Professional counselling — warm, grounded, human.
ശ്രവിക്കാനും, മനസ്സിലാക്കാനും, ഒപ്പം നിൽക്കാനും.Sumanasu is a counselling practice by Arun Raju — social worker, counsellor, and someone who spent 12 years understanding the pressures real people face. Whether you're struggling, searching, or simply need to talk, this is a safe and caring place to begin.
“The work that matters most happens one conversation at a time.”
Arun Raju spent over a decade designing programs that changed lives at scale — building healthcare access for communities in rural Rajasthan, livelihood support for farmers, and education pathways for first-generation learners. He worked inside boardrooms at Maruti Suzuki, Jubilant FoodWorks, and Samsung, and alongside communities in the field. He understood — from the inside — how work, transition, systemic pressure, and unspoken expectations shape a person's life.
But something kept drawing him back. Not to programs. To people. To the single conversation that changes a direction, to the family that finds language for something they've felt for years, to the young person who discovers what they actually want — not what was expected of them.
“I wanted to stop changing lives at scale and start being useful to one person in front of me. That's what led me to pursue my MA Social Work at TISS — and to come home to Kerala.”
— Arun RajuHis MA Social Work (Development and Therapeutic Counselling) from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India's most respected institution for social work, gave him the clinical depth to match what he already knew from life.
He grew up in this community. He understands Kerala families from the inside — the silence around mental health, the weight of NRI expectations, the loneliness that can arrive even in the middle of a full and busy life. He speaks your language. In more ways than one.
Whether you are navigating a personal crisis, raising a family, building a career, or simply feeling that something needs to change — there is a space for you here.
Life can feel overwhelming — anxiety, burnout, grief, low self-worth, relationship difficulty, or a sense that something is deeply off. These sessions offer you a private, non-judgmental space with someone who will truly listen. You don't have to have it figured out before you arrive. That's what we're here for.
Adults · All concerns welcomeEvery relationship goes through hard seasons. Communication that has broken down, trust that has been tested, distance that has grown quietly over years — these are real and they are workable. Arun offers a neutral, skilled space where couples and families can speak, hear each other, and find a way through.
Couples · Families · Intergenerational conflictStudents choosing their path, young professionals at a crossroads, mid-career people asking hard questions, those returning from abroad or re-entering the workforce — this is counselling informed by real corporate experience and social work depth. Not generic advice. Honest, grounded guidance that meets you where you actually are.
Students · Professionals · Career changers · ReturneesFor children and adolescents aged 8–18, these sessions and workshops are about growth — not just problem-solving. Emotional intelligence, self-awareness, resilience, identity, decision-making, and values: the tools for life. Younger children build confidence and emotional vocabulary; teens navigate peer pressure, academic stress, and the questions of who they are becoming. Offered individually and as group workshops.
Ages 8–18 · Children & Adolescents · Individual & group formatsArun is available to partner with schools in Ernakulam as a contracted or part-time school counsellor. He supports students individually, helps teachers recognise and respond to emotional needs, and works with leadership to build a whole-school culture of wellbeing — not just a counselling room that opens when something goes wrong.
Schools in Ernakulam & KochiArun has lived corporate life from the inside — the pressures, the pace, the culture of pushing through. For organisations in Ernakulam and Kochi, he offers employee mental health workshops, group support sessions, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) partnerships. Because healthy teams do better work.
Workshops · EAP · Group sessions · Kochi & ErnakulamArun does not believe there is a single method that works for every person. He draws on multiple evidence-based frameworks — person-centred counselling, cognitive-behavioural approaches, solution-focused work — and adapts to what the individual in front of him actually needs.
What remains constant is the quality of attention, the absence of judgment, and a deep respect for where you are right now. You are not a diagnosis or a problem to be solved. You are a person finding your way.
You set the agenda. Sessions are shaped around what you need — not a predetermined checklist. The pace is yours.
Drawing on CBT, solution-focused therapy, and behavioural approaches to provide tools you can actually use in your daily life.
Arun grew up here. He understands the pressures of Kerala families, NRI dynamics, educational expectations, and the particular loneliness of being surrounded by community but unseen.
Everything shared in sessions is private. Your name, your story, your struggles — they stay in the room. Always.
Sessions are available in English, മലയാളം and Hindi. Choose what feels most natural to you.
Starting is the hardest part. Here is exactly what happens — simple, low-pressure, no obligation.
Send a WhatsApp message, an email, or fill in the form below. No long explanation needed — a simple "I'd like to talk" is enough.
A free 20-minute conversation to understand what you are looking for and check that it is a good fit. No commitment, no charge, no pressure to continue.
If the call feels right, your first session is scheduled — in person in Kalamassery or online. You set the pace. There is no fixed agenda. You just talk, and Arun listens.
Sessions are available in-person (Kalamassery) and online across India · English, Malayalam & Hindi
People come to counselling at all stages — some in pain, some at a crossroads, some simply wanting to understand themselves better. Here are some of the people who find their way here.
"My parents want engineering. My heart wants something else. I don't know how to say it — or if I'm even right." Career counselling that listens before it advises.
"I've worked this hard for years. I should feel proud. So why do I feel empty?" Individual counselling for people who give everything to their work and forgot to give something to themselves.
"I was in the Gulf for ten years. Now I'm home and I don't know where I belong." Re-entry, identity, rebuilding — for those who left and returned changed.
"We all love each other. But we haven't really talked — actually talked — in years." Family counselling for parents and children who need to find the words again.
"My daughter is bright and kind. I want her to grow up knowing herself, handling pressure, making good choices." Life skills and emotional intelligence for ages 8–16.
"I've lost someone. Or something. And I don't know how to carry it." Grief is not linear, and healing is not something you do alone. This space holds whatever you bring.
"We're not broken. But we're not as close as we want to be." Couples counselling for those who are brave enough to work on a relationship before it reaches a crisis.
"Our team works hard. But we don't really talk about stress, pressure, or mental health." Corporate wellness for leaders who know their greatest asset is their people.
These are placeholder stories — real words will follow from those who chose to share.
“I came in not knowing what I wanted to say. Arun had a way of listening that made me feel heard before I'd even finished a sentence. Three months later, I actually know what I want — and why I was stuck.”
“We almost didn't come. We thought it meant our marriage had failed. It didn't. It meant we finally had someone in the room who could help us hear each other. Best decision we made this year.”
“My son started the life skills workshop quiet and anxious. He finished it with friends, confidence, and — for the first time — the words to tell me how he was feeling. I didn't expect that. I am so glad we found Sumanasu.”
Testimonials are illustrative placeholders. Client identities are always kept confidential.
Reading Room
Real situations. Honest perspectives. Written from the counselling room.
A story most Ernakulam parents know — but rarely talk about. Why teenagers withdraw and what you can do.
Read article →Parenting · Teenage Mental HealthThe silence at the dinner table that used to be filled with chatter is one of the loneliest feelings a parent can know.
Read article →Parenting · Teenage Mental HealthThe quiet panic of discovering your daughter is in a relationship she never mentioned — and what to do next.
Read article →Parenting · Teenage Mental HealthWhen the child who used to chase marks suddenly seems to have stopped caring — and a phone screen is all you see.
Read article →There is no obligation, no lengthy intake form, no judgment. Just a first conversation — at a time that works for you.
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