In this Founder’s spotlight, we introduce Vishakha Abbi, the entrepreneurial force behind Mind Path. As a British-trained Clinical Behaviour Specialist turned entrepreneur, she brings over a decade of leadership in mental health, crisis care, and behavioural consulting. Her startup, Mind Path UAE, blends cultural insight and evidence-based strategies to transform how individuals, teams, and organisations navigate behaviour—without the fluff  . This behavioural consultancy startup delivers sharp, actionable training and coaching across Dubai and the wider UAE, focusing on influence, communication, and real life solutions.

TFS: Hi Vishakha, thank you for joining us today. Let’s begin our conversation with your journey. How would you introduce your background and motivation?

Vishakha: Thank you for inviting me. I’m thrilled to share my story. I trained as a registered nurse in the UK, specialising in mental health and behavioural support. Over 15 years, I led programmes from homes to hospitals, crisis care to complex service design. That hands-on experience with a variety of human behaviours informs every aspect of my startup Mind Path UAE. It’s not just theory—it’s real-world practice driving actionable coaching and strategy.

TFS: Mind Path prides itself on cutting through the “fluff” — in your own words, what’s the most common misconception people have about behavioural coaching and training?

Vishakha: Honestly, I think behavioural coaching has become a bit of a buzzword. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, because more awareness is useful. But what I often see is people doing an online NLP course and calling themselves a behaviour coach. I’m not criticising NLP itself, it can be a really useful tool. But there’s a difference between having one tool and actually understanding behaviour at a deeper level.

For me, this work comes from more than 15 years of hands-on experience in mental health, working with both children and adults. I trained and worked as a registered nurse in the UK, where the role is very practical. It involves assessment, planning, intervention, and long-term behavioural support. In children’s services especially, I’d often run 12-week home programmes for parents, using a mix of CBT, NLP, positive behaviour support, and functional behaviour analysis. So when I speak about behaviour, it comes from real-world practice, not just theory.

Another common misconception is that behaviour change has to be delivered through long stories or motivational talks. Those can be powerful, but the reality is that not everyone has time for that. A lot of people already understand why they’re stuck. What they actually need is help with how to change it. That’s what I focus on. I keep it clear, practical, and useful. If people want more depth, that’s always available. But first, they just need the tools that will help them take action straight away.

TFS: What types of clients or organisations do you work best with, and why?

Vishakha: I find I do my best work with people or companies who come to me, rather than the other way around. Of course, it’s important to let people know what I do and how I can help, but I don’t believe in pushing too hard. When someone reaches out on their own, that’s already a sign they’re open to change. Whether it’s an individual or an organisation, that bit of self-awareness makes a huge difference.

In my mental health work, I often saw how difficult it is to create change when someone’s in denial or disconnected from what’s actually going on. Sometimes they didn’t even realise they needed help. So when a client takes the first step and asks for support, that’s already progress. It tells me they’re engaged, reflective, and more likely to take the work seriously — which means we can actually get results.

TFS: What makes your approach to behavioural strategy or coaching different from others in your industry?

Vishakha: What sets my approach apart is that I work from the top down. A lot of practitioners start with the why, explaining why someone behaves a certain way or where certain patterns come from. And while that has its place, I’ve found that most people already have a good sense of the why. There’s so much content out there on ADHD, grief, burnout, toxic workplaces. People don’t necessarily need more explanation. What they really want is to know how to deal with it.

That’s where my focus is. Whether it’s through coaching, training, or even my podcast, I keep things short, direct, and practical. Every episode is under ten minutes, because I want people to walk away with something they can use straight away. Not everyone has the time to attend a four-hour workshop or commit to a 12-week programme. Some just need clear, simple tools they can start with now.

That kind of quick progress really matters. Once people see that small changes are actually working, they feel more motivated and engaged. It’s similar to starting at the gym. If you notice better energy or improved stamina early on, you’re more likely to keep going. Behavioural change is no different. Start with what’s manageable, build trust in the process, and then go deeper from there. That’s the approach I take.

TFS: What’s a common situation or challenge you see your clients face, and how do you help them navigate it?

