External Communications Policy

This policy governs how Pinakha communicates externally — with prospective and existing clients, workshop participants, research collaborators, partners, media, regulators, and the general public. It applies to all Pinakha team members, facilitators, contractors, and authorised representatives.

Our intent is simple: communicate in a way that is honest, useful, and consistent with the science and ethics that underpin our work.

• Accuracy. We do not overstate outcomes or make claims our research and practice cannot support.
• Clarity. Plain language first. Technical depth where it helps, not to impress.
• Respect. We treat every person we communicate with as a thoughtful adult — including when we disagree.
• Confidentiality. We do not disclose information about clients, participants, or research subjects without their consent.
• Timeliness. We aim to respond within the windows set out in this policy, and to flag delays honestly when they happen.
• Independence. Our editorial and research voice is not influenced by sponsors, advertisers, or commercial partners.

Only authorised team members are permitted to make public or on-the-record statements on behalf of Pinakha. These include the founders, designated spokespersons, and lead researchers for the specific subject area.

Other team members may share their personal views on relevant topics, but must make it clear they are speaking in a personal capacity and not on behalf of Pinakha.

The following are the only channels through which Pinakha communicates officially:

• Website: pinakha.com and its sub-pages.
• Email: any address ending in @pinakha.com.
• Phone: the numbers listed on our Contact page.
• Newsletter: sent only to recipients who have explicitly opted in.
• Social media: our verified handles, linked from our website footer.
• Events: workshops, talks, and research events organised or co-organised by Pinakha.

Communication that claims to be from Pinakha but does not come through one of these channels should be treated with caution. See the impersonation section below.

We aim to respond within the following windows during business hours (Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM IST):

Response times may be longer during public holidays, scheduled programme weeks, or research field periods. We will indicate this on our website where applicable.

• We send marketing emails — programme announcements, articles, event invitations — only to people who have explicitly opted in.
• Every marketing email includes a clear unsubscribe link. One click removes you from the list.
• Transactional emails (registration confirmations, schedule changes, invoices) are sent regardless of marketing preferences, because they are necessary to deliver services you have purchased.
• We do not sell, rent, or share email lists with third parties for marketing purposes.

In all external communications, Pinakha protects the confidentiality of people and organisations we work with. This means:

• We do not name clients, participants, or research subjects in case studies, testimonials, or examples without their written consent.
• We do not share workshop room conversations, individual reflections, or one-on-one discussions outside the context in which they occurred.
• Research findings are published in aggregated, de-identified form unless individual consent has been obtained for identifiable disclosure.
• Internal Pinakha matters — pricing negotiations, contracts, personnel issues — are not discussed externally.

When we communicate research findings externally — on our website, in articles, at conferences, or to the media — we follow these standards:

• We accurately represent sample sizes, methods, and limitations.
• We distinguish between peer-reviewed findings, internal pilots, and exploratory observations.
• We do not generalise beyond what the data support.
• We acknowledge funders, collaborators, and any conflicts of interest.
• Where a study involves human participants, communications respect the relevant consent and ethics protocols.

Our verified social-media accounts share programme updates, articles, research highlights, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of our work. We engage respectfully with comments and messages, but we will not:

• Provide individual psychological, medical, or legal advice in public threads or DMs.
• Discuss specific clients, participants, or internal matters publicly.
• Engage with abusive, defamatory, or harassing content; we may mute, block, or report such accounts.

For anything that needs a real conversation, we will move it to email or a scheduled call.

If you receive a message that claims to be from Pinakha but seems off — an unfamiliar sender domain, a request for payment to a personal account, a link that looks suspicious, or pressure to act urgently — please pause and verify.

• Pinakha will never ask for your password, OTP, or full card details by email or phone.
• Payments are always requested through clearly identified invoices or registration pages, never to personal accounts.
• To verify any communication, write to mrinal.dhar@pinakha.com or call the numbers listed on our Contact page.

Pinakha primarily communicates in English. We are happy to accommodate Hindi for written and verbal exchanges where possible. If you have specific accessibility needs — large-print materials, captioned recordings, sign language interpretation for an event — please let us know in advance and we will make reasonable efforts to support them.

We take feedback seriously — it is one of the ways our work improves. If something we said, sent, or did doesn't sit right, please tell us. We aim to acknowledge complaints within 2 business days and to reach a substantive resolution within 15 business days, or to explain clearly why it will take longer.

When we publicly discuss sensitive topics — mental health, grief, trauma, burnout, addiction — we do so with care, with appropriate context, and without sensationalising. We avoid graphic detail, never name individuals without consent, and signpost professional resources where relevant.

We may update this policy from time to time as our channels, team, and practice evolve. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page will always show the current version. Material changes will be communicated through our website or by email where appropriate.