Pratibha Malhotra
Consultant Psychologist

Pratibha Malhotra holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Psychology and a Master’s degree in Applied (Clinical) Psychology from Delhi University. Her professional experience includes working as a Counselling Psychologist with the Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences at Fortis Healthcare, where she was also part of their 24×7 Stress Helpline. She has conducted a six-month training course on basic counselling skills for EDMC and NDMC teachers and has worked as a school counsellor as well as a facilitator for Mind Edutainment Pvt. Ltd.’s THOTS Lab project. Over the years, she has actively collaborated with various schools and organisations as a resource person, conducting psycho-educational and mental health awareness workshops. In her current role, she aims to address critical social issues such as gender equality, child rights, and child protection.

Hema Veerasamy – Clinical Psychologist
Consulting Clinical Psychologist

Nethra Balasubramaniam
Resource Person

Saakshi Mishra
Sr. Advocacy Ambassador

Saakshi Mishra is a forensic psychologist committed to ethical practice and social impact. A Gold Medallist in Psychology (Hons) and holder of a Master’s in Forensic Psychology from the National Forensic Sciences University, she blends rigorous behavioural science with compassion. Her research portfolio spans collaborations with both public and private-sector bodies, notably partnering with the NGO Manahsrushti during the pandemic to analyse crime trends. An ardent advocate for animal welfare, Saakshi has participated in numerous rescue initiatives, affirming her belief that empathy should extend across species. She has also undertaken internships focused on child development, crafting multi-domain action plans to foster physical, linguistic, cognitive, and socio-emotional growth. Outside her core practice, she pursues graphology, viewing handwriting as an additional lens through which to view personality and risk. Saakshi’s fusion of scientific acumen, ethical clarity, and humanitarian commitment equips her to advance justice while nurturing safe and supportive environments for children and communities alike.

Akshaya S Iyer
Sr. Advocacy Ambassador

Akshaya Iyer holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Applied Psychology and a Master of Science (MSc) in Forensic Psychology from the National Forensic Sciences University. Her academic training is complemented by clinical and research placements at the Schizophrenia Research Foundation, where she contributed to longitudinal studies on psychotic disorders, and at a UNICEF-funded reintegration programme for boys in conflict with the law. She later deepened her forensic expertise through internships with the Directorate of Forensic Science and at NIMHANS, developing practical skills in behavioural assessment, offender profiling, and courtroom testimony. Her reports have informed risk-management plans and rehabilitation pathways for children and adolescents in custodial and community settings across India. Akshaya now seeks to apply this integrated perspective to safeguard vulnerable populations, designing evidence-based interventions that uphold both justice and mental health care.

Anshu Priya
Sr. Advocacy Ambassador

Anshu Priya has a Bachelor’s in Psychology and English from Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi, and a Master’s in Psychosocial Clinical Studies from B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi. She is passionate about an inclusive psychological practice that caters to the uniqueness of various individuals and groups. With this in mind, she has interned in clinical settings such as Moolchand Hospital, Fortis Hospital, and Mindvriksha Clinic, working with a diverse demographic. Driven by her interest in the intersection of policymaking and mental health, she has worked with MASH Impact Organisation and the You’re Wonderful Project, participating in their research endeavours to advocate for mental health.

Bhumika Gaur
Sr. Advocacy Ambassador

Bhumika Gaur holds a Master’s degree in Psychology with a specialisation in Psychosocial Clinical Studies from Ambedkar University, Delhi, and a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from St. Xavier’s College. She is a trained psychotherapist, and through her brief clinical work at Ehsaas, she created a space that does not function on a rigid outline, instead allowing a flow that eventually helps individuals appreciate life together in their own ways. She has had a keen interest in social work, which was reinforced by her internship as a junior counsellor at the Resource Institute for Human Rights, Jaipur. The centre focuses on the protection of children and is associated with a home (Balika Greh) as well as the Child Welfare Committee. She observed counselling sessions centred around legal cases under the POCSO Act and taught children at the observation home. She also has experience in content writing, having worked on children’s books and various technical fields.

