Mariem Dekhili, DET’s Podcast Host, leads this series on ‘Clinical Hypnotherapy’ with Dr. Nivedya Sohan Roy known as Dr Niya.
Dr. Niya is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Graphology Trainer, and Mental Health & Wellness Entrepreneur. She’s the co-founder of Aries Dental, Aesthetic Clinic, and AM Health Hub: two thriving wellness ventures in Dubai. She is also the creator of Mindset to Milestones: a podcast dedicated to stories of inner strength, healing, and personal reinvention.
With a professional doctorate in clinical hypnotherapy and training in family constellation, regression therapy, and numerical psychology, Nivedya brings a unique, holistic lens to mental health. Her work is rooted in the subconscious which allows her to help women heal emotional wounds, reclaim their identity after infidelity, betrayal, or abuse, and find purpose through deeply personal transformation.
Known for blending science with soul, Nivedya’s approach goes beyond talk therapy. Her signature consultations decode subconscious blocks using handwriting analysis, human design, and psychological profiling, offering insight that most clients say they’ve never received before.
Whether she’s mentoring therapists, teaching certification courses, running group programs, or speaking on global stages, her mission is clear: to help people become self-sufficient in their healing, own their truth without shame, and rise with resilience again and again.
In the first of three parts, Mariem and Dr Niya discuss her personal journey from Marine Engineering to Clinical Hypnotherapy.
Career Pivot: Engineering to Clinical Hypnotherapy?
[00:00:00] Mariem Dekhili: What was the catalyst moment that turned you from engineering with its analytical way of thinking towards healing, spirituality, and specifically: hypnotherapy?
[00:00:10] Dr. Niya: Oh my God, that’s an excellent question. I think the best place to start is with my upbringing. Growing up in an Indian household you might relate to this… it’s pretty straightforward: you’re either an engineer, a doctor or a failure.
[00:00:33] Dr. Niya: My dad was a marine engineer, a naval architect, and we had a family business in that field so the plan was always set.
I went to university, studied marine engineering, completed my master’s, and returned to work in the family business.
[00:01:07] Dr. Niya: But everything started to fall apart once I began working. That’s when I realised there was one thing I had never planned for: whether or not I would actually enjoy it.
[00:01:37] Dr. Niya: From the very first weekend, I just knew it wasn’t for me. But I didn’t have a Plan B. When you’ve invested so much time and money into building a career, only to realise early on that it doesn’t fulfill you, it’s overwhelming. I felt stuck.
[00:02:06] Dr. Niya: I began counting down the hours at work every day. Eight hours left. Seven hours left. It started taking a real toll on me mentally.
Eventually, the weight of it became too much. I started hearing this inner voice telling me: This isn’t your path.
[00:02:53] Dr. Niya: So I did what anyone in existential crisis mode might do; I googled, “What can I learn about?” as I had always had a fascination with psychology, even back in university, but going back to study it formally for seven years wasn’t an option.
[00:03:16] Dr. Niya: That’s when I came across a centre in Dubai offering a course in clinical hypnotherapy. The word itself intrigued me.
I was curious about the human mind, the psyche, the body... about a whole world I didn’t know yet. It opened a door.
[00:03:39] Mariem Dekhili: You found your calling.
[00:03:41] Dr. Niya: I didn’t know what it was at all at the time. I was just curious. But it felt like the beginning of something. I had never intended to make it my career; it was never part of the plan. But like you said, when something is your calling… the doors just open for you.
The very centre where I studied ended up offering me a job; that is how I became a therapist. From there, I pursued further studies, and it just evolved.
[00:04:24] Mariem Dekhili: That’s so beautiful, honestly.
Stay Up to Date with the Latest on DET!
Exclusive: Behind the Scenes, Somaliland
Journalism in the Gulf: Getting Started and Storytelling
