Identify people with mental health issue and guide them, psychotherapist Kohli tells students

KOHIMA— Psychotherapist Anupam Talwar Kohli on Saturday urged students, who have completed two months Counselling Psychology course, to understand their role and identify people who need help and guide them.

Speaking to the first graduating batch of Carl Rogers Institute of Mental Health and School Counselling, Kohima, Kohli, who has 27 years of experience, said students have a great role in the society to spread awareness about mental health and urged them to make use of the knowledge acquired from the course.

“The sense of accomplishment, the sense of purpose that you feel when you are genuinely able to help another human is priceless,” she said.

She added that every human being is unique and their situations and experiences are unique. Hence, one must not live with assumptions.

She pointed out that most people are illiterate when it comes to mental health literacy. She further lamented over people’s ignorance of the subject and for overlooking the importance of mental health.

Speaking on the importance of counselling, she said, ‘just because someone has a degree in psychology doesn’t mean they have the skills’.

She told them that they are the ones who are truly ‘mental health practitioners’ because they are now equipped with the basics of psychology.

A total of 10 students comprising fresh graduates, church leaders, teachers and parents graduated from the two months Counselling Psychology course from the institute.