Tanya has struggled with her mental health from a young age after developing long-term disabilities, Fibromyalgia and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, therefore she is passionate about advocating non-visible disabilities. After being undiagnosed for 7 years, and being diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety during this time, Tanya understands and raises awareness about the interconnection between the mind and body.

Navigating mental health support as a young female in the South Asian community has especially been a challenge due to the stigma attached to mental health, she works hard to break down barriers and raise awareness of the cultural sensitivities around such topics. Furthermore, both mental health and disability are less spoken about in the South Asian community and many believe that they are caused by a lack of faith in God and/or the evil eye - these are factors that heavily shaped the experience Tanya had when navigating her mental health journey. 

As a suicide survivor since the age of 13, Tanya has continually battled with the stigma and shame around suicide prevention, especially within her community. Despite having been bereaved by suicide and having many people impacted by suicide in her social circles, Tanya felt unable to find support due to the fear of being judged and discriminated again. 

When accessing mental health support, Tanya found it difficult to find support from mental health professionals who were able to acknowledge and understand the specific experiences and challenges she had as a young, disabled South Asian female. 

During the pandemic, after witnessing her peers struggling with feelings of loneliness, low mood and anxiety, Tanya created a safe community for young people, by young people. Despite struggling with depression and non-visible physical disabilities and after having recovered from suicide attempts, Tanya dedicated herself to this. Whilst studying for her degree, she built Championing Youth Minds, creating a bank of resources, social media content, a podcast and regular workshops.

As a passionate advocate, Tanya leverages her unique insights to support organisations in understanding the critical intersections of mental health, disability, and cultural identity. Her global engagements empower audiences to break down stigma and foster cultural competency, ensuring that all individuals feel seen, heard, and valued in their respective environments.