# Crink

> Crink is India's first AI-native online counselling platform, founded in 2021 in Kochi, combining expert human therapists with Cri, an ICF-aligned empathetic AI companion, in a Human + AI model. Crink has served 25,000+ professionals and families, and is available both to individuals and to organisations as an employee wellbeing and EAP programme.

Crink is India's first AI-native online counselling platform, founded in 2021 in Kochi by Vidhu Mariyam and Rustum Usman. It combines evidence-based psychology and ICF-aligned human expertise with Cri, an empathetic AI coach, so support is available both in structured sessions and in the moments between them. This is the Human + AI model: expert human care and an always-available AI companion working as one system, not a handover between them. The platform is built for working families — professionals and parents whose schedules and context traditional therapy often misses.

Crink is offered in two ways. For individuals, Crink provides online therapy and coaching directly to the person seeking support. For organisations, Crink for Teams provides employee wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) coverage, where the employer funds access for staff; individual therapy content is not shared with the employer for reporting or management purposes, and organisational reporting is aggregated and de-identified. Limited exceptions, such as the employee's explicit consent or a legal or safety obligation, are set out in the privacy policy.

Therapy is delivered online. Clients are matched to a psychologist who specialises in their context (parenting, work-life balance, postpartum, relationships). Booking is handled at https://www.crink.app/book.

Crink also runs Parenting Without Frustration, a structured programme for parents priced at ₹4,000, and publishes a regularly updated blog on mental health, parenting, postpartum wellbeing, and emotional resilience, with articles authored by named contributors and reviewed by qualified professionals.

## Key Facts

- Crink is India's first AI-native online counselling platform, founded in 2021 in Kochi.
- Founders: Vidhu Mariyam and Rustum Usman.
- Support combines ICF-aligned human therapists with Cri, an empathetic AI coach — the Human + AI model.
- Crink has served 25,000+ professionals and families.
- Available to individuals, and to organisations as an employee wellbeing / EAP programme (Crink for Teams).
- For organisations: individual therapy content is not shared with the employer for reporting or management purposes; reporting is aggregated and de-identified. Limited exceptions (explicit consent, legal or safety obligations) are set out in the privacy policy.
- Therapy is delivered online; clients are matched to a psychologist specialising in their context.
- Parenting Without Frustration is a structured parenting programme priced at ₹4,000.
- Booking: https://www.crink.app/book
- Focus areas: self, parenting, work-life balance, postpartum recovery, and relationships.

## Services

- [Online Therapy](https://www.crink.app/therapy): AI-native online counselling with expert human therapists matched to your context, supported by Cri, our ICF-aligned AI coach.
- [Crink for Teams](https://www.crink.app/cri-for-teams): Employee wellbeing and EAP coverage for organisations: therapy, coaching, and Cri for every employee, with aggregated and de-identified reporting.
- [Book a Therapist](https://www.crink.app/book): Get matched with a psychologist who specialises in your situation and book a session.
- [Postpartum Support](https://www.crink.app/post-partum): Therapy and support for new mothers navigating postpartum depression, identity shifts, and recovery.
- [Parenting Without Frustration](https://www.crink.app/parenting-without-frustration): A structured programme (₹4,000) helping parents stay calm and present while raising emotionally resilient children.
- [Support](https://www.crink.app/support): Help, contact, and account support for Crink users.

## About

- [About Crink](https://www.crink.app/about): Who Crink is: the mission, the team, and how human therapists and Cri the AI work together.
- [Blog](https://www.crink.app/post): Articles on mental health, parenting, postpartum wellbeing, and emotional resilience by named, professionally reviewed authors.

## Legal

- [Privacy Policy](https://www.crink.app/privacypolicy): How Crink collects, uses, and protects user data.
- [Terms and Conditions](https://www.crink.app/termsandconditions): Terms governing use of the Crink platform.
- [Refund Policy](https://www.crink.app/refundpolicy): Crink’s policy on refunds for therapy sessions and services.

