“You are stronger than you think. You have gotten through every bad day in your life, and you are undefeated.”
Introduction
Before the world became familiar with her as Dr. Preeti Dutta, a psychologist, entrepreneur, and mentor, she was merely a child who listened. It is not to repair or respond, but rather with an extraordinary capacity to comprehend. Preeti first realised that feelings do not always require responses; sometimes, they simply require space. This realisation came to her in a secluded nook of a warm Mumbai home, where the talks that took place around the dinner table were filled with profound wisdom and affection.
She was brought up in a home that had the atmosphere of a classroom that wasn’t even real. Having been a disciplined former member of the military, her father instilled in her the value of integrity by teaching her how to demonstrate it even when no one was looking. She learnt from her mother, who was a charming combination of intelligence and enterprise, that empathy and ambition are not mutually exclusive but rather complementary qualities. Together, they did more than just bring up a daughter; they also fostered the development of a visionary.
During her younger years, Preeti did not seek any trophies or the spotlight for herself. She found solace in her dogs, happiness in reading, and significance in the act of observing. In spite of the fact that he was officially the junior, her younger brother frequently provided her with advice in quiet, becoming her most trusted ally and emotional anchor. Through their collective efforts, they established a world of quiet strength and unwavering support.
The focus of school was not on grades but rather on making progress. Psychology was not only another field of study; rather, it was a reflection. She could sense the emotional currents of individuals around her even before she learnt the formal terms of the mental processes that she was experiencing. Friends confided in her privately. Strangers had the impression that they were safe with her. It was sometime between her teenage years and her adult years that she realised that listening was not a skill but rather a gift.
After graduating from Mumbai with degrees in Counselling Psychology, she yearned to get a more profound comprehension of the subject matter. This yearning led her to go across oceans and enrol at the University of Strathclyde in the United Kingdom. Being alone herself in a foreign country, she learnt to find strength in adversity. She managed to balance her studies with a part-time job, gained first-hand exposure to a variety of cultures, and broadened not just her educational horizons but also her perspective on the world.
On the other hand, she believed that knowledge was never intended to be accumulated. After moving back to India, she is credited with establishing Academia, which serves as a link between psychology and practical education. Not only did she help students select careers, but she also assisted them in gaining clarity.
Phase 1 : Early Childhood: A Chapter Rooted in Values
“Every action you take is a vote for the kind of person that you wish to become.”
Every narrative of strength has a beginning that was formed by roots that fed character, values, and vision. This is also true of every story of strength. Dr. Preeti Dutta did not consider infancy to be a period filled with frivolous fantasies; rather, she saw it as the fertile ground in which emotional intelligence, empathy, and resilience were developed stealthily. Having been brought up in a household that was both caring and intellectually stimulating in Mumbai, she was surrounded by affection, discipline, and open talks throughout her childhood. She made her house more than simply a place to sleep; it was also a place where she could study, observe, and be quietly encouraged.
Her father, who had previously served in the military, instilled in her the fundamental principles of discipline, honesty, and responsibility, which indirectly influenced her attitude to both her professional and personal life. In addition to being a dad, he was also a role model who taught her that success should not be measured in terms of plaudits but rather in terms of honesty and service. With the same flair, her mother, who was a highly educated and business-minded woman, managed to strike a balance between academics and business. In her capacity as a businessman in her own right and as a faculty member at the famed Nirmala Niketan in Mumbai, she demonstrated to young Preeti that intelligence and independence are not mutually exclusive concepts but rather complementary ones.
Lessons that would later come to characterize Dr. Preeti’s approach as a psychologist were taught to her when she was growing up in this environment. She was encouraged to develop her strengths, speak her opinion, and respect the dignity of all persons. As a result of having a younger brother who, while being officially the junior, provided her with knowledge, strength, and companionship, her formative years were improved by the camaraderie and mutual respect that existed between siblings. Both back then and now, she frequently depended on his emotional maturity and practical viewpoint, which formed a silent basis on which she supported herself.
Her formative years were characterized by the presence of books, talks, pets, and the opportunity to think freely. The fact that the grandparents were there in the house brought additional layers of warmth, history, and a sense of anchoring. Stories of selflessness, compassion, and the ability to persevere were not discovered in textbooks; rather, they were experienced and passed down from generation to generation around the dinner table.
In spite of the fact that she was still a kid, Dr. Preeti shown an extraordinary capacity to listen, observe, and comprehend human emotion. She readily adopted the position of a confidante, delivering words of consolation to friends and family members with a remarkable level of maturity. While other youngsters played pretend, she did so. In spite of their seeming simplicity, those early exchanges provided hints of a deeper capacity to hold room for the sentiments of others. In spite of the fact that it was not yet known as “counseling,” the impulse was already present.