Aleena Zerin V. W.
Advocacy Ambassador

Aleena holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology from Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kerala (2025), and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Christ College (Autonomous), Kerala (2023). Her practical experience includes clinical internships at Wellness Whisperers, General Hospital, and Sri Ramachandra Medical Hospital. She focused on interventions for children with special needs at TH Khader Haji Memorial Buds Special School.During her Master’s, Aleena coordinated SPARSH 2024, presented research at an International Conference, and volunteered at a Psychosocial Intervention Camp. As a Bachelor’s student, she co-authored the anthology ‘Euphoria’ and wrote for the ‘Christ Gazette.’ She was also the Head Girl in school and participated in a Guinness World Records attempt. Aleena has completed specialized workshops in Advanced Practical Hypnosis, Dialectic Behavior Therapy, and Interventions for Children with Special Needs. Her certifications cover Foundational Yoga and Expressive Art Therapies. Her professional interests include understanding criminal behavior, nonverbal communication, and graphology.

Kriti Soni
Advocacy Ambassador

Kriti Soni is a clinical psychology student who has recently graduated with a Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology at Christ University, Bengaluru. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology, English Literature, and Geography from Sophia Girls’ College, Ajmer, where she ranked first in end-semester examinations and was awarded The Lakshmi Bhargava Cup for Best Student in the Faculty of Arts. Earlier, at Mayo College Girls’ School, she received the Certificate of Honour for scoring 100% in four subjects in her 12th ISC Board Examination. Over the course of her training, she has gained more than eight months of clinical and counselling experience under Dr. Manisha Gaur (Clinical Psychologist, NIMHANS) and completed a traineeship at Akrithis Mental Health Solutions, where she assisted in individual counselling sessions and learned about therapeutic planning in a private practice setting
Her community work includes volunteering with Need Base India, the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), and Gaur Mental Health Centre, where she designed emotional learning activities, facilitated group sessions for underserved communities, and supported mental health services for clients dealing with anxiety and depression. She has co-authored a chapter on workplace mindfulness and presented her research at the 10th International Conference of the Indian Academy of Health Psychology. During her time at Sophia Girls’ College, she served as President of Psychology Forum Anubhuti, Arts Faculty Representative, and Cultural Representative, and previously captained the cricket team at Mayo College Girls’ School. Her areas of interest include preventive mental health, queer affirmative therapy and child development. She currently serves as an Advocacy Ambassador with CACA, focusing on child protection and community-based awareness around the prevention of abuse.

Sana Binoy
Advocacy Ambassador

Sana Binoy pursued her bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from St. Teresa’s College, Ernakulam, and further completed her postgraduation in Social Work from Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (Autonomous), Kalamassery, Kochi.

With a strong interest in communication, public speaking, and training, Sana is passionate about engaging with people and creating meaningful interactions. Alongside her academic background, she is also involved in content creation, where she enjoys expressing creativity and connecting with audiences through digital platforms. Dance remains one of her greatest passions and reflects her energetic and expressive personality.

Her interests largely revolve around communication, creativity, social engagement, and personal growth. Sana looks forward to contributing positively through her professional journey while continuously learning, growing, and creating impactful experiences.

Pragati Chhillar
Advocacy Ambassador

Pragati Chhillar holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR), University of Delhi, and a Master’s degree in Applied Psychology with a specialisation in Organisational Behaviour from Jamia Millia Islamia. She is deeply interested in mental health advocacy, human resources, community engagement, and workplace well-being. Through her experiences in HR, Clinical Psychology, research, volunteering, and mental health support training, she has developed a nuanced understanding of human behaviour across organisational and social contexts. Her experience at Bal Raksha Bharat (Save the Children) and the Department of Psychiatry at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital has equipped her with practical grounding in HR operations, psychological assessment, and people-centred practice. Her volunteer experience, including NSS participation and training in peer-based mental health facilitation, reflects her people-first approach and commitment to inclusivity, well-being, and meaningful social impact through advocacy and collaborative action.

Madhumitha K
Advocacy Ambassador

Madhumitha K is a mental health professional who holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Christ University, Yeshwanthpur Campus, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Journalism from Mount Carmel College. She has qualified the Psychology UGC-NET (December 2025) for Assistant Professorship and PhD. As a counselling psychologist practising through a person-centred lens, she believes that authenticity and client autonomy form the foundation for meaningful therapeutic growth. Her clinical training spans organisations including Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF), Tamahar Trust, and the Institute of Mental Health, among others. She is also trained in QPR suicide prevention gatekeeping, working with suicidality, and queer-affirmative therapy. She served as an Associate Therapist with That Desi Psychologist, and worked with the organisation for nearly 3 years across content, client care, and outreach roles, most recently as Head of Outreach and Senior Client Care Assistant. In these capacities, she led outreach initiatives, the podcast project, conducted intake calls, coordinated therapy logistics, and contributed to case formulation and research. She currently serves as an Advocacy Ambassador with Project CACA, advancing child safety and abuse prevention through advocacy and awareness initiatives.

