Debasmita Phukan
Debasmita Phukan has an M.Phil. in Clinical Psychology from the LGB Regional Institute of Mental Health, Assam. She completed her Master's in Applied Psychology from Delhi University and has a wide range of work experience, ranging from working in a mental health NGO to being a freelance writer. Debasmita, Senior Clinical Psychologist at SSC, is the Team Lead & Centre Administrator.
Debasmita's ideas about psychotherapy are rooted in her faith in humanity and the belief that we can all change to lead better, more authentic lives. She thinks of psychotherapy as providing a safe space from which such growth can be possible. Considering herself a lifelong student of the human mind, Debasmita believes that psychotherapy is one of her best teachers. She finds contentment through the activity of learning from and listening to many diverse lives in this small but very cosmopolitan campus town. When not at work, she enjoys movies, books and music from all around the world. She likes spending time in solitude and can often be found pottering about the house.
Gatha B
Gatha holds an M.Phil. in Clinical Psychology from LGB Regional Institute of Mental Health, Assam. She completed her master's degree in psychology from Calicut University, Kerala.
Gatha has a wide range of experience, from working as a project coordinator in a mental health NGO to counselling students at National Institute of Technology, Calicut. She recalls her starting point with psychology to have been one that resulted out of curiosity.
Gatha believes in the impact of psychotherapy because of her first-hand experience with it. She works by integrating her everyday learnings into her practice. She sees the world from a feminist perspective. She enjoys solitude and experiences clarity of thought through writing.
Sukanya Chowdhury
Sukanya holds an M.Phil in Clinical Psychology from the University of Calcutta. She completed her Master's in Psychology from the same institute. During her training, she spent a considerable amount of time dealing with difficulties faced by children and young adults.
Sukanya's faith in psychotherapy stems from the belief that a lot can be achieved if people were more patient and accepting of each other, in an otherwise unkind world. Her practice is rooted in intersectional feminism, and she takes a client-centered approach. Psychotherapy to her is about providing a safe space to her clients and validating their lived experiences. Apart from the human mind, Sukanya takes an active interest in research, reading, writing, discovering music and cinema from different parts of the world.
Agnes Mary James
Agnes Mary James has an M.Phil. in Clinical Psychology from Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi. She completed her Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Christ University, Bangalore, and has diverse experience working with NGOs, schools, clinics and a multispecialty hospital.
Agnes’ therapeutic work is based on her belief that humans are a product of their environment. Through therapy, she aims to facilitate support and uplift clients to draw from their resources to achieve their goals. She has been trained in third wave approaches and her practice is rooted in acceptance and mindfulness.
Besides work, she enjoys finding time for family, friends, movies, reading, exploring eateries and water bodies.
Saish Kotian
Saish Kotian is the Student Support Center's Office Associate and is essential to the center's daily operations. He has completed his Masters in Commerce from GFG College, Thenkanidiyur, Udupi. Having worked as an Accountant before joining the Centre, Saish especially enjoys the complicated tasks of collating the Centre’s extensive data, ensuring timely appointments for all, and helping everyone as needed. He enjoys working in the Centre’s calm environment and the way everyone is supportive of each other.
Hailing from Udupi, Saish is fluent in 5 languages, and enjoys music, cricket, and table tennis. He now dreams of achieving stability and supporting his parents.
Nagaraj M
Nagaraj is SSC's General Duty Worker. He is responsible for carrying out everyday tasks, from filing and data entry to taking phone messages, integral to the smooth functioning of the centre. He likes that everyone at SSC work together, accommodating each others' work-styles. He feels that the best part about working here is the contentment he experiences when the clients who come to SSC seem less distressed when they leave.
After completing his SSLC from Government College, Udupi, Nagaraj worked at Sikkim Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE). Carrying out his duties according to his work ethic is of great importance to him. When not at work, he enjoys reading, watching and playing cricket, and going to the movies. Nagraj aspires to someday build his own house.
Gayathri Prabhu
Gayathri Prabhu is the Coordinator of the Student Support Centre and Associate Professor at the Manipal Centre for Humanities, MAHE. She received her PhD in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA, and her MPhil from Swansea University, Wales, UK. She has served as a member of the Insitutional Ethics Committee, Kasturba Medical College and Kasturba Hospital, Manipal (2014 - 2018), and as the Dr TMA Pai Chair in Indian Literature (2017 - 2019). Gayathri is the author of a memoir, four novels, a novella in prose poetry and a study of black and white cinema. She teaches literary studies and has written regularly on Medical Humanities. Increasingly convinced about the merging of teaching and advocacy, the Student Support Centre is a project that is close to Gayathri’s heart and she attributes its existence to the combined efforts and goodwill of several people in the University. Outside of work, she finds joy in yoga, birding, long walks and rainy days. As the Coordinator, Gayathri's work at the Student Support Centre ranges from designing the centre’s ethos, to execution of outreach programs, to ensuring that the Centre remains a warm and trustworthy space for students. If you have any feedback or thoughts, please write to her at gayathri.prabhu@manipal.edu
