There is a sea change in the caseload
Rahat Bano interviews Etishree Bhati, clinical psychologist (counsellor), Delhi Public School, RK Puram, Delhi.
When and how did you get into counselling?
When I was finishing my doctorate (in the UK), I decided that I wanted to work on mental health issues. DPS offered me an opportunity. 
It was a big school and I got to work at the root level, where we could catch them young, so children grow to be healthy adults. I am talking about a child’s mental well-being.
When I was a child and even in college, we didn’t have this facility available. Everybody said, ‘You will not get a job in India. The best job you can get is a lecturer’s.’ But I wanted to be on the application side.
While counselling, what’s the ultimate goal of the counsellor?
The objective is to understand the child’s behaviour and mind. The child will understand his behaviour and how to deal with it. I want to emphasise that counselling is not advice. The counsellor is not supposed to give do’s and don’ts. One tells the child the consequences of his behaviour; one has to make him skilful so he can understand and handle his behaviour.
What changes do you see of caseload and the kind of problems, since the time (1989/1990) you got associated with the Central Board of Secondary Education for counselling?
There has been a sea change. Earlier counselling carried a stigma. Parents were not open to it. Schools were not open to it. It was a closed-door thing. Now, children themselves make references whereas previously parents would take appointments and pull their child to a counsellor. Earlier many children didn’t want to be linked with someone. Someone would say, ‘I don’t want to sit with a girl/boy. How will I score 90 per cent?’ Now they want a boyfriend/girlfriend due to peer pressure. A pretty girl would say she wonders why a particular boy doesn’t look at her.
However, 50-60 per cent of the people still think seeking counselling will stigmatise them. They believe others would think maybe they are suffering from some abnormal behaviour, they are eccentric or they have some mental problem. Earlier, parents used to come in denial. They’d say, ‘My child can’t have this problem.’ They would think they were the best parents. Now, parents admit and express problems. They ask for parenting tips to deal with different issues. More than children, it’s often the parents who need counselling.
Is the counselling phenomenon still limited to big cities?
It is but it’s coming to towns as well.
Author: HT Horizon
Date: 29th April, 2010
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