Start here
Introductory conversation
Free 20 minutes
An opportunity to meet Phalguni, ask questions, and see whether the service feels right.
- A separate, one-off appointment
- No payment details needed
- No obligation to book further
A gentle place to be heard
A little space to talk. Someone who takes the time to listen.
Whatever is on your mind—relationships, work, loneliness, or simply a difficult day—Listening Turtle gives you space to speak openly, at your own pace.
One-to-one online conversations · For adults 18+ · No pressure to share everything.
What we offer
What you can talk about
There's no list you need to fit on. These are just some of the things people bring—big or small, new or long-standing.
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Breakups and relationship difficulties
When things have ended, are changing, or just feel hard to make sense of—you can talk it through without being told what to do.
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Loneliness and feeling disconnected
For the days when you feel far from people, even when they're around. A conversation with someone who is fully present.
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Work and career pressure
Deadlines, difficult colleagues, big decisions or the feeling of being stuck. Say it out loud and hear yourself think.
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Everyday stress and overwhelm
When everything piles up at once and your head feels full. Some unhurried time to slow down and unpack it.
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Confidence and self-doubt
That quiet voice that says you're not enough. Talk about it with someone who listens kindly and doesn't judge.
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Simply needing someone to listen
No reason required. Sometimes you just want to get things off your chest and be heard. That's enough.
Some things are easier to say out loud.
Once they're spoken, thoughts often feel lighter, clearer, and a little less lonely.
Maybe this sounds familiar
People often reach out not because something is wrong, but because something feels heavy and there's nowhere easy to put it down.
- "I've been holding this in for a while, and I don't want to burden my friends again."
- "I don't need advice. I just need to say it out loud to someone."
- "Everything looks fine from the outside, but I feel tired and a bit lost."
- "I'm at a crossroads at work and I can't hear myself think."
- "I moved here recently and I don't really have anyone to talk to yet."
- "I'm not even sure what's bothering me. I just know something is."
If any of these feel close to home, you're welcome here. You don't need a reason that sounds "big enough".
Meet Phalguni
I'm a coach and Entrepreneur in Residence, and for the past seven years, I've supported people through personal and professional challenges.
I believe everyone deserves space to speak openly and feel heard. That's the heart of Listening Turtle: a welcoming place to talk about whatever you're carrying, whether it's relationship struggles, career uncertainty, or the pressures of everyday life.
My hope is to help you feel less alone, make room for your thoughts, and find your own way forward. You don't need to know where to begin or have the right words.
We can start wherever you are.— Phalguni
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You set the pace
We can sit with one thing for the whole hour, or wander. Silence is welcome too.
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No fixing unless you ask
Most of the time, being heard matters more than being advised. If you want ideas or a nudge, just say so.
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Your way forward is yours
I won't hand you answers. I'll help you hear your own thinking more clearly.
Why a turtle?
Turtles don't rush. They take their time, and they carry a safe place with them wherever they go.
That's what these conversations are meant to be: slow enough that you never feel hurried, and steady enough that you can put down what you're carrying for a while. Nothing here is a race, and nothing needs to be solved by the end of the hour.
How it works
Three gentle steps
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Choose your conversation
Start with a free 20-minute introduction, or book a full 60-minute listening session if you're ready.
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Send a quick request
Fill in the short form with your name and email. Phalguni will reply to arrange a time that suits you.
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Join and talk at your pace
Join your online conversation via . Talk about whatever feels right.
Your free introduction
What those first 20 minutes are like
The introduction is simply a chance to meet, so you can decide whether talking with Phalguni feels right.
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First few minutes
Say hello
A relaxed start. Phalguni explains how Listening Turtle works and what it is and isn't.
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The middle
Talk or ask, whichever you prefer
Share a little of what's on your mind, or ask any questions you have. Both are fine.
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The last few minutes
Decide in your own time
If it feels right, you can book a full session later. If not, that's completely okay. There's no follow-up pressure.
What to expect
Your conversation, your way
There's no script and nothing to get right. Here's what a conversation with Listening Turtle looks like.
- It's one-to-one. Just you and Phalguni, online.
- You choose what to share. Say as much or as little as you like. You can stop or change topic at any time.
- Listening comes first. The focus is on hearing you, not rushing to fix things.
- No goal or prepared story needed. Arrive as you are, even if you're not sure what you want to say.
- Reflections only if you'd like them. If you want a different perspective or some gentle thoughts, just ask. If you'd rather simply be heard, that's fine too.
When other support may be better
Listening Turtle is a space to talk, not a clinical service. If you're in crisis, thinking about harming yourself, or need help with a mental health condition, please reach out to a doctor, a qualified mental health professional, or your local emergency services. You deserve that level of care. Listening Turtle can sit alongside professional support, but it can't replace it.
Gentle things to try
Small ideas for difficult moments
Choose what you're going through to see a few practical ideas, from short meditations to everyday habits. Take what helps and leave the rest.
After a breakup
Heartbreak takes time. These can help the days feel a little steadier while you heal.
Let yourself grieve
Sadness after an ending is normal. Give it some space instead of pushing it away or rushing to be "over it".
Mute, don't scroll
Muting or archiving their profile for a while makes it easier to stop checking, without any big decision.
Write a letter you won't send
Put everything you wish you could say on paper. It often takes the pressure out of the words going round your head.
Keep a simple routine
Regular meals, a set bedtime and a short daily walk give your days a shape when everything else feels uncertain.
Try a loving-kindness meditation
Sit quietly for five minutes and repeat gently: "May I be kind to myself. May I feel at ease." Then wish the same for someone you care about.
Feeling lonely
Connection often starts small. You don't have to fix loneliness all at once.
