Therapy with Khushboo

What better day to announce this than on the occasion of Guru Purnima! 🌸

Presenting third batch for online course on
"Fundamentals of School Counselling"

Total 4 Sessions

Session 1-
Introduction to School Counselling

Session 2-
Features of disorders prevalent in the school setting

Session 3-
Identification & Assessment of Emotional, Academic & Behavioral concerns

Session 4-
Intervention process- Guidelines for rehabilitation of students with special needs

Course Dates- 31st July, Aug 2nd, 4th and 6th.

Time- 7 pm to 8.15 pm

Who can attend- Mental health practitioners, Psychologists, Social Workers, Psychology students, Teachers

Facilitator-
Ms. Khushboo Shah
Counselling Psychologist

Full Course Fees-
INR 2500
Early bird offer-
INR 2000- before 25th July
Group offer-
INR 2000 for a group of 3 participants.

For queries Contact-
Ms Khushboo Shah- 9821874123

It is important to distinguish between being a failure and failing at a task.
You are not your behavior.

Deepening your sense of self worth is no easy feat. It takes time and effort but it's totally worth it, because YOU'RE WORTH IT!

So happy to share the feedback we received from our second batch of participants for the course on Fundamentals of School Counselling.

Emotions are what makes you, You! You might feel different emotions at different point in time and that's absolutely alright.
It's easier to talk about your feelings if you know how you feel and why.
Try these simple steps:
1️⃣Think of the name for how you feel. (Let's say you feel nervous).2️⃣Think of why you feel that way. (Let's say you are nervous because you have a presentation tomorrow)
3️⃣Put them together into words. (Say to yourself, "I feel nervous about my presentation tomorrow.")
If you don't know why you feel a certain way, you can still talk about it. You can say, "I feel upset, but I don't know why."

Expressing our emotions brings about a lot more benefits.

➡️Helps see problems in a new light

➡️Makes decision making and problem solving easier

➡️Gets rid of the power of the feeling

➡️Reduces anxiety

➡️Eases depression

When we fail to express our emotions, our brain can often go into the fight-or-flight state. This is a physical reaction to stress that sets off a chain of events throughout our bodies. It increases our heart rate, slows digestive functions and makes us feel anxious or depressed.

Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm. It’s not the objective circumstances that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event. The more frightened and helpless you feel, the more likely you are to be traumatized.

Your trauma is valid.

It shouldn't have happened to you, but it did. And you had to deal with it. No one gets to decide if you had a lesson to learn from it. You faced it and you did your best to protect yourself from it.

Some ways that can help to cope with trauma-

1. Use the “Window of Tolerance”- it is a way to identify and talk about your current mental state. Being inside your window means that you’re doing okay and can function effectively. When you’re outside of the window, it means you have been triggered and you are experiencing a traumatic-stress response.

2. Validate your experience- what you have experienced is real and hurtful. Remember what you’re going through is actually a normal response to abnormal experiences.

3. Give yourself time-
It takes time - weeks or months - to accept what has happened and to learn to live with it. You may need to grieve for what (or who) you have lost.

4. Ask for support-
It can be a relief to talk about what happened. You may need to ask your friends and family for the time to do this - at first they will probably not know what to say or do.

5. Talk it over-
Bit by bit, let yourself think about the trauma and talk about it with others. Don't worry if you cry when you talk, it's natural and usually helpful. Take things at a pace that you feel comfortable with.

6. Get into a routine-
Even if you don't feel much like eating, try to have regular meals and to eat a balanced diet. Taking some exercise can help - but start gently.

7. Seek professional help-
If you feel overwhelmed with your feelings and it's difficult to work or get into a routine, reach out to a mental health professional.

One week online course on
"Fundamentals of School Counselling"

Total 4 Sessions

Session 1-
Introduction to School Counselling

Session 2-
Features of disorders prevalent in the school setting

Session 3-
Identification & Assessment of Emotional, Academic & Behavioral concerns

Session 4-
Intervention process- Guidelines for rehabilitation of students with special needs

Course Dates- 27th, 29th, 31st August and 2nd September

Time- 5:30 pm to 7.00 pm

Facilitators-

Ms. Khushboo Shah
Psychologist (Counselling Specialization)
School Counsellor, Practicing Therapist

Ms. Sanober Memon
Psychologist (Clinical Specialization, NET), School Psychologist, lecturer and research guide

Full Course Fees-
Rs 1200/- per person

Group offer-
Rs 1000/- (per entry) for a group of 3 persons.

For queries Contact-
Ms Khushboo Shah- 9821874123.