Vishakha: One of the most common challenges I see across all types of clients is miscommunication, and more importantly, how that communication is received. Whether it’s between a parent and a teenager, a couple, colleagues, or a manager and their team, the dynamic doesn’t really matter. Someone says something, the other person hears it differently, and that misunderstanding builds resentment. Over time, it can quietly unravel trust.

At the heart of it, I think we’ve lost the ability to be vulnerable with each other. A good example is micromanagement. I covered this in one of my early podcast episodes. Often, people assume micromanagers are just controlling or distrusting. But in reality, that behaviour usually comes from anxiety. There’s pressure somewhere, whether internal or external, and the manager hasn’t felt able to share that with their team. So instead of seeing a human under pressure, the team sees someone who doesn’t trust them. And that perception shapes the whole dynamic.

When I work with people on this, I always bring it back to emotional literacy. So many of us don’t know how to name or express what we’re feeling in a way that feels safe. We don’t want to feel too exposed at work, and we might not feel comfortable sharing fully in our personal lives either. But there is a middle ground, and that’s where the real skill lies.

We work on developing that balance — being vulnerable enough to build trust, but not so open that it feels uncomfortable or unsafe. It’s also about boundaries. Boundaries aren’t just about saying no to others. Sometimes they’re about saying no to ourselves. For example, knowing when to stop oversharing, or when to pause and think before reacting. That self-awareness is a huge part of building better communication.

In practice, I’ll often help clients figure out where they sit with their boundaries, and give them tools that feel natural for their everyday lives. We might do a bit of role play, talk through tricky conversations, or even look at how to word a difficult email. I’ll often help someone draft it, or walk them through simple techniques for how to say what they need without conflict.

One example I always come back to is what’s often called the feedback sandwich. You start with something kind or appreciative, then say what needs to be said, and finish with something positive again. It’s not revolutionary, but it works. That simple structure helps calm the nervous system of the person on the receiving end. It stops them from feeling under attack, which makes them more open to hearing the message.

At the end of the day, I’m not reinventing the wheel. I’m just helping people rediscover simple behavioural strategies that actually work, and showing them how to use those tools in a way that fits real life.

TFS: What inspired you to get into this work, and what keeps you going?

Vishakha: I started this work as a nurse in the UK, working in learning disabilities and mental health services. I spent years supporting some of the most complex and unwell individuals in the country, both children and adults. At one point, I was head of clinical services for a specialist care programme, and the people we worked with often had multiple diagnoses — learning disabilities, mental health conditions, neurodevelopmental disorders. Their behaviours could be really intense and hard to interpret at first glance.

But what I learned early on is that behaviour is always a form of communication. If we don’t understand the message, the behaviour can seem negative or even threatening. But once we tune in and learn to read what’s really going on, it almost always makes sense.

What keeps me going is how powerful that understanding can be. Once people realise that behaviour has a language of its own, they can learn to interpret it and respond differently. That shift alone can bring about massive change. When we feel understood, we feel supported. And when we feel supported, we naturally want to do better.

I find that process so powerful. I’ve seen it again and again — people change quickly and meaningfully when they’re given the right tools and someone really hears them. That’s why I do what I do. It never stops feeling meaningful, for me or for the people I work with.

TFS: What’s one small but powerful mindset shift that can help people approach their relationships, work, or life differently?

Vishakha: One of the most powerful mindset shifts I always come back to is this — question the behaviour.

Instead of jumping to conclusions or reacting based on first impressions, take a moment to ask yourself what might be going on underneath the surface. When someone is rude or sharp with you, it’s easy to assume they’re just a horrible person. But in most cases, there’s more to it than that.

In a work setting, you’re often only seeing a small fraction of who someone really is. You don’t know what’s going on at home, what kind of pressure they’re under, or what stories they’re carrying. Even something as simple as being cut off in traffic can be reframed if you stop and ask yourself what else might be going on. Maybe that person is just being careless, but maybe they’re also rushing to a hospital, or they’ve just received bad news, or their head is somewhere else entirely.