## Blog Posts

- [New Manager and a New Baby: Getting Through the First Year of Both](https://www.crink.app/post/new-manager-and-a-new-baby-getting-through-the-first-year-of-both): New manager and a new baby in the same year? Why the first year of both feels so hard, what actually helps, and when to reach out for support.
- [Therapy, Coaching, or a Mentor: How to Choose What You Actually Need](https://www.crink.app/post/therapy-coaching-or-a-mentor-how-to-choose-what-you-actually-need): A neutral buyer's guide to choosing between therapy, coaching, and a mentor, with a comparison table and clear decision questions for your needs.
- [How to Reconnect With Your Partner After Having a Baby](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-reconnect-with-your-partner-after-having-a-baby): Feeling more like roommates than partners after a baby? Here is why closeness dips and the small, practical steps and scripts to reconnect as a couple.
- [Positive Thinking Won't Fix Burnout: What Actually Does](https://www.crink.app/post/positive-thinking-wont-fix-burnout-what-actually-does): Positive thinking and gratitude won't fix burnout because it's depletion, not a bad attitude. Here's what the advice gets wrong and what actually helps you recover.
- [What to Do When Your Partner Never Says Sorry](https://www.crink.app/post/what-to-do-when-your-partner-never-says-sorry): Your partner never says sorry? What matters more is whether they repair. How to tell real changed behaviour from avoidance, plus scripts and honest limits.
- [Signs Your Child Is Comparing Themselves to a Sibling](https://www.crink.app/post/signs-your-child-is-comparing-themselves-to-a-sibling): Learn the subtle signs a child is comparing themselves to a sibling, plus calm, age-by-age tips for toddlers through teens and when to seek support.
- [How to Deal With a Coworker Who Takes Credit for Your Work](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-deal-with-a-coworker-who-takes-credit-for-your-work): How to stop a coworker taking credit for your work: prevention first, calm in-the-moment scripts, and how to follow up or escalate with documentation.
- [Is It Normal to Feel Relieved When Plans Get Cancelled?](https://www.crink.app/post/is-it-normal-to-feel-relieved-when-plans-get-cancelled): Feeling relieved when plans cancel? For a burned-out professional it is a capacity signal, not a flaw. How to tell relief from avoidance and what to do.
- [Is It Normal to Feel Angry at Your Own Child?](https://www.crink.app/post/is-it-normal-to-feel-angry-at-your-own-child): Yes, feeling angry at your own child is normal. A psychologist separates the feeling from harmful action, with an age-wise guide, long-term effects, and repair steps.
- [What to Do When Your Partner and Your Parents Don't Get Along](https://www.crink.app/post/what-to-do-when-your-partner-and-your-parents-dont-get-along): Caught between your partner and your parents? A psychologist's calm, practical guide to coping, setting boundaries, and what to say when they clash.
- [5 Signs Your Job Is Affecting Your Mental Health](https://www.crink.app/post/5-signs-your-job-is-affecting-your-mental-health): Five clear signs your job is harming your mental health, plus a practical, step-by-step guide on what to do next when you cannot simply quit.
- [How to Stop Being So Hard on Yourself](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-stop-being-so-hard-on-yourself): Replaying a mistake and tearing yourself apart? Learn where the inner critic comes from, when it signals depression, and concrete scripts to answer it kindly.
- [Does My Child Need Therapy? How to Know When It's Time to Get Help](https://www.crink.app/post/does-my-child-need-therapy): A psychologist's age-by-age guide to telling a normal phase from a real concern, plus what a first therapy session looks like and how to bring it up.
- [How to Support a Partner Who Is Struggling With Their Mental Health](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-support-a-partner-struggling-with-their-mental-health): Learn the observable signs a partner is struggling with mental health, what to say and avoid, how to support without burning out, and when to encourage help.
- [What to Do When You're Being Bullied at Work](https://www.crink.app/post/what-to-do-when-youre-being-bullied-at-work): Being bullied at work? Learn to spot the pattern, react with concrete steps, handle unresponsive HR, and know when bullying crosses into harassment.
- [Why You're So Afraid of Failure (and How to Move Through It)](https://www.crink.app/post/why-youre-so-afraid-of-failure): Fear of failure is not laziness or perfectionism. Learn the real root, why high-achievers freeze, and the small imperfect step that helps you move through it.
- [How to Talk to Your Kids About Divorce](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-divorce): A warm, age-by-age guide to telling your kids about divorce: what to say, what to avoid, and how to protect children from conflict at every stage.
- [What to Do When You and Your Partner Can't Talk About Money](https://www.crink.app/post/what-to-do-when-you-and-your-partner-cant-talk-about-money): Can't talk to your partner about money without it going wrong? Scripts for when a partner shuts down, when to talk, and how to handle income imbalance.
- [Why Being a Manager Feels So Lonely](https://www.crink.app/post/why-being-a-manager-feels-so-lonely): Being a manager can feel quietly lonely, especially after a promotion. A psychologist explains why, why it matters, and practical ways to reconnect.
