Up-skill psychologists with trends, therapies & procedure for better mental health

Mental health a global issue and millions of people have been silently suffering for years. But gradually, awareness is increasing and the taboo around mental health is diminishing. And while it is important to discuss the subject at length in private and public, it is just as important to know about the the effective therapy procedures and their application metrics. 

Apeejay Stya University (ASU) has always stood for updating students with the latest information. Keeping in sync with this belief, ASU in collaboration with The Vision Institute of Applied Studies, Faridabad recently organised a national workshop titled: Psychological therapies-Skills and techniques.

The workshop commenced with paying homage to Dr Stya Paul, the Founder-Chairman of the Apeejay Education Group. It was followed by the lighting of the lamp by the chief guest and the other dignitaries.  

Introducing the audience to the Founder-Chairman, Professor Sanjay Ahirwal, Dean, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, ASU, said, “Dr Paul was a great philanthropist, educationist and an excellent considerate human being. He was loved by one and all not only within the Apeejay family but all across India and even abroad.” 

Professor Ahirwal highlighted the Founder-Chairman’s contribution to the field of education and by establishing Apeejay schools, colleges and universities across the nation and spoke about Dr Sushma Paul Berlia, daughter of Dr Stya Paul and the present president of the group. “Dr Sushma Berlia is an internationally renowned educationist, entrepreneur and a person of great merit. She is the recipient of innumerable national and international awards in the field of education. She is the guiding light behind the success of the many educational enterprises of the Apeejay Education Society,” Professor Ahirwal said.

Shweta Sharma, Assistant Professor, Psychology, ASU took charge and introduced the aim of the three-day workshop to the participants. She said that the objective is to up-skill well-established practitioners of psychology and provide them with trends and information on psychological therapies, diagnosis, treatment procedures and rehabilitation.

It was followed by the introduction of the Chief Guest, Dr K Ramachandran, Director, Defence Institute of Psychological Research. Dr Ramachandran is a renowned and internationally acclaimed psychologist who has contributed immensely to the mental health of military personnel. He specialises in aviation psychology and is also a consultant to many institutions including CMC Vellore.

In his address, he pointed out the growing importance and relevance of psychology in various institutions and the demand for the same in the government and corporate world.  He highlighted the need for a work-life balance and the importance of mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. “Ensuring a sound mental health among children and adolescents will be a stepping stone to having highly productive, creative and excellent human beings in the nation. Such individuals will without a doubt help India become one of the most advanced societies in the world,” Dr Ramachandran stressed.

Professor Moinuddin from ASU, highlighted the importance of psychology and how it could be also integrated with engineering and other sciences to aid in the development of many socio-economic and physical sciences. Dr Renu Batra, Advisor, Higher Education also spoke briefly on the importance of mental health. She highlighted how psychologists can help families, young couples and even the aged to lead a happy productive life.

The first session was by Professor Dr HL Joshi from the Department of Clinical Psychology, Kurukshetra University. He talked about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. This form of therapy is known for its effectiveness in treatment and reducing the relapse rate and keeping the patient well for a long period of time. He embellished his lecture with a number of case studies.

This was followed by a paper by Professor Renjith Pillai from PGI Chandigarh, Department of Psychiatry. Professor Pillai spoke on life skills and pointed out the importance of lifestyle changes and life skill training in patients.  He also highlighted World Health Organisation’s life skill training programme implemented globally across educational settings, workplace environments and community centres.  

Dr Krishan Soni, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, PGI Chandigarh, delivered a fruitful speech along with many case presentations on play therapy and psychotherapy in children during the workshop. He presented an overview of the principles of play therapy and psychotherapy for children and also highlighted the importance of diagnosis. 

Day two commenced with a lecture by Professor Gauri Shankar from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Professor Shankar gave examples and cases of behaviour therapy, its important principles and underlying techniques.

Dr Prerna Sharma, Associate Professor, Clinical Psychology, Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences, New Delhi spoke on the importance of therapeutic alliance. She followed it up by explaining trauma focussed therapy, spelling out the details of the therapeutic process along with precautions one should keep in mind while dealing with patients suffering from trauma and grief. 

“Trauma focussed therapy is a specific approach that emphasises on understanding how the traumatic experience impacts a person’s mental, behavioural, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. This type of therapy is rooted in understanding the connection between the trauma experience and the person’s emotional and behavioural responses,” Dr Sharma said.

Day three began with a a presentation of family therapy by Dr Thippeswamy, Associate Professor from the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, New Delhi. Dr Thippeswamy elaborated on family therapy as a form of group psychotherapy focusing on the improvement of inter familial relationships and behaviours. He explained the benefits of the therapy and discussed the different forms and types of family therapy as well as the processes involved in the same.

Taking over from him was Dr Vandana Shriharsh, Associate Professor, Forensic University, New Delhi, who presented a detailed description of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
This was followed by a lecture on group therapy by Dr. Arif Ali, Associate Professor from the Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences in the Capital. He said that group therapy is a form of psychotherapy that involves one or more therapists working with several persons at the same time. The session by Dr Vandana Shriharsh, the National Forensic University in New Delhi was invigorating as she spoke of mindfulness based cognitive therapy.

Professor Moinuddin, the Guest of Honour at the valedictory session, spoke on the integration of psychology and engineering. The session began as Dr Chaya, Associate Professor, Apeejay School of Management, Dwarka, welcomed the Chief Guest Professor Manju Mehta, a former professor and the HoD at Clinical Psychology and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, AIIMS, New Delhi. She has been trained in Medical Education Technology (UK) and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) from the US.

In her valedictory address, Professor Mehta exhorted the professionals to ensure they delivered excellent professional service to the clients and patients who come to them for help. She then gave a few examples of adolescents and children whom she had treated and how they remain asymptomatic even today with flourishing professional careers.  

Dr Garima Sharma gave a vote of thanks to the Chief Guest and the Guest of Honour who were presented a shawl and a memento. Other participants were given Certificates of Participation by the Chief Guest.The session ended with a final vote of thanks by Dr Sonam Rani.