01 · Who Afsha works with

Afsha works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and trauma and abuse

Afsha lists 5 specialisms and 36 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Afsha chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Afsha's own words

What Afsha says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

I'm a therapist with extensive experience supporting individuals through a wide range of life challenges. My work centers on creating a compassionate, affirming space where you can explore your concerns without judgment.

I specialize in helping clients navigate depression, anxiety, stress, relationship difficulties, and trauma. I'm particularly skilled at addressing self-esteem concerns, communication patterns, social anxiety, relationship conflict, and attachment issues. Whether you're working through grief, body image struggles, workplace stress, or the complexities of identity and belonging, I'm here to support you.

I bring cultural awareness and responsiveness to my practice, recognizing that your unique background, experiences, and identity shape your journey. I'm committed to honoring your whole self-including your values, relationships, and lived experiences-as we work together.

My approach is collaborative and grounded in evidence-based practices including Somatic Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and the Gottman Method. I believe in meeting you where you are, listening with genuine curiosity, and walking alongside you as you build insight and move toward meaningful change. Starting therapy takes courage, and I'm honored to be part of your healing journey.

Afsha Merchant, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Oct 2026

03 · How Afsha works

The 5 approaches Afsha lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Afsha lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Afsha's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Afsha runs a session.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Dialectical Behaviour TherapyDBT

A structured skills-led adaptation of CBT built around holding two things at once: accepting yourself as you are and working to change. Teaches concrete skills for distress tolerance, emotion regulation and relationships. Developed for people whose feelings arrive at overwhelming intensity, and strongest-evidenced there.

The Gottman Method

A couples approach built on decades of observational research into what distinguishes relationships that last. Structured and assessment-led: it maps friendship, conflict and shared meaning, then works on the specific mechanics of how the two of you argue.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Internal Family SystemsIFS

Treats the mind as made up of parts - the critic, the one who withdraws, the one that keeps everything running - each of which is trying to protect you. The work is getting to know them rather than overruling them.

Also listed

• Somatic Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Afsha practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Afsha's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Afsha at this point.

2. Naming Afsha specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Afsha is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Afsha.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Afsha

Built from what Afsha actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Afsha's - Afsha has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Internal Family Systems. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

• “You offer sessions in English, Spanish and Hindi. Does the work change depending on which we use?”

  People often reach different material in a first language than in a second. Worth naming before you choose.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCPC

Licensed in

Illinois

Licence

IL LCPC 180.018689

Licence number

180.018689

Licence expires

31 Mar 2027

NPI

1558936153

Years in practice

7

Gender

Female

Languages

English, Spanish, Hindi, Urdu

International clients

Accepted

Listed since

26 Sep 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Afsha's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 7 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Afsha. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.