- [How to Get Out of an Emotional Rut](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-get-out-of-an-emotional-rut): Feeling flat, unmotivated, and stuck? A psychologist explains what an emotional rut is and shares clear, doable steps to start moving again.
- [How to Talk to Your Child About Death and Loss](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-talk-to-your-child-about-death): A psychologist's warm, age-by-age guide to talking to your child about death and loss, including how to explain a grandparent's death with honesty and care.
- [Is It Normal to Feel Like You've Fallen Out of Love?](https://www.crink.app/post/is-it-normal-to-fall-out-of-love): Feeling like you have fallen out of love? It is common and usually not the end. A psychologist on the guilt, the difference from a normal dip, and what to do.
- [What to Do When You're Being Micromanaged at Work](https://www.crink.app/post/what-to-do-when-being-micromanaged-at-work): Being micromanaged at work? Learn to spot the early signs, see real examples, and get concrete steps and a script to stop it before it wears you down.
- [Why You Feel Like a Burden to Everyone Around You](https://www.crink.app/post/why-you-feel-like-a-burden): Feeling like a burden is a common, well-documented experience, not a measure of your worth. Learn why it happens and a gentle, concrete path out.
- [How to Stop Yelling at Your Kids](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-stop-yelling-at-your-kids): You love your kids and still yell. Here is a clear age-by-age guide, plus why parents yell and a practical toolkit to break the cycle and repair.
- [How to Get Over a Breakup](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-get-over-a-breakup): A warm, honest guide to getting over a breakup: why it hurts, cutting contact, staying friends, co-parenting, coping with no support, and healing at your own pace.
- [How to Cope After Losing Your Job](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-cope-after-losing-your-job): Losing your job triggers real grief, shame, low mood and anxiety. Here is what the research shows and a clear, evidence-led path to cope and recover.
- [How to Cope With Grief and Loss](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-cope-with-grief-and-loss): Grieving but feeling numb, blank, or strangely fine? Psychologist Hima Thahsin explains why that is normal, how grief really works, and gentle ways to cope.
- [How to Get Your Child to Sleep in Their Own Bed](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-get-your-child-to-sleep-in-their-own-bed): A psychologist's calm, step-by-step plan to get your child sleeping in their own bed all night, plus honest guidance on the right age to make the switch.
- [What to Do When You Don't Get Along With Your In-Laws](https://www.crink.app/post/what-to-do-when-you-dont-get-along-with-your-in-laws): Feeling rejected by your in-laws? A psychologist busts common myths and shares practical steps to protect your marriage, set boundaries, and find peace.
- [Signs It's Time to Quit Your Job](https://www.crink.app/post/signs-its-time-to-quit-your-job): Honest signs it may be time to quit your job, when problems are fixable instead, and a practical guide to what to do after you leave and protect your wellbeing.
- [How to Let Go of Regret](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-let-go-of-regret): A psychologist's warm, layered guide to letting go of regret, guilt and shame, with a clear step-by-step path to release the past and move forward.
- [Signs Your Child Is Struggling Emotionally](https://www.crink.app/post/signs-your-child-is-struggling-emotionally): Age-by-age signs your child is struggling emotionally, from toddlers to teens, plus real reassurance for the worried, guilty, helpless parent watching it happen.
- [What to Do When Your Partner Won't Listen](https://www.crink.app/post/what-to-do-when-your-partner-wont-listen): Feeling unheard by your partner? Learn what to do when they won't listen during a heated argument and in a calm talk, and how to break the push-pull cycle.
- [How to Set Boundaries at Work](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-set-boundaries-at-work): Learn how to set boundaries at work with coworkers and your boss, protect your career, and take tiny first steps you can try tomorrow without confrontation.
- [Is It Normal to Feel Behind in Life?](https://www.crink.app/post/is-it-normal-to-feel-behind-in-life): Feeling behind in life is normal and often useful. Here is why the feeling happens and concrete ways to stop comparing, count quiet progress, and move forward.
- [Why Does My Teenager Hate Me?](https://www.crink.app/post/why-does-my-teenager-hate-me): Your teenager does not really hate you. Learn why teens push hardest at the safe parent, why they favor one parent, and a calm repair path that works.
- [Can a Relationship Survive Cheating?](https://www.crink.app/post/can-a-relationship-survive-cheating): Can a relationship survive cheating? Myth-busting the doom stories with real evidence, a survival stat, and a clear step by step plan to rebuild or move on.
- [What to Do When You're Scared of Losing Your Job](https://www.crink.app/post/what-to-do-when-youre-scared-of-losing-your-job): Scared of losing your job? Learn to separate what you can control from what you cannot, take grounded action, and calm the anxiety that job insecurity brings.
- [How to Stop Caring What People Think of You](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-stop-caring-what-people-think-of-you): Learn why your brain craves approval, how the anxiety underneath it works, and clear steps to stop letting other people's opinions run your life.