For registration,
Fill the form-
https://forms.gle/EbAaWPjziccUKTUQ6

Received such an overwhelming & positive response on my webinar about Understanding Mental Health & Depression that I conducted today. So grateful.

Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. It’s a feeling of fear or apprehension about what’s to come.
It’s normal to feel anxious about moving to a new place, starting a new job, or taking a test. This type of anxiety is unpleasant, but it may motivate you to work harder and to do a better job.

Ordinary anxiety is a feeling that comes and goes, but does not interfere with your everyday life.

But if your feelings of anxiety are extreme, last for more than 6 months, and are interfering with your life, reach out to a mental health professional.

Excited to share the feedback we received for our course on Fundamentals of School Counselling.

Still relishing the awesome week that went by- a week full of facilitating and learning with an enthusiastic batch of students and professionals!

One week online course on
"Fundamentals of School Counselling"

Total 4 Sessions

Session 1-
Introduction to School Counselling

Session 2-
Features of disorders prevalent in the school setting

Session 3-
Identification & Assessment of Emotional, Academic & Behavioral concerns

Session 4-
Intervention process- Guidelines for rehabilitation of students with special needs

Course Dates- 20th, 22nd, 24th & 26th July, 2020

Time- 6:00 pm to 7.15 pm

Facilitators-

Ms. Khushboo Shah
Psychologist (Counselling Specialization)
School Counsellor, Practicing Therapist

Ms. Sanober Memon
Psychologist (Clinical Specialization, NET), School Psychologist, lecturer and research guide

Full Course Fees-
Rs 1200/- per person

Group offer-
Rs 1000/- (per entry) for a group of 3 persons.

For queries Contact-
Ms Khushboo Shah- 9821874123.

For registration,
Fill the form-
https://forms.gle/EbAaWPjziccUKTUQ6

Doing what I truly believe in. It is so important to have atleast basic awareness and information about mental health and what's a better way to begin than to start from your community.
I feel so honoured to be a part of this.
If you are not an HVO member and interested in attending this, kindly DM me. I'll be glad to work something out.

How much can you be absolutely certain about in your life?
The hard truth is that no matter how much you try to plan and prepare for every possible outcome, life will find a way of surprising you. Striving for certainty really just fuels worry and anxiety.

For that to be addressed and resolved, the first step lies in identifying what exactly triggers this uncertainty. A lot of it is self generated- pessimistic outlook, excessive worrying, etc. Other source of uncertainty is external- exposure to news, interacting with people who are anxious themselves. Identifying what triggers you is important inorder to take appropriate measures to reduce it.

Once this is done, focus on the physical cues that this uncertainty brings. It can be anything from tension in your shoulders, shortness of breath to a headache. At this point, instead of trying to gain control over the emotion it is always preferable to experience the emotion. Allow yourself to feel the discomfort or the fear this uncertainty brings and try to take a pause- focus on your breathing, look around and notice things in your surrounding, try some meditation.

Acknowledge the fact that you can't always know what's going to happen and that's what makes you human. Allow yourself to let go of this need for certainty. Once you're able to do this, shift your attention- to divert your thoughts and to focus on something that is actually under your control. This helps in giving purpose to your life and reassuring your own self that you're capable (because usually in these times a lot of self doubt comes into the picture).

Initially, you may find that your focus keeps wandering back to your future fears and worries—but hold yourself. Each time you focus your attention back on the present, you’re strengthening a new mental habit that can help you break free of uncertainty.

Since majority of us are working from home, it is important to take care of our mental health while doing so.

1. Set up a routine for your workday- Designate a distraction free space to work. No matter how tempting, avoid working in your pyjamas all day. When you are done for the day, pack away your work things or leave your work area at the end of the day. Creating cues, such as getting changed into your work clothes at the start of the day, and out at the end, can help with this.

2. Stay connected with your coworkers and manager by scheduling regular virtual or phone meetings-
Because everyday encounters with colleagues don’t spontaneously happen when we’re working from home, we need to be proactive in organising meetings & social connection to maintain positive relationships. Staying connected with others will help to reduce stress levels, help you feel less isolated, and stay productive. It also helps you communicate with your manager or employees to keep them informed of what you’re working on.

3. Educate those who live with you that working from home still means that you are at work- Parents should have age-appropriate discussions with kids about not disturbing mom or dad when they are talking on the computer. Some kids might not comply, but with regular repetition, many will get the idea that there are times when mom and dad may not be immediately available. (This also applies to older persons in the home). When two parents/caregivers are working from home, they should try to schedule their meetings such that one parent can be the point person when the other parent is occupied.