Our brains like a clear story. It’s easier to assume someone’s acting out of jealousy or pettiness. But there’s usually more underneath — insecurity, fear, pressure, unmet needs. If we can ask ourselves what might be driving the behaviour, we give ourselves a chance to respond with more understanding and less reactivity.

This doesn’t mean we excuse bad behaviour. But understanding what’s behind it allows us to respond with more awareness. It helps us stop taking things so personally, and it shifts the whole dynamic.

TFS: What’s one myth about behaviour, psychology, or personal development that you wish more people understood or questioned?

Vishakha: One myth I really wish people would question more is the idea that anyone who calls themselves a coach or a behaviour expert is automatically qualified to help you. The reality is, titles like “life coach” or even “behaviour coach” aren’t protected. That means anyone can use them, regardless of their background or training. And in a space that’s becoming increasingly crowded, I think it’s more important than ever to look beyond the label.

If someone is supporting your business, your team, or your personal development, especially using behavioural science, it’s worth asking about their credentials. Look at their training, their experience, and the kind of work they’ve actually done. Behaviour work is not just about theory. It’s about application, and that comes from real-world exposure.

I’ve been working in mental health and behavioural strategy for over 15 years. My background is in learning disability nursing, which included training in functional behaviour analysis. Since then, I’ve worked in a wide range of settings — hospitals, homes, schools, prisons, police stations. I’ve worked with children and adults, and I’ve supported people through everything from grief and trauma to crisis and conflict.

One of the most meaningful experiences of my career was working on the Grenfell Tower project in the UK. I was part of a specialist team supporting children with special needs who had witnessed or been affected by the tragedy. Many of them couldn’t express their trauma with words, so we had to interpret their behaviour to understand what they were going through. That kind of work goes beyond textbook psychology. It’s deeply human, and it requires empathy, skill, and a huge amount of care.

I’m not saying people should avoid coaches. But I do think we need to be more mindful about who we’re taking guidance from. Do your research. Ask questions. Don’t just take a title at face value. Behaviour work can be incredibly powerful — but only when it’s done responsibly and with real understanding behind it.

TFS: Where can people connect with you or learn more about your work?

Vishakha: The best way to explore my work is through my podcast, How to Human. You can search for it by name or by typing Mind Path UAE into your podcast platform. It’s available on most major platforms, but the easiest places to listen are Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also find direct links through my website: www.mindpathuae.com.

New episodes come out twice a week, every Tuesday and Thursday. Tuesdays focus on workplace and business topics — we’ve already looked at things like micromanagement and the psychology behind buying. Thursdays are more personal, covering everything from parenting challenges and family relationships to grief, and even topics like navigating loneliness or single life, which are just as important. Especially in places like the UAE, where many people are living away from family or building their lives independently, those experiences deserve attention too.

Each episode is under ten minutes and follows the same format: a brief intro to the issue, a bit of the psychology or behavioural science behind it, and five practical tips you can start using right away.

You can also find me on Instagram and LinkedIn by searching @MindPathUAE, or through my website.

In terms of what I offer, it really depends on the person or organisation. For businesses, I run team-building events with training built in, formal workshops, and bespoke support for culture and communication challenges. I also deliver parenting courses, both through schools and online, and I run sessions for networking groups and community spaces. For individuals or families, I offer one-to-one support, either at home or online, to help work through behavioural issues in a practical, non-judgmental way.

Everything I do is completely tailored. I always start with a free discovery call, followed by a proposed plan that’s built around your goals — whether that’s creating change in your home, your team, or your organisation.

TFS: Vishakha, thank you for sharing your story so candidly. It’s inspiring to see how your journey as a health professional, crisis consultant, and behavioural entrepreneur has shaped Mind Path UAE.

Vishakha: Thank you. It’s been a pleasure to discuss my work, and I hope this founder’s story encourages others to seek real, actionable behaviour change in their lives, teams, and families.

TFS: Your startup offers clarity, impact, and practical tools that truly resonate. Wishing you continued success in empowering others with behavioural insight—without the fluff.

Vishakha: I appreciate that. And I’m excited to keep building mindful, effective behaviour strategy across the UAE and beyond.