- [How to Get Your Kids to Do Chores Without Nagging](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-get-your-kids-to-do-chores-without-nagging): A psychologist's practical guide to getting kids to do chores without nagging, including an age-by-age chore breakdown and how to handle resistance calmly.
- [Why Can't I Trust My Partner When They've Done Nothing Wrong?](https://www.crink.app/post/why-cant-i-trust-my-partner-when-theyve-done-nothing-wrong): Learn why you distrust a partner who has done nothing wrong, how checking and testing backfire, and practical steps to overcome unfounded distrust for good.
- [What to Do When You Get Passed Over for a Promotion](https://www.crink.app/post/what-to-do-when-you-get-passed-over-for-a-promotion): Passed over for a promotion? Here is how to actually regulate the sting, get real feedback, spot office politics, read a repeated pattern, and decide your next move.
- [Is It Normal to Cry for No Reason?](https://www.crink.app/post/is-it-normal-to-cry-for-no-reason): Crying for no reason is usually a release, not a breakdown. Learn why it happens, what it is called, when it is normal, and when to gently reach out.
- [How to Set Screen Time Limits Without a Daily Fight](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-set-screen-time-limits-without-a-daily-fight): Learn how to set screen time limits without a daily fight by treating meltdowns as emotional regulation, not defiance, with a calm framework.
- [Should I Break Up or Work Things Out?](https://www.crink.app/post/should-i-break-up-or-work-things-out): Deciding whether to break up or work things out? An evidence-led look at what really predicts a relationship's survival and how to carry the lesson forward.
- [What to Do After You Make a Big Mistake at Work](https://www.crink.app/post/what-to-do-after-a-big-mistake-at-work): Made a big mistake at work and feel awful? Learn how to steady yourself with self-compassion, calm the anxiety, own it, and recover with practical steps.
- [How to Stop Overthinking Everything](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-stop-overthinking-everything): Overthinking feels careful and smart but keeps you stuck. Learn why it happens, what it does to your mind and body, and practical ways to ease the loop.
- [How to Handle a Picky Eater Without Mealtime Battles](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-handle-a-picky-eater-without-mealtime-battles): Picky eating is normal in toddlers and usually peaks around ages two to six. Learn if picky eaters are born or made, and when to worry.
- [Is It Normal to Feel Jealous in a Relationship?](https://www.crink.app/post/is-it-normal-to-feel-jealous-in-a-relationship): Feeling jealous in a relationship is normal. Learn the roots of jealousy, healthy vs toxic patterns, retroactive jealousy, and how to feel less insecure.
- [What to Do When You Resent Your Job](https://www.crink.app/post/what-to-do-when-you-resent-your-job): Resent or hate your job and wondering whether to quit? Honest signs it's time to go, the money reality, and how to tell a job problem from depression.
- [Why Am I So Irritable All the Time?](https://www.crink.app/post/why-am-i-so-irritable-all-the-time): Feeling irritable all the time? Learn the psychology behind constant irritability, why you want to be alone, the physical causes, and how to ease it.
- [When Should You Actually See a Therapist? Signs It's Time to Get Help](https://www.crink.app/post/when-should-you-see-a-therapist): Wondering if you should see a therapist? Honest signs it is time to get help, what really happens in a first session, and why waiting rarely helps you.
- [Online Couples / Relationship Counselling: How It Works and Is It Worth It?](https://www.crink.app/post/online-couples-relationship-counselling): Wondering if online couples counselling is worth it? Here is how it works, what it helps with, whether online is as good as in person, and how to choose well.
- [How to Choose the Right Online Counselling Service (What Actually Matters)](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-choose-online-counselling-service): A practical guide to choosing the right online counselling service: credentials, real therapy, continuity, privacy, matching, AI support and honest value.
- [Tired of Needing Approval? How to Finally Trust Yourself](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-stop-seeking-validation): Learn how to stop seeking validation and needing approval from others, with concrete steps to build self-trust at work, in relationships, and on social media.
- [Signs of Depression in Teenagers: Is It Normal Teen Drama or Something Deeper?](https://www.crink.app/post/signs-of-depression-in-teenagers): Learn the real signs of depression in teenagers, how to tell moodiness from depression using duration and pervasiveness, and what to say to help.
- [Is It Normal to Feel Bored in a Long-Term Relationship? What It Means & How to Fix It](https://www.crink.app/post/bored-in-long-term-relationship): Is it normal to feel bored in a long-term relationship? Yes. Here is how to tell safe comfort from real incompatibility and how to bring the spark back.
- [Dealing with a Toxic Coworker? 5 Smart Ways to Protect Your Peace and Career](https://www.crink.app/post/how-to-deal-with-a-toxic-coworker): Learn how to deal with a toxic coworker by type, spot the moves that hand them power, and use real scripts, Grey Rock, and boundaries to protect your peace.
- [Is My Relationship Toxic? 7 Warning Signs You Shouldn't Ignore](https://www.crink.app/post/is-my-relationship-toxic): Is your relationship toxic? A psychologist busts the myths and shares 7 warning signs, how to tell rough patches from red flags, and what to do next.