Our Story
Lay Counselor
We Provide services on volunteer basis to the needy without expecting any monetary benefits.
Dr.CRC was the pioneer in designing training programme to train counsellors at grass root level & serve the society.
Samadhana centre was started on 9/2/2007 by Dr.C.R.Chandrashekar while he was senior Professor of Psychiatry at NIMHANS. During the period of 13 years more than 17,000 people have been trained in lay counselling, guidance for mental health problems. More than 100 lay counsellors have taken part in rendering services to the needy.
Trained Counselors
Counselling
Our Story
Each case is monitored by the psychiatrist & medicine are prescribed if necessary.
SSC conducts 3 months training course in counselling (every Sunday between 10 am to 2 pm). Theory classes, case demonstration, role play, group discussions are arranged. SCC has produced manuals in English & Kannada on counselling. Lay counsellors appear to be useful in taking mental health care into the community. They act like change agents & are able to give Psychological First Aid and assist mental health professionals in mental health care. The centre also runs Child Guidance Clinic on Saturday between 2 pm to 4 pm – provides free counselling services for children with either scholastic backwardness or behavioural problems. It also conducts an orientation course on child guidance to school teachers, outreach programmes, workshops etc.
Our Expert Team
Dr C R Chandrasekhar is a Retired Senior Prof of NIMHANS who heads Samadhana. Team of volunteers trained in lay counselling work along with Dr C R Chandrasekhar fondly called as DR.CRC. More than 100 lay counsellors have taken part in rendering services to the needy. Counsellors work thrice, twice or daily based on their availability and offer free counselling services without expecting any monetary benefit. Each counsellor spends 15 to 60 minutes in counselling a client. Simple records are kept & retrieved for follow up. These counsellors have formed “Karnataka Amateur Counsellors Forum” and meet every month to discuss their work. Majority report that with training, they have changed their lifestyle for good. Their family life has improved. They do counsel and refer people with mental disorders to the professionals. Some of them go to nearby schools and offer counselling services for children who have learning problems. They educate people regarding mental health and ill health.
They also help in conducting training programme across Karnataka, in places like Gulbarga, Bidar, Raichur, Yadagir, Koppal, Bellary & Dharwad.