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Astha didn't always know she'd become a therapist. But she knew she wanted to work with people: to truly see them, the way her psychology teacher in senior high school had seen her.
"She was kind, compassionate, and cared about us…” Astha recalls. In a competitive school environment where she often felt less than, this teacher made her feel heard. It was the first glimpse of what therapy could be: not just a clinical practice, but a space where people are witnessed in their full humanity.
A Path Built on Personal Truth
Astha's journey into therapy wasn't linear. After picking up psychology in senior high school, she went on to complete her degree at the University of Nairobi, then pursued her master's in Marriage and Family Therapy at USIU. But it was her own experiences with trauma that truly shaped her approach to the work.
"There must be some reason for us to experience pain and suffering," she reflects. "We want answers from religion, from the universe. We have different theories to make sense of why things happen: good things to bad people, bad things to good people. I wanted to walk hand in hand with someone who has gone through something, to help them harness it."
After graduating with her degree, Astha sought out additional training with a systemic therapist who was building community whilst also imparting knowledge. That's where the pieces clicked. Systemic work became her foundation, and it shapes how she sees every person who walks into her practice.
"When I say systemic, I see you not just as a name, but as someone who's part of a family, a community, a city. The bubble just gets bigger: you're a citizen of the earth. All these systems work together to make you who you are."
This approach means Astha doesn't zero in on isolated problems. She looks at the bigger picture: your relationships, your environment, the forces that have shaped you. It's therapy that honors context, not just symptoms.
Redefining What Therapy Can Be
If Astha could change one thing about how people understand therapy, it's this: therapy isn't just for when things fall apart.
"People come when the fire is on and there's smoke. 'I'm here because things have fallen apart and I want to fix everything,'" she explains. "But therapy should be used as a preventative measure, not just a solution. For that to happen, though, it needs to be accessible."
It's why she's developing a pre-marital counseling program (one that addresses the real issues couples face, not just the gendered expectations and rigid roles that dominate traditional approaches). "There's not nearly enough material to cover everything before you get married. I want to meet people in the middle."
For the future of mental health in Kenya, Astha envisions less stigma, stricter regulations around who gets to practice, and most urgently: accessibility. "It's not just therapists lowering their rates. It involves insurance companies, funding for NGOs, developing a more stable mental health board. So, once again it is a systemic issue"
The Person Behind the Practice
Outside the therapy room, Astha is a self-proclaimed jack of all trades. She paints, she bakes (though she recently made cupcakes that "came out as flat as a pancake"), she reads voraciously on her Kindle ("the love of my life right now") and she's currently making her way through Anna Karenina. She also loves comfort TV series and cooking.
Growing up as a perfectionist, she's learning that hobbies are meant to relax, not perform. "If it's bad, it's bad," she shrugs. "If it doesn't look a certain way, that's okay."
Something that might surprise you about Astha? She used to model. "It wasn't very fun," she admits with a smile.
People are often pleasantly surprised when they work with Astha: surprised by her depth, her insight, her ability to hold space. Just because she's young doesn't mean she's inexperienced. She has her own specialization, her own gift. And she's using it to help others harness their pain into something meaningful.
Astha works with individuals and couples using a systemic, trauma-informed approach. She sees each client as the expert of their own life and approaches therapy as a collaborative process, one where your story is honored and explored with care. She offers a free 10 to 15 minute consultation to see if you're a good fit, because finding the right therapist matters.
You can find her profile here to learn more and reach out!
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