Dor | डोर : A reflective support circle for anyone experiencing loneliness and seeking to build meaningful connections
About the Circle
Dor is a reflective support circle for anyone experiencing the weight of disconnection and loneliness, those who are seeking meaningful connections with self and others, anchored in children’s books by Children’s Books for All (CBA).
Over 8 sessions across 4 months, we will explore themes of belonging, identity, connection, change, grief, boredom, isolation, and the often-unspoken and heavy experiences of loneliness. Together, we will reflect on what it means to lose, long for, rebuild, and reconnect.
The journey will be supported through different creative expressions such as art, poetry, sitting with children’s picture books which speaks to the lived experiences of individuals and other reflective practices.
The circle will be facilitated by therapists Anoushka Malviya and Sayali Sontakke, who are part of the Children’s Books for All (CBA) community.
The Facilitators
Anoushka Malviya (she/they) is a psychotherapist whose work is informed by relational-psychodynamic, somatic approaches and viewing mental health from socio-cultural-political contexts. Her interest is in the emotional life of relationships; intimacy, longing, distance, disconnection, dependence, and the struggle many people experience in feeling emotionally met. Many people carry loneliness privately, often with shame, as though it reflects something personal about their worth or ability to connect. But loneliness is deeply relational; it has to do with longing, connection, attunement, belonging, and sometimes grief. Through Dor, she hopes to make room for reflective and supportive space where people can think about loneliness together, speak about it honestly, and explore their relationship to connection, belonging, and emotional presence.
Saai/Sayali (they/them) is a Mental Health Worker and expressive arts therapy practitioner who incorporates person-centered, narrative, trauma-focused, and intersectional feminist approaches in their work. Their journey with loneliness started at age five when moving to a new city introduced them to the challenging experience of starting over. Loneliness later became a transient companion, guiding them toward a deeper understanding of themselves and helping them prioritize their needs. For Saai, loneliness is not just about feeling isolated; it evokes a fundamental need that connects us with ourselves, our loved ones, our animal companions, and the multitude of living beings around us. With Dor, she hopes all of us come together to listen, share, and reflect our lived experiences where stories can be shared and reimagined, and where a collective practice of compassion and care flourishes.