One small reach-out a day
A short message, a voice note, or a "saw this and thought of you". Small contact adds up.
Join something regular
A weekly class, walking group, sports club or volunteering. Seeing the same faces is how friendships tend to grow.
Spend time around people
Work from a café or library now and then. Being near others, even quietly, can ease the feeling of isolation.
Try a walking meditation
Walk slowly outside for ten minutes and notice what you see, hear and smell. It brings you out of your head and into the world around you.
Be gentle with yourself
Loneliness isn't a sign that something is wrong with you. Almost everyone feels it at some point.
Work pressure
When work takes over, small boundaries and pauses can help you breathe again.
Pick tomorrow's top three
Before you log off, write down the three things that matter most tomorrow. It helps your mind let go of the rest for the evening.
Box breathing before hard moments
Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4. Repeat four times before a difficult meeting or email.
Sort what you can and can't control
Draw two columns. Put your energy into the first one, and allow yourself to notice the second without carrying it.
Take a real lunch break
Twenty minutes away from your screen, ideally outside. Rest is part of doing good work, not a reward for it.
Create a shutdown ritual
Close your laptop, tidy your desk, change clothes or take a short walk. A small signal that the workday is over.
Stress and overwhelm
When everything feels like too much, the aim is to make the next few minutes a little easier.
Do a brain dump
Write down every task and worry on one page, without sorting. Seeing it outside your head often makes it feel more manageable.
Try 5-4-3-2-1 grounding
Notice 5 things you can see, 4 you can feel, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell and 1 you can taste. It gently brings you back to the present.
Choose the smallest next step
Not the whole list. Just one small thing you can finish in ten minutes.
Move your body a little
A short walk, stretching, or shaking out your shoulders. Movement helps release built-up tension.
Take a break from the news and scrolling
Set your phone aside for an hour. Constant updates can quietly add to the feeling of overload.
Overthinking at night
Racing thoughts at bedtime are common. A few gentle habits can help your mind settle.
Set a "worry time" earlier in the day
Give your worries fifteen minutes in the afternoon to write them down. When they show up at night, remind yourself they have a time slot.
Keep a notebook by your bed
If a thought keeps returning, jot it down. Your mind can let go when it knows it won't be forgotten.
Try a body-scan meditation
Lying in bed, slowly move your attention from your toes to the top of your head, softening each part as you go.
Breathe out longer than you breathe in
Breathe in for 4 and out for 6 or 8. A longer exhale helps your body slow down.
Put screens away a little earlier
Thirty minutes without your phone before sleep gives your mind a quieter runway into rest.
Confidence and self-doubt
That inner critic can be loud. These ideas help you respond to it more kindly.
Write down what went well
At the end of each day, note three things you handled, however small. Over time you'll have real evidence against the critic.
Ask: would I say this to a friend?
When you catch a harsh thought about yourself, imagine saying it to someone you love. Then try the kinder version.
Take a self-compassion pause
Place a hand on your chest and say: "This is hard right now. I'm doing my best." It can soften the moment.
Keep small promises to yourself
A short walk, an early night, a glass of water. Small promises kept quietly build trust in yourself.
Cut back on comparison
Notice which accounts or situations leave you feeling smaller, and give yourself some distance from them.
These are everyday wellbeing ideas, not treatment or medical advice. If things feel too heavy to manage on your own, please reach out to a doctor or a qualified mental health professional. If you need urgent help, contact your local emergency services.
Pricing
Simple, clear options
The introduction is a separate, free appointment. Full sessions are booked on their own and are 60 minutes.
Full session
Full listening session
$40 60 minutes
Dedicated time to talk about what is on your mind.
- A full hour, one-to-one, online
- Nothing to pay upfront. You pay after your session
- Book whenever you feel ready
Full sessions do not include an additional free 20 minutes—the free introduction is its own appointment. Prefer to arrange a time by email? Use the request form.
Request an appointment
Fill in the form below and Phalguni will get back to you to arrange a time.
From the Listening Turtle notebook
A few gentle reflections
Short thoughts on the feelings people often bring to a conversation.
Loneliness
Lonely, even with people around
You can have a full calendar and still feel unseen. Loneliness is less about how many people you know and more about whether anyone really knows how you are. Being honest with even one person, even for an hour, can start to close that gap.
Reaching out
Why asking for help feels so hard
Many of us learned early to be the strong one. Asking to be listened to can feel like a weakness or a burden. It's neither. Wanting to be heard is one of the most ordinary human needs there is.
Uncertainty
When you don't know what you're feeling
Sometimes there's no clear story, just a heaviness. That's a perfectly good place to start. Talking without a destination often helps the shape of things appear on its own.
FAQs
Questions you might have
Is this therapy?
No. Listening Turtle offers non-clinical listening and emotional support. Phalguni is a coach, not a licensed therapist or counsellor, and sessions do not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. If you're looking for therapy or clinical care, please speak with a qualified healthcare professional.
What can I talk about?
Almost anything that's on your mind—relationships, breakups, loneliness, work, stress, confidence, or just your day. You decide the topic and how deep you want to go.
Do I need to prepare?
Not at all. You don't need a goal, notes, or a story ready to tell. Many conversations start with "I'm not sure where to begin," and that's completely fine.
Who is this service for?
Adults aged 18 and over who would like a calm, one-to-one space to talk. It isn't suitable if you're in crisis or need urgent help—in that case, please contact your local emergency services.
How do online sessions work?
Sessions take place on .
When do I pay for a full session?
You only pay after your session. There's nothing to pay when you book, and the free 20-minute introduction is always free.
You don't need to find the perfect words.
Start with whatever is on your mind. Phalguni will listen, gently and at your pace.
Book a Free Introduction