And How Do You Feel About That? – Psychotherapy Workshop & Networking Evening for Helping Professionals
About the Event

And How Do You Feel About That? is a brief workshop and networking evening for helping professionals, built around stories from the book of the same name written by Aruna Gopakumar and Yashodhara Lal.

The 2.5-hour evening combines learning, therapeutic exploration, demonstration, reflection and informal networking. Led by Aruna Gopakumar, the programme uses two stories from the book to explore how therapists and other helping professionals can support clients in developing an internal experience of nurture, support and permission, particularly when these experiences may have been missing earlier in life.

During the session, Aruna will read selected sections from the stories, unpack the therapeutic thinking behind the interventions and demonstrate ways of using imagination as a therapeutic resource.

Participants will also have the opportunity to experience one of the methods themselves and consider how imaginative work could be adapted across different approaches to therapy.

The remainder of the evening is dedicated to conversation and networking. Over snacks, therapists, counsellors, coaches, therapists-in-training and other helping professionals can meet fellow practitioners, exchange experiences and connect with people working across different therapeutic modalities.

The event welcomes professionals across modalities and levels of experience, making it a space for learning as well as professional connection.

As part of the experience, all participants will receive a copy of And How Do You Feel About That?

Learn from clinical stories. Explore imagination in therapy. Connect with fellow helping professionals.

About And How Do You Feel About That?

And How Do You Feel About That? brings together fifty stories based on real clinical work.

The book was written to demystify psychotherapy and provide readers with a glimpse into what can actually happen during the conversation between a therapist and a client.

The stories are designed to be simple and accessible while also containing layers of therapeutic thinking that practitioners may appreciate at different levels.

For someone outside the profession, the stories offer an accessible window into psychotherapy.

For practitioners, they can provide opportunities to notice the therapeutic thinking, interventions and clinical possibilities embedded within the narratives.

Transactional Analysis in Clinical Work

The book showcases the range of Transactional Analysis psychotherapy and the many ways its ideas can come alive in clinical practice.

Transactional Analysis provides a framework for understanding people, relationships and patterns of interaction, and the stories illustrate how theoretical ideas can translate into actual therapeutic conversations.

This workshop takes that connection between theory and practice further by focusing closely on two stories and examining the thinking behind the therapeutic interventions.

Participants can therefore explore not only what happened within the stories but also why particular interventions were chosen and how they might be used thoughtfully in practice.

A 2.5-Hour Workshop and Networking Evening

The programme is structured as a 2.5-hour evening experience combining professional learning with informal connection.

The session includes:

Selected readings from two stories
Exploration of therapeutic interventions
Discussion of nurture, support and permission
Demonstration of imaginative therapeutic work
An opportunity for participants to experience one method
Reflection on adapting imaginative techniques across modalities
Informal conversation and professional networking over snacks

This combination allows the evening to move naturally between structured learning and open conversation.

Exploring Nurture, Support and Permission

The central theme of the workshop is how helping professionals can support clients in developing an internal experience of nurture, support and permission.

For some clients, these experiences may not have been sufficiently available earlier in life.

The workshop uses the selected stories to explore ways therapists can work with these themes within the therapeutic relationship.

Rather than discussing the ideas only at a theoretical level, Aruna will examine how the interventions unfold and demonstrate ways of approaching the work in practice.

Using Imagination as a Therapeutic Resource

A key component of the evening is the exploration of imagination as a therapeutic resource.

Imaginative work can offer another way of engaging with internal experiences, emotions, relationships and possibilities.

During the workshop, participants will be introduced to an approach through the selected clinical stories and will have an opportunity to experience one of the methods themselves.

The session will then consider how imaginative techniques might be adapted across different approaches to therapy.

This makes the learning relevant not only to practitioners working specifically within Transactional Analysis but also to professionals from other therapeutic modalities.

Learning Through Clinical Stories

Stories can make complex therapeutic thinking easier to examine.

By starting with real clinical material, the workshop creates a practical context for exploring how interventions are developed and used.

The selected stories provide examples through which participants can consider:

What is happening for the client?

What does the therapist notice?

Why might a particular intervention be chosen?

How can nurture and support be experienced internally?

How might imagination contribute to the therapeutic process?

These questions help connect the story with the underlying therapeutic thinking.

