Woman Cuts Therapy Costs to $7 in India's Mental Health Gap

In a country with just one mental health professional per 100,000 people, therapy costs are pushing treatment out of reach for millions of Indians.

Ekta Prakash Sharma saw this firsthand during the pandemic. Friends and colleagues were drowning in anxiety, but therapy sessions averaging $18 to $50 per hour were simply unaffordable for most people. After a decade working with human rights organizations, she knew it was time to act.

In May 2020, Sharma launched Humanising Lives from her office in Noida. The nonprofit offers something rare in India's mental health landscape: therapy that ordinary people can actually afford.

The organization's Pro Bono Therapy Project starts every client with five free sessions. This gives both therapist and client time to build trust and assess needs without financial pressure. After those initial sessions, therapy continues at just 500 rupees (about $7) per hour, a fraction of typical costs.

When Humanising Lives first announced free sessions on Instagram, requests flooded in. Sharma quickly realized she needed more therapists to meet demand. Today, the organization employs 10 full-time psychologists and 20 graduate student interns, all working under supervised training to maintain quality care.

Sushree Sahu, the nonprofit's counseling head, shares an encouraging statistic. Close to 80% of clients continue therapy after their five free sessions end, paying the nominal fee to keep working with their assigned therapist. Many stay in treatment for months, showing real commitment to their mental health journey.

The model works because it addresses a crucial truth about therapy: it takes time. Quick fixes don't exist for mental health challenges. By removing the financial barrier during those critical first sessions, Humanising Lives helps people understand the value of ongoing care before cost becomes a concern.

The organization now serves clients both online and through their Noida office. Beyond individual therapy, they're launching initiatives to address urban loneliness and build community connections in big cities where isolation often feeds mental health struggles.

Why This Inspires

Sharma didn't just identify a problem. She built a sustainable solution that respects both clients and therapists. The five-session model gives people a genuine chance to experience therapy's benefits, while the modest ongoing fee ensures therapists receive compensation for their skilled work. It's proof that mental healthcare doesn't have to choose between quality and affordability.

In a healthcare system where mental health often gets priced out of reach, Humanising Lives is showing that compassion and sustainability can coexist.