Aavishkar,mind matter’s Dr. Nirmala S.Rao

An Interview of World Humanity and Peace Award Winner Dr. Nirmala S.Rao

Credent TV:-

Q:  Your full name

A:  Dr Nirmala S Rao

Q:  Tell us about your background

A:  I come from a humble background and grew up in Hyderabad; my father was in Railways and I had three siblings. Education was highly valued and each of us siblings are highly qualified – one sister is a microbiologist; my brother is a chemical engineer. Pursuing excellence was applauded, and I excelled in all that I undertook, being a rank holder with State as well as National scholarships.

Q:  Tell us about your contribution to the society

A:  I am honoured to be one of the first in the city, if not the country, who pursued mental health with a holistic approach. The human mind and condition was deeply interesting to me; looking to treat mental health issues beyond the biological level, I brought together social workers, psychologists and counsellors under one roof, developing a team approach to treatment. Creating awareness about mental health, supporting disaster relief by reaching out to affected people, pursuing community activities like support groups for seniors, developing and running an art rehabilitation program for individuals with mental health challenges, mental health outreach for tribal and underserved populations are only some of the initiatives we have run under my organization, Aavishkar Centre for Self Enrichment. Workshops and seminars, training programs for individual capacity building, webinars on various topics aiding mental health and wellness are other avenues of working on mental and general wellness beyond working with patients.

Q: How did you plan to be a Mental Health Expert/Healer/Counsellor, what was the key challenge?

A:  Being interested in the human mind and how different people experience things differently, I got into psychiatry. The challenge was coming to Mumbai after my MBBS; it was a strange city, living among strangers in a new culture. Being a woman brought an additional challenge; perceptions of my abilities and prospects were influenced both by my regional and cultural heritage along with my gender. Making connections, learning new languages, learning and growing myself the journey brought its own challenges.

Q:  Explain about your career and the challenges that you faced starting your career.

One of the main challenges was and continues to be the lack of adequate awareness and stigma that surrounds mental health. People are either not aware of mental health issues, or may avoid seeking help due to stigma and perceived judgments. Often times, there are misconceptions and misinformation about both psychiatric treatment and psychiatric medicines. This may cause issues with proper treatment follow-ups as well as adherence to treatment protocols. While things have changed over the years, there continues to be resistance to seeking mental health treatment. This is an area that requires continued work and I am glad to be contributing to the general wellness campaign through my outreach work as listed above.

Q:  What are your future plans and projects?

A:  On-going efforts are needed for creating awareness about possible mental health issues. Reaching out to youngsters, providing guidance on parenting, supporting educational as well as professional development are important activities we will be continuing with moving forward. Creating a good foundation is key in any journey: we attempt to create a more aware and resilient generation through our work with parents (indirectly, via psychoeducation on healthy parenting approaches) and with youngsters. Creating a healthy and productive workforce through workshops and seminars aimed at individual capacity building is another avenue we will be pursuing on an on-going basis.

Q: Tell us about your organisation

A:  I started my own clinic, a multimodal treatment option, Aavishkar Centre for Self Enrichment, in 1993. With a vision of creating a Utopian society and extending the scope of psychiatry beyond the clinic, I believe in the need to promote self-awareness among all people with the aim of increased self-direction and self-enrichment. Our organization has three main aspects: (1) psychiatric clinic, (2) community activities, and (3) corporate training. Our team comprises of clinical & counselling psychologists, counsellors, H.R. consultants, facilitators, and programmeco-ordinators. Additionally, we work with students and allied enthusiasts, extending the scope of services and bringing various unique dimensions to our services as well as contributing to the growth of the field.

Q: Tell us one thing which you feel that sets you/your organisation apart from other

A:  The multimodal approach of our clinic is what sets us apart. A comprehensive and holistic approach allows for the all-round treatment and development of the individuals we help.Another aspect is the outreach work that we get involved with: rather than waiting for “patients” to come to us, we also seek ways to reach out to people in the general population, working on preventive and health building approaches rather than only treating once the problems have occurred. Our work in rural and tribal areas is a major part of our outreach efforts.

Q:  Message for readers

A:  Mind matters! This has been my motto since I first began in this profession and time and experience has only reiterated the same. I would ask all our readers to attend to their mind as diligently as they would to their body. We have realized the importance of physical fitness: gym & exercise routines, diet consciousness, healthy practices proliferate in today’s times. I would emphasize that we need to be equally active in improving our mental fitness & health. Building resilience through self-awareness, introspection, emotional regulation, and relationship building is key to mental well-being.

Q:  How was your experience with Credent TV

A:  I have had a great experience with Credent TV; the program topics are very on-point and relevant, the range and depth of coverage is excellent and the range of expertise tapped makes a broad range of knowledge available to the viewers. This in turn will help create awareness, help people to build their mental health and make better choices for themselves.