Today we’d like to introduce you to Minal.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
In high school, I discovered my love for psychology through dabbling in various courses and volunteering in my community. As a result, I then went on to double major in Psychology and Communications at Boston College, with the hope of being able to help people live better and more fulfilling lives. I always dreamed of joining the Peace Corps and volunteering around the world, but life had other plans that led me essentially across the world multiple times. After graduation, I spent time in Indonesia, returned to New York City, and eventually moved to India before realizing that therapy was where I felt most called.
After trying my hand in many industries (marketing, teaching, journalism, spa operator and human resources to name a few), I moved to San Francisco to pursue my Master’s in Clinical Counseling Psychology. After two and a half years of graduate school, a grueling 3,000 (unpaid!) supervised hours and having my first baby, I studied, sat for and passed my licensure exam. Once I felt ready to put my first born in daycare, I opened my own private practice, Honest Space Psychotherapy, so that I could have the freedom and flexibility I wanted and needed as a mom. In my practice, I support individuals and couples navigating anxiety, self-esteem, relationships, parenting, and major life decisions. Much of my work centers on immigrants, first- and second-generation clients, and BIPOC professionals and I see a lot of mixed race, mixed religion couples as well.
While I find therapy extremely fulfilling, last year I decided to expand into the coaching world and launched Minal Nebhnani Coaching. It has been a super exciting journey and a whole other adventure. I support ambitious professionals, especially first and second-generation leaders, (the first in one’s family to build a career here or the child/grandchild of immigrants balancing two cultures), who are tired of biting their tongue in meetings, overdelivering on projects, and still getting sidelined when it’s time for promotions. In my 4-month program clients learn to communicate with clarity, cultivate strategic visibility and lead with confidence to get promoted and paid for the work they’re already doing without burning out, looking for a new job or pretending to be someone they’re not.
While therapy remains deeply meaningful to me, expanding into coaching has given me a new way to support people in stepping into their power. Both practices allow me to help others grow into who they were always meant to be, just through different doors.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t know if being a business owner is ever a smooth road. While I was pretty well versed in therapy once I was licensed, I was never taught how to start, operate or sustain a business. I had to learn everything on my own: how to file for a corporation, build a website, market, find clients, create systems, manage cash flow, pay taxes, literally wear every hat imaginable. All I can say is thank goodness for good friends and awesome colleagues!
As my practice grew, new challenges appeared and it was less about how to get started and more about how to sustain growth while honoring real life. Bandwidth, time, motherhood (3x over!) and capacity became the new obstacles. Each phase stretched me, forced me to refine, pivot and grow and ultimately taught me how to build a business that supports my life instead of consuming it.
Today, the challenges look different. Instead of figuring out how to get clients, I’m navigating how to stand out in a landscape dominated by VC-backed platforms and corporations that treat mental healthcare like a product and people like data points.
I built my practice to be the opposite of that – human, relational, personal – and while the road hasn’t always been easy, it’s been meaningful in a way no perfectly smooth road could ever be.
As you know, we’re big fans of Honest Space Psychotherapy . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I run a solo private practice that started in San Francisco in 2018 and moved with me to Austin during the pandemic. Today I support clients across California and Texas and soon to be Washington, D.C. I work with individuals and couples navigating anxiety, confidence and self-esteem struggles, relationship dynamics, parenting challenges, and major life transitions. I especially love supporting immigrants, first- and second-generation clients, BIPOC professionals, mixed-race or mixed-religion couples, and couples where one or both partners are neurodivergent.
A big part of what shapes my work is the life I’ve lived. I was raised in New York City, but I’ve also lived in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and North America. Because of that, I understand cultural nuance, identity complexity, and the invisible emotional load so many people carry when they straddle multiple worlds. Clients often tell me they feel seen and understood in ways they haven’t before and that matters deeply to me.
I want people to know that therapy can be life changing if you find the right therapist but that it also doesn’t have to be for life. I believe therapy should have a clear beginning, middle, and end with goals, growth, and momentum built in but that the client decides the cadence (how often to come) and length of therapy (when to start and when to stop). I’ve had some of my clients since I started, some come and go depending on their phases and stages of life and new one are constantly finding me. One thing I’m most proud of is how many clients return when life shifts and they need support again. I tell my clients that while my door is always open, the goal of therapy is to help them feel strong and confident enough to not need me anymore and that essentially, the ultimate goal is to put myself out of business.
I offer virtual therapy for CA and TX residents, and in Austin I see clients in-person, virtually, and through walk-and-talk sessions. I work Monday–Thursday, 10am–3pm because alongside being a therapist, I’m also a mom of three young kids and am deeply committed to both parts of my life. I am private pay meaning I don’t accept insurance, but I do provide superbills for insurance reimbursement, and I offer sliding scale spots when available. I also offer a free consultation for anyone curious about working together.
If you’re looking for a therapist who is direct, warm, culturally attuned, and deeply invested in your growth, I’d love to meet you.
What makes you happy?
Finding balance in both my work and my life. I feel happiest when I’m helping my clients cultivate mindfulness, growth, and cognitive flexibility, and I love watching them expand into versions of themselves they didn’t think were possible. Those are the moments that make this work so meaningful to me.
Outside of work, happiness for me looks like being surrounded by my family and friends, traveling and moving my body – whether through exercise, yoga or dance! I’m happiest when I’m in nature, especially in the water, and my absolute favorite sound in the world is laughter. Like that fully belly laughter that you can feel from head to toe. I love trying new things, meeting new people and love saying yes to experiences that expand how I see the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.honestspacetherapy.com
- Instagram: @honestspacetherapy.com