Yamini veermalli
Advocacy Ambassador

Yamini Veeramalli holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication with majors in Psychology, Journalism, and Literature from National School of Journalism and Public Discourse, Bangalore and a Master’s degree in Psychology from IILM University, Gurugram.
She holds a certificate of completion for Allen Miller’s CBT workshop, adding more depth to her knowledge of empirical psychological practices.

She volunteered with Bhagya School (Sanshil Foundation), and Earth Saviours NGO, supporting underprivileged children and providing services to abandoned people through holistic care.

Through research mentoring, she has participated in several qualitative research works that focused on topics such as inter-generational communication, modern dating trends, aging, and work-life balance all inspired by her interest in the mundane aspects of everyday life of ordinary
people.

Passionate about mental health, couples’ therapy, and parenting, Yamini strongly believes that good relations among family members as well as parenting play a key role in molding the child’s personality right from the roots. Currently, she serves as an Advocacy Ambassador with Project Caca, contributing towards child abuse awareness and safety.

Jasjeev Kaur Bajaj
Advocacy Ambassador

Jasjeev Kaur Bajaj is a dedicated psychologist who completed her master’s in applied psychology from Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi. During her academic journey she completed short-term training at the Department of Psychiatry at Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi. In addition to gaining psychiatric exposure, she has worked with students with intellectual disabilities, training them in various vocational and occupational activities and developing lesson plans for neurodivergent and intellectually disabled students. She is immensely interested in the social and cultural aspects of a child’s psychology. She currently serves as Advocacy Ambassador with CACA, contributing towards awareness, safety and prevention of child abuse through socially impactful and people-centred interventions.

Ms. Deepika R Lad
Advocacy Ambassador

Deepika R Lad is a mental health professional with a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Psychology from CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru. Her academic and clinical training has been shaped by a strong interest in child and adolescent mental health, geriatric care, and community-based psychological interventions. During her professional journey, she has completed internships at reputed institutions including NIMHANS, Manipal Hospitals, Abhaya Hospital, and Nightingales Medical Trust, gaining experience in psychological assessments, case history taking, psychoeducation, and dementia care. She has also provided therapy under supervision as an Associate Psychologist at Meet Your Therapist.

Alongside her clinical work, she has actively engaged in psychological research, conference presentations, and mental health awareness initiatives. She has further expanded her therapeutic perspective through training in Dance and Movement Therapy. Passionate about advocacy, community well-being, and accessible mental health care, she is committed to fostering compassionate, evidence-based, and inclusive psychological support systems.

Bhavishi Rajwal
Advocacy Ambassador

Bhavishi is a Criminologist, she completed her master’s in criminology from NFSU Gandhinagar campus whilst holding a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
She is committed to procuring and advocating for human rights, and deeply dedicated towards working for women and children. Her experience at working in Prayaas field project by TATA institute of social sciences equipped her with in depth knowledge of children rights and vulnerable groups of women inmates. Working at the Children’s observation home has gained her insights about children in conflict with law, the JJB act, the trial sessions and the proceedings are held. Also, her major project on Digital financial fraud: Cybercrime Professional’s Perspective has delved deep into the crime statistics in Mumbai by extracting and analyzing information from the SMEs themselves. Her ability to engage with beneficiaries from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds aligns well with her passion for working with projects centered around the needs of underprivileged and marginalized communities, crafting innovative, people-centered solutions that drive sustainable change.

Swestha Jain
Resource Person

Swestha Jain is a dedicated psychologist. She completed her Master’s in Clinical Psychology at the National Forensic Science University, Gujarat, with a strong academic foundation from Ramanujan College, University of Delhi, where she earned her B.A. in Applied Psychology. Her research portfolio includes significant contributions to psychological literature and active participation in prominent projects at Columbia University and other psychology research labs. Swestha’s work spans from qualitative analyses in psychiatric courts to innovative cognitive performance studies. She has published in renowned journals and co-authored a book chapter on paediatric psychology. Her clinical internships at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Fortis Healthcare, along with her role as a peer counsellor, underscore her commitment to mental health. Additionally, Swestha is involved in the American Psychological Association’s student committee, fostering student research initiatives.