This laid the groundwork, which was not one of tremendous affluence but rather of calm wealth. The early years of Dr. Preeti, which were characterized by feelings of emotional safety, intellectual exposure, and unconditional support, constituted the first chapter of a life that was committed to comprehending and elevating the lives of others.
Phase 2 : A Chronology of Growth and Impact: From Foundations to Footprints
“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.”
The professional development of Dr. Preeti is not a story of abrupt ascent but rather a continuous march that has been defined by learning, resiliency, and meaningful cooperation all throughout her career. Her path is best understood not as a collection of individual accomplishments, but rather as a continuum, with each phase feeding into the next and each experience laying the framework for a more profound influence.
2004 was the year when it officially started. Following her graduation from Mumbai University with a degree in Counseling Psychology, she entered the sector with a sense of direction and determination. Through her early work in Mumbai, she was exposed to a wide range of emotional landscapes, ranging from the dynamics of families to the crises of individuals. These were formative years, during which she put her theoretical knowledge to the test against the complexities of the actual world.
Following a period of two years of home practice, a courageous decision was subsequent. Dr. Preeti Dutta relocated to the United Kingdom to continue her education at the University of Strathclyde and earn another master’s degree. She not only increased the depth of her academic knowledge but also acquired exposure to a range of therapeutic practices and intercultural viewpoints as a result of her immersion in a new culture. She worked there for close to five years, during which time she developed her professional identity by striking a balance between empathy and structure, as well as between intuition and procedure.
Once she had returned to India, she was one of the co-founders of Academia, a company that assisted graduate students in pursuing jobs in management. One might say that this was more than just a company; it was a connection between education and opportunities. It gave her the opportunity to use psychological ideas outside of the confines of therapy rooms, so she could provide career advice, personality development, and mentoring. This technique, which draws from a variety of disciplines, became a distinctive hallmark of her work.
Her development was not limited to the field of psychology. The year 2017 saw her entry into the hospitality business with the opening of a fine-dining restaurant called Two States, which was a reflection of her own marriage that was composed of people from different cultures. The restaurant, which had its origins in personal narrative, served as a symbol of celebration, togetherness, and variety. Her transfer into delivery kitchens demonstrated her adaptability and entrepreneurial energy, despite the fact that the epidemic caused this chapter to come to a halt.
Concurrently, her psychological practice was seeing tremendous growth. Every one of the two autonomous clinics that she created in Thane and Vashi was intended to serve as a haven for the mental and emotional well-being of its patients. Not only were these clinics offices, but they were also lifelines for adolescents struggling with their identities, couples navigating their relationships, and professionals dealing with issues that arise throughout the middle years of their lives.
Phase 3 : Career and Achievements: Ethics Over Applause
“Most of the choices we make each day may feel like the products of well-considered decision making, but they’re not. They’re habits.”
Throughout her professional career, Dr. Preeti Dutta has demonstrated not just a dedication to her personal development but also a profound need to bring about significant transformation. Her academic background in Mumbai, where she got both her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Counselling Psychology, laid the groundwork for her successful career in the field of psychology early on. Nevertheless, she never considered knowledge to be a goal; rather, she saw it as a tool for transformation. In order to satisfy her need for a more profound comprehension, she went to the University of Strathclyde in the United Kingdom. There, she earned an extra master’s degree, which allowed her to further hone her abilities and widen her awareness of the world.
After spending some years working in the United Kingdom, Dr. Preeti relocated back to India and helped establish an educational organization known as Academia. Through the implementation of this program, she was able to successfully combine her academic foundation with practical application. Academia was a welcoming environment for graduate students who were interested in pursuing a career in management, and it provided her with the opportunity to re-enter the counselling field with clarity and self-assurance.
They did not plot it out on a spreadsheet for the company, nor did they draw it out in a boardroom. At the dinner table, in the midst of conversations where love, laughter, and cultural peculiarities were discussed, the concept for Two States was conceived.
As a result of her marriage to someone from a different culture—Punjabi and Maharashtrian—she frequently discovered that their trip was reflected in their meals, which were diverse in origin yet harmonious on the plate. Something that started off as a joke between close friends about “marrying cuisines” gradually evolved into a silent calling. In the same way that she did in therapy, why not make a space that valued the coming together of different identities?
The year 2017 saw the birth of Two States. Not only was it a restaurant that served exquisite cuisine, but it was also a living metaphor. It was a symbol of love that united people from different backgrounds, of connection that went beyond preconceived notions, and of the happiness that comes from discovering common ground in differences. In addition to bringing together food from both cultures, the restaurant also provided something more profound: a sense of comfort, familiarity, and belonging.
When Dr. Preeti opened Two States, she was not a businessman who was looking to make a profit. When she opened it, she did it as a human being who was making space for storytelling, fond memories, and unity. There was a tale behind each dish, and each table was a potential option. Moreover, much like in her therapy room, people came not only to eat but also to experience something for themselves.