Our Team
The Secret Ingredient Mental Healthcare's team of dedicated psychologists is committed to delivering the highest quality mental health services. Outside of our professional work, we all share a love for coffee, desserts and petting dogs!

Mugdha Shivapurkar
Co-Founder and Art Psychotherapist
Mugdha is a registered Art Psychotherapist (HCPC, UK) with a deep-rooted affinity for the arts and their therapeutic potential. She holds an MA in Clinical Psychology from Fergusson College, Pune (2015) and an MA in Art Psychotherapy from the University of Roehampton, London.
​
She brings a decade of diverse experience in integrating creative arts into mental health work across corporate, educational, and counselling contexts. She holds a Mental Health First Aid certification (MHFA England, 2024) and has additional foundational training in Dance Movement Therapy, the Therapeutic Value of Arts, Adlerian Therapy and Drum Circle Facilitation. Mugdha’s therapeutic approach is anchored in the arts, with a strong emphasis on cultural identity, intersectionality, and accessibility. She is particularly drawn to working with grief and personality vulnerabilities always centering the individual, not just the diagnosis. She prioritizes the person over the diagnosis, valuing the humanness and accessibility that the arts bring to therapy.
​
In 2019, Mugdha co-founded The Secret Ingredient Mental Healthcare, a holistic initiative aimed at reducing stigma and expanding access to inclusive mental health services in India. An experienced educator and facilitator, Mugdha has taught on various Psychology and creative arts therapy courses across undergraduate, postgraduate, and diploma levels in India. She is deeply committed to promoting culturally sensitive, ethical, and arts-integrated research in psychotherapy.
​
Outside of her professional work, Mugdha delights in collecting quirky stationery and loves to dance, finding it a fun and energizing way to unwind.

Abhishek Bhave
Co-Founder and Psychologist
Abhishek Bhave’s path into mental health was shaped by curiosity, connection, and a desire to work more closely with people. After completing his Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Modern College, Pune, he chose to move away from his earlier training in business to focus fully on the field of psychology. His close association with mental health organizations and psychologists gave him a first-hand understanding of the challenges in accessing care and inspired him to dedicate his career to building a space that makes mental health support approachable and meaningful, hence he co-founded The Secret Ingredient (TSI).​
He is currently pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Trauma-Focused Therapy at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Abhishek is deeply invested in creating spaces for open and stigma-free conversations, particularly through corporate training sessions on mental health awareness and men’s mental health, areas where dialogue is often missing. What sets Abhishek apart is the way he brings his diverse experiences together. His background in business, including an MBA from Welingkar Institute, now plays a supportive role by giving him the organizational clarity and structure to grow his work without losing sight of its human core.
​​
On a personal note, Abhishek is known for his love of Excel sheets and setting ambitious targets. His analytical mindset and goal-oriented nature complement his clinical practice, enabling him to manage the business aspects of the venture efficiently while ensuring the highest standards of care.
Meet Our Team
The Secret Ingredient Mental Healthcare's team of dedicated psychologists is committed to delivering the highest quality mental health services. Outside of our professional work, we all share a love for coffee, desserts and petting dogs!



_edited.png)
