COUNSELLING IN INDIA: Reflections on the Process

Book Details:

• Editor: Sujata Sriram

• Publisher: Springer

• Language: English

• Edition: 2022

• ISBN: 9789811695865

• Pages: 242

• Cover: Hardback

• Sale Territory: This edition may not be sold outside India,

About the Book:

This insightful volume critically examines the emerging profession of counselling and psychotherapy in India, highlighting the existing disconnect between theory and practice. Despite growing interest in the field, counselling in India remains under-researched and under-theorized, with practitioners rarely adopting a research-based approach to enhance their clinical practices.

Edited by Sujata Sriram, the book draws from extensive primary research conducted with counsellors and psychotherapists across India. It presents a reflective and grounded understanding of the personal and professional journeys of therapists at different career stages. By doing so, it bridges the gap between practice and research and invites a deeper dialogue on ethical practices, education, training, and institutional challenges in Indian counselling.

Key themes include:

• Emotional and professional challenges faced by novice counsellors

• Interplay between personal identity and professional development

• Motivations for joining the profession and the evolving values of Indian therapists

• The integration of creative arts in therapy

• School counselling practices and the negotiation of professional boundaries

• Insights into telephone counselling based on iCALL

• The role and experience of marital counselling in family courts

• Practical suggestions and future directions for research in counselling

This book is indispensable for psychology students, counselling professionals, therapists, educators, and mental health researchers interested in understanding the Indian counselling landscape.

Contents:

1. Counselling in India: An Introduction to the Volume – Sujata Sriram

2. Counsellor Characteristics and the Counselling Experience – Swarnima Bhargava & Sujata Sriram

3. Challenges Experienced by Novice Counsellors – Chetna Duggal & Mithila Rao

4. Synergies Between Personal and Professional Lives of Counsellors – Sinduja Vummidi & Sandhya Limaye

5. Beginning the Journey: What Motivates Therapists to Join the Profession? – Chetna Duggal & Sujata Sriram

6. Exploring Values of Therapists in India – Rashmi Rangarajan & Chetna Duggal

7. Training in Counselling: Trainers’ Perspectives – Sujata Sriram & Sneha Anant Nikam

8. Exploring Expressions: Therapists’ Use of the Creative Arts in Therapy – Afshan Mariam & Aparna Joshi

9. The Role of a School Counsellor – Sindhura Tammana

10. Marital Counselling in India: Perspectives from Family Court Counsellors – Sujata Sriram & Chetna Duggal

11. Telephone Counselling in India: Lessons from iCALL – Sujata Sriram, Aparna Joshi & Paras Sharma

12. The Road Ahead: Conclusion and Directions for Future Research – Sujata Sriram

About the Editor:

Dr. Sujata Sriram is Associate Professor and Dean at the School of Human Ecology, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. Formerly a Reader at Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi, she has been awarded the Fulbright-Nehru Senior Research Fellowship and served as a guest researcher at prestigious institutions including the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Her expertise spans child development, psychology, and family studies, with a strong emphasis on applied research and counselling education.