4. Have a proper lunch break- Stop, make something nice to eat, and eat away from your work area. Try and get outside and get some natural light if you can do so safely, and try some exercise, again within guidelines on social contact.

5.Try a digital detox in the evenings-
Technology makes it easier to stay connected 24-7, but it can make it difficult to switch off, and separate work and home life. Try a digital detox to help you switch off from work so you can spend quality time with family or do the things you want to do.

Starting out with the most basic yet the most important guidelines about taking care of your mental health during COVID-19.

1. Take breaks from social media and news- both!

After a certain point, it can be more upsetting than informational. Make sure the information you do get is from reputable and non-sensationalist sources. And evaluate how much is helpful for you to read in a day, and aim to stick to that limit. It can be upsetting to hear about the crisis and see images repeatedly.
Even scrolling through social media can cause overstimulation. Find the balance you need by taking breaks while keeping yourself informed from sources you can trust.

2. Create a routine that prioritises looking after yourself-

As tempting as it might be to stay in pyjamas all day, regular routines are essential for our identity, self-confidence and purpose.
Try to start your day at roughly the same time you usually would and aim to set aside time each day for movement, relaxation, connection and reflection. Try to do some activities you enjoy to return some normalcy back to your life as much as possible. Make time to unwind and remind yourself that these strong feelings will fade.

3. Focus on what you can control-

Worrying constantly about things beyond your control just adds to the anxiety without being able to do anything to reduce it. Focus on the present, on things you can control and set some specific goals towards those to give you some sense of achievement and motivation while staying positive.

4. Talk about your worries-

It's normal to feel a bit worried, scared or helpless about the current situation. Remember: it is OK to share your concerns with others you trust – and doing so may help them too. If you cannot speak to someone you know or if doing so has not helped, there are plenty of helplines you can try instead.

5. Try a relaxation technique-

Try some different meditation or breathing exercises to see what helps. For example, sometimes we can be so tense that we do not even remember what being relaxed feels like. Progressive muscle relaxation teaches you to recognise when you are starting to get tense and how to relax.

While growing up it was fairly common to witness classmates/friends/kids (in general), even grown ups to refer someone whom they disliked/ wanted to tease as 'mental'. Mental always meant stupid, crazy, pagal, mad, insane. I think this is a major reason why it is difficult for most to understand that-
1. Mental is not a bad word (despite witnessing it as one)
2. It can mean something positive or neutral too.
3. An otherwise normal/sane person can visit a mental health professional too!

So far the most common response I've received on disclosing my identity as a Psychologist/ Mental Health Professional is that "oh you treat mental people?".
I think this is where we need to change as a community, because stigma is often rooted in lack of knowledge.

It is important to remember that mental health is complex.
The fact that someone is not experiencing a mental health condition does not necessarily mean their mental health is flourishing.
Likewise, it is possible to be diagnosed with a mental health condition while feeling well in many aspects of life.

Several factors can affect your mental health-
1. Biological factors (genes, your brain chemistry)
2. Life experiences (trauma, abuse, etc)
3. Lifestyle (substance use, physical activity, etc)

If you feel that your mental health is affected negatively or you would like to make positive changes to improve your mental health, you can always reach out to a mental health professional.

My father told me that he knows so much about therapy and mental health only because I keep talking about it. He seemed doubtful if others were aware too considering the restricted discussion on this topic otherwise in our community.
So here I begin.

Therapy is a way to help people with a broad variety of mental concerns and emotional difficulties.

Problems helped by therapy include difficulties in coping with daily life; the impact of trauma, medical illness or loss, like the death of a loved one; and specific issues like depression or anxiety. There are several different types of therapy and some types may work better with certain problems or issues.
Therapy can be short-term (a few sessions), dealing with immediate issues, or long-term (months or years), dealing with longstanding and complex issues.
The goals of treatment and arrangements for how often and how long to meet are planned jointly by the patient and therapist.

A little something about me and my initiative -

I'm a Counselling Psychologist and a Special Educator.
Throughout my journey I've come across people whose understanding about mental health, wellness and illness has been limited and to some extent incomplete.
Being in the field for sometime now, I've been privileged to cater to many individuals and families, changing their perspective and strengthening their understanding regarding mental health and related concepts. More so, I'm glad to have put up a thought for them to take forward.
My aim through this online initiative is to spread awareness about mental health and to destigmatize the process of mental help on a larger scale.
I would be glad if you could join me in this journey of learning, unlearning and relearning through sharing authentic content and experiences.