Bhat talks about art-based therapy, the current state of psychological health in India, and diverse approaches to accessing help.

Therapy is like dating, but without the stakes
Agents of Ishq
Interview with filmmaker, Paromita Vohra

Empowered Women: Neha’s Journey into the field of sex therapy

The Cultural Trauma of PCOS

Setting realistic boundaries in an Indian Family

Being a bisexual Sex Therapist in India
Pink Villa
On Being one of India’s foremost sex therapists

The Pandemic, Sex and Mental Health
GQ India

How bullying can lead to sexual shame
“A therapist shows with real-life examples how being bullied in schools can lead to sexual shame”
Excerpt from Unashamed republished on Scroll

Chosen Video Interviews:

Watch Neha’s Interviews in English fresh-off-the-press here on Neha’s YouTube Channel. And here on Neha Bhat’s Hindi YouTube Playlist.

If you’d like to heal from sexual trauma or share with someone you know who may be suffering silently, please watch Award-winning Free Healing from Sexual Trauma Masterclass here, powered by India’s first female-founded Sexual Wellness Company, That Sassy Thing.




read neha’s Latest insights