As a part of the academic practicum, the Post Graduate Department of Criminology and Forensic Science, organized an exposure to Manah-swasthya Private Counselling Centre, Department of MSc Counselling, School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, Mangaluru on 28th March 2025 at 2:30 PM for the second year students of MSc Criminology and Forensic Science (CFS), Forensic Psychology and Criminal Justice specialization. The aim was to gain practical insights into the counselling techniques for crime victims and overall functioning of a counselling centre.
Dr. Rosa Nimmy Mathew, Counsellor, Manah-swastya and Asst. Prof. Thani Anwar detailed about structure, function and the procedures of counselling for crime victims. Manah-swasthya, a private counselling centre, was established at the end of 2020 in response to the COVID-19 crisis. During the pandemic, the Mangaluru City Corporation requested the formation of a counselling helpline to support quarantined individuals as part of the COVID Crisis Management Team. The team initially comprised four faculty members and twelve students, where each student was assigned two-hour shifts for eight months. The initiative played a crucial role in providing mental health support during the pandemic. As the pandemic situation improved and people began resuming normal life, the crisis management team transitioned into a full-fledged private counselling centre to continue addressing various psychological and emotional concerns in the community. During the visit, the students were introduced to the referral system of the centre, which primarily receives cases from schools for parental counselling and screening for disability diagnosis. The screening process is conducted by a government-appointed authority at Wenlock Hospital, ensuring proper evaluation and necessary interventions for children with special needs. The centre predominantly caters to children undergoing screening, adolescents struggling with drug and alcohol issues, and couples dealing with marital and divorce-related challenges. Additionally, the centre receives referrals from psychiatrists for further psychological interventions.
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One of the key aspects of the visit was understanding the various therapeutic approaches used at Manah-swasthya. The centre provides career counselling, individual therapy, family counselling, and couple therapy. Moreover, it actively engages in extension and outreach training programs to raise awareness about mental health and emotional well-being. Special focus is given to caregivers of cancer patients, where structured modules and group training sessions are provided to help them cope with the challenges of caregiving. Throughout the session, students gained valuable knowledge about mental health interventions, the process of referrals, therapy models, and community engagement in mental health care. The visit provided an opportunity to observe how a private counselling centre operates and collaborates with schools, hospitals, and other institutions to provide holistic mental health support.
The exposure to Manah-swasthya Private Counselling Centre helped the students to understand the real-world application of psychological theories in counselling and gave them exposure to various psychological issues, therapeutic approaches, and community-based interventions. Visit ended at 3:30pm with a vote of thanks delivered by Ms. Fathima Farasath. A total (12) of eight students, an intern and three faculty were part of this visit Ms. Fathima Farasath, student, second year MSc CFS (FPCJ) compiled the report.