Reading and Unpacking the Interventions

Aruna will read short sections from two stories during the evening.

These excerpts will form the basis for a closer examination of the interventions.

Rather than treating the stories only as narratives, the workshop will unpack the clinical thinking behind the therapist's responses.

This provides participants with an opportunity to examine the relationship between therapeutic intention, intervention and client experience.

The emphasis is on understanding the thinking that informs the work.

An Experiential Learning Opportunity

The programme includes an opportunity for participants to experience one of the methods discussed during the session.

This experiential element allows participants to engage with the approach rather than simply hearing about it.

Experiencing a method can provide another perspective on what imaginative therapeutic work may feel like and how it might be considered in clinical practice.

The session then creates space for reflection and discussion around adapting such approaches across different therapeutic frameworks.

Adapting Imaginative Work Across Modalities

The workshop welcomes helping professionals from different therapeutic modalities.

As a result, the session does not require participants to work exclusively within one theoretical framework.

The discussion includes consideration of how imaginative work might be adapted across different approaches to therapy.

This creates an opportunity for participants to think about the underlying therapeutic principles while considering how the methods might fit within their own professional practice.

A Space for Therapists and Other Helping Professionals

The event is designed for professionals who work closely with people in supportive, developmental or therapeutic roles.

Therapists

Explore clinical stories and therapeutic interventions while reflecting on the use of imagination in practice.

Counsellors

Consider how the ideas discussed may connect with counselling conversations and client support.

Coaches

Explore themes of support, internal experience and imaginative approaches from a coaching perspective.

Therapists-in-Training

Gain exposure to clinical thinking through accessible stories and an experiential workshop format.

Other Helping Professionals

Professionals working closely with people are welcome to engage with the themes and conversations.

The event explicitly welcomes participants across modalities and levels of experience.

Networking Over Snacks

The evening is not limited to structured learning.

The rest of the programme is dedicated to conversation and networking, with snacks providing an informal setting in which participants can meet fellow practitioners.

This creates an opportunity to:

Exchange professional experiences
Discuss ideas from the workshop
Meet practitioners from other modalities
Learn about different approaches
Build new professional connections
Simply get to know others doing similar work

The networking element is intended to keep the event conversational and approachable.

Meet Practitioners From Different Backgrounds

Helping professionals often work within specialised communities.

An event that brings people together across modalities and levels of experience creates opportunities for practitioners to encounter different perspectives.

The informal conversation segment allows participants to move beyond the workshop material and discuss their experiences, questions and interests with other professionals.

The result is both a learning experience and a professional community-building opportunity.

About the Facilitator – Aruna Gopakumar

Aruna Gopakumar is the Founder-Director of The School of You and a Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst in the psychotherapy field (TSTA-P).

She is a psychotherapist, trainer and organisational consultant with more than 33 years of experience.

Her work integrates:

Transactional Analysis
Psychodrama
Autobiographical storytelling

She incorporates these approaches into both her leadership-development work and psychotherapeutic practice.

Aruna Gopakumar's Writing and Publications

Aruna is the co-author of And How Do You Feel About That?, published by Penguin in 2022.

She has also published in the Transactional Analysis Journal and contributed a Springer chapter on psychodrama supervision.

Her writing and professional contributions reflect her long-standing engagement with psychotherapy, Transactional Analysis, psychodrama and human development.

Organisational and Professional Background

Aruna is an engineer and IIM Bangalore alumna.

Before founding The School of You, she founded the leadership-development firm Navgati.

Her career therefore includes work across psychotherapy, training, organisational consulting and leadership development.

She has also served as President of the South Asian Association of Transactional Analysts (SAATA).

The School of You

As the Founder-Director of The School of You, Aruna's work spans learning, therapeutic practice and human development.

The workshop reflects this multidisciplinary background by bringing together clinical stories, therapeutic thinking, experiential learning and professional conversation.

What Participants Can Explore
Therapeutic Nurture

Explore ways of helping clients develop an internal experience of nurture.

Support

Consider how therapeutic interventions can contribute to a stronger experience of internal support.

Permission

Explore the idea of creating an internal sense of permission where such experiences may previously have been missing.

Imagination

Discover ways imagination can be used as a therapeutic resource.

