About Bhakti
Bhakti loves books!
How could she not when she was raised by a librarian and a nanny who told her stories from the great Indian epics Mahabharata and Ramayana about gods, kings and demons every day after school? Growing up in a broken family, these stories grounded Bhakti, not only giving her an escape from the challenging realities of her life but also giving her hope and resilience as she listened to stories of triumph of good over evil.
When Bhakti wasn’t being regaled with tales of mythology at home, she was with her mother at the library, or as Bhakti calls them, ‘inexpensive babysitters!’ During the summer holidays, she spent hours there each day reading books and letting her imagination travel to worlds afar.
One of the first books she remembers her mother reading to her is ‘Horton Hears a Who’ by Dr Seuss. Some years later, Bhakti was reading Enid Blyton, the Nancy Drew Mysteries, Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes and J.R.R Tolkien. And once she was a young adult, she fell in love with M.M. Kaye, AJ Cronin, Daphne du Maurier and Somerset Maugham. By then, Bhakti was thoroughly entranced.
In particular, Bhakti loved the stories of Hindu mythology so much that when she grew up, she wrote them all down for her own children and for all to read. Amma Tell Me & Amma Take Me are Bhakti’s children’s series comprising 18 titles on Indian mythology and history.
Storytime was a highlight of Bhakti’s childhood, so it’s no surprise that this developed into a love of books over the years. Whether in school, pursuing her Masters or working in banking, Bhakti continued to read voraciously, expanding her knowledge of genres and authors. And when Bhakti gave up her 20+ year career in private banking to become a full-time author and executive coach, she focused on her reading even more. Bhakti has been running a private book club in Hong Kong since 2008 and leads the AWA book club.
But being an avid reader doesn’t make one a bibliotherapist. You also have to love helping people. And this is where Bhakti’s training as a coach comes in. Bhakti is an ICF-accredited coach helping people overcome difficulties in their work and personal lives. She partners with individuals facing challenges in their careers, relationships and goals and with empathy and understanding, she helps them find their way forward.
Bibliotherapy is Bhakti’s response to combining her passions: helping people navigate and enrich life’s journey through storytelling. Because regardless of what’s going on in your life right now, a good story will help make it better.
If Bhakti’s journey resonates with you, reach out for a Consultation.