Clinical Thinking

Unpack the reasoning behind interventions within selected clinical stories.

Cross-Modality Application

Consider how imaginative methods might be adapted across different approaches to therapy.

Professional Reflection

Use the stories and discussion as prompts for reflection on therapeutic practice.

What to Expect From the Workshop
Two Clinical Stories

Explore two stories from And How Do You Feel About That?.

Short Readings

Listen to selected sections from the stories as the starting point for discussion.

Therapeutic Exploration

Examine the thinking behind the interventions used in the stories.

Imaginative Methods

Learn about ways imagination can function as a therapeutic resource.

Experiential Component

Have an opportunity to experience one of the methods discussed.

Cross-Approach Reflection

Consider how imaginative work may be adapted across different therapeutic modalities.

Networking

Meet other therapists, counsellors, coaches, therapists-in-training and helping professionals.

Book Included

Every participant receives a copy of And How Do You Feel About That?

Why Attend?
Learn Through Real Clinical Stories

Explore therapeutic thinking through stories based on real clinical work.

Understand the Thinking Behind Interventions

Look beyond the narrative to examine why particular therapeutic approaches may have been used.

Explore Imagination in Therapy

Experience and reflect on an imaginative method that can be considered across approaches.

Connect With Fellow Practitioners

Meet professionals from different modalities and levels of experience.

Take Home the Book

All participants receive a copy of And How Do You Feel About That? as part of the experience.

Spend an Evening in Professional Conversation

Combine structured learning with informal discussion and networking over snacks.

A Workshop for Different Levels of Experience

The programme welcomes helping professionals across modalities and levels of experience.

For experienced practitioners, the clinical stories can offer opportunities to reconsider familiar therapeutic themes and interventions.

For therapists-in-training and newer professionals, the evening can provide exposure to clinical thinking through accessible stories and guided exploration.

The cross-modality format also creates opportunities for participants to compare perspectives and consider how similar therapeutic aims may be approached in different ways.

A Bridge Between Theory and Practice

One of the strengths of learning through clinical stories is the connection between theoretical ideas and real therapeutic conversations.

Concepts become more tangible when participants can see how they are reflected in actual clinical material.

This workshop uses that connection to explore not just the theory of nurture, support and permission, but also how these ideas can influence the therapist's interventions.

The result is a learning experience grounded in stories, discussion and demonstration.

Explore the Therapeutic Conversation

The book was created in part to give readers a glimpse into what happens in the conversation between therapist and client.

This workshop builds on that idea.

By reading selected passages and unpacking the interventions, participants can look more closely at the therapeutic conversation itself.

Attention is given to what the therapist notices, how an intervention is shaped and how the client's internal experience can become part of the therapeutic work.

A Human and Professional Evening

The event combines professional development with the opportunity to connect as people.

After the structured workshop component, the evening shifts towards conversation over snacks.

This allows practitioners to discuss the material informally, share experiences and discover more about one another's work.

The result is a programme that combines learning, reflection and community.

Event Details

Event: And How Do You Feel About That? – Psychotherapy Workshop & Networking Evening
Duration: 2.5 hours
Format: Brief workshop and networking evening
Focus: Clinical stories, therapeutic interventions, nurture, support, permission and imaginative work
Book: And How Do You Feel About That?
Authors: Aruna Gopakumar and Yashodhara Lal
Book Publisher: Penguin, 2022
Facilitator: Aruna Gopakumar
Facilitator Role: Founder-Director, The School of You; Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst in Psychotherapy (TSTA-P)
Professional Background: Psychotherapist, trainer and organisational consultant
Experience: 33+ years
Approaches: Transactional Analysis, psychodrama and autobiographical storytelling
Suitable For: Therapists, counsellors, coaches, therapists-in-training and other helping professionals
Experience Level: Open across modalities and levels of experience
Included: A copy of And How Do You Feel About That? for every participant
Networking: Conversation and networking over snacks

The supplied event information does not specify the date, venue, event timings beyond the 2.5-hour duration, ticket price or organiser name.

Entry and Event Guidelines

By accepting, holding or using a ticket, attendees acknowledge that they have read, understood, accepted and agreed to the full terms and conditions.

The organiser reserves the right of admission.

The organiser may alter the event schedule without prior notice.

Entry is permitted only after a thorough security check and through designated entrances.

Re-entry is not permitted.

Prohibited Items and Security Checks

The venue does not allow the following inside the venue or seating area. These are classified as Prohibited Items:

Food
Beverages
Liquids
Bottles
Cans
Tins
Bags
Lighters
Matchboxes
Flammable items
Illegal substances
Hazardous substances

Security personnel will search ticket holders' belongings at entry.

If a ticket holder refuses a search and/or is found in possession of Prohibited Items, the organiser may deny entry without refund or compensation.

Attendees are requested to cooperate with security personnel and comply with venue procedures.

Drug-Free Event

This is a drug-free event.

Any ticket holder found using, possessing, procuring, supplying or consuming drugs, narcotics or psychotropic substances, as defined under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, may be immediately evicted from the venue without refund or compensation.

The organiser also reserves the right to initiate legal action as permitted under applicable law.

Admission and Behaviour Policy

The organiser reserves the right to refuse admission or eject a ticket holder who:

Appears intoxicated
Is under the influence of drugs
Behaves dangerously or inappropriately
Engages in behaviour likely to cause harassment, damage, injury or nuisance

The organiser's decision in such matters shall be final.

Guests are requested to cooperate with the organiser and venue management at all times.

Photography and Recording Policy

The use of audio or video recording equipment, including still cameras, is strictly prohibited.

Participants should comply with all applicable event and venue rules concerning photography and recording.

Ticket and Refund Policy

Tickets are issued according to the rules and regulations of the event organiser and venue management.

Except as specifically stated otherwise, tickets are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged, cancelled or returned once purchased.

If the organiser cancels the performance, the organiser will refund the ticket fee.

Other charges, including:

Parking fees
Internet handling fees
Order processing fees

remain non-refundable.

The organiser and venue are not liable for issues arising from unauthorised copies or reproductions of tickets.

The ticket is also invalid if its security features have been tampered with.

Alcohol Regulations

In accordance with applicable law, persons below the legally permissible age may not purchase or consume alcoholic beverages.

All attendees are required to comply with applicable legal and venue regulations concerning alcohol.

Personal Safety and Property

The organiser does not accept responsibility for injury to persons or for any loss of or damage to personal property brought to the event.

Participants are advised to take reasonable care of their belongings and follow all applicable safety and venue instructions.

Communicable Disease Risk

Attendees voluntarily assume all risks related to contracting COVID-19, H1N1 or any other communicable disease or illness, whether occurring before, during or after the event.

Ticket holders also voluntarily waive all claims against the organiser arising from such risks, subject to applicable law.

Force Majeure and Event Changes

The event is subject to force majeure conditions.

The organiser may alter the event schedule without prior notice.

The organiser may also modify these terms and conditions from time to time at its discretion.

Any secondary performances, if applicable, and the event lineup are subject to the artist's discretion.

Attendees are requested to provide their cooperation at all times.

Privacy and Information Collection

To ensure a high-quality user experience, the organiser may collect certain information during booking, registration or payment.

This may include personally identifiable information such as:

Name
Email address
Phone number

Such information may be collected in accordance with the applicable Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Jurisdiction

All disputes or claims relating to the event shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Mumbai.

Experience the Workshop and Networking Evening

And How Do You Feel About That? – Psychotherapy Workshop & Networking Evening offers helping professionals an opportunity to learn through clinical stories, therapeutic exploration and experiential work, while also connecting with fellow practitioners.

Over the course of 2.5 hours, Aruna Gopakumar will explore two stories from the book she co-authored with Yashodhara Lal, examining how therapists can help clients develop an internal experience of nurture, support and permission when these may have been missing earlier in life.

Through short readings, clinical discussion and demonstration, participants can explore the thinking behind the interventions and discover ways of using imagination as a therapeutic resource.

Participants will also have an opportunity to experience one of the methods and reflect on how imaginative work might be adapted across different therapeutic approaches.

The remainder of the evening is dedicated to informal conversation and networking over snacks, welcoming therapists, counsellors, coaches, therapists-in-training and other helping professionals across modalities and levels of experience.

Every participant will also receive a copy of And How Do You Feel About That?

Read the stories. Explore the thinking. Experience the method. Meet the people doing the work.