Azim Premji University

Making mental health a priority

Conversations: Centre for Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing

An inclusive and safe space, created by collaborating with various members of our diverse community

At Conversations: Centre for Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing, we are a team of trained mental health professionals who provide socio-emotional support to the students and members of Azim Premji University and Azim Premji Foundation.

We help students learn healthy coping skills to manage their academic demands through their transitional phases and adjust to a diverse peer group and living in a new space. 

We help our students and members explore and navigate personal challenges in identity, interpersonal relationships or any other concerns that may come up during their time at the University/​Foundation.

Our counsellors are trained in queer affirmative practices, are caste and indigeneity sensitive in their approach and are trauma-informed. We prove a safe space with confidentiality. We work and collaborate with other functions of the University with the intent to create a culture of well-being and positive mental health on campus. 

  • Conversations

Key offerings

  • One-on-one counselling
  • Support groups
  • Group therapy
  • Skill-building workshops
  • Awareness and sensitisation sessions
  • Infographics and other resources and content on mental health
  • Quarterly newsletter, Dialogues, with various themes around mental health
  • Supervised group of students as Peer Supporters, who are all trained in basic skills of counselling, as another layer of mental health support on campus
  • Liaising with the Foundation around mental health and campus outreach activities

Peer Support Team

The Peer Support programme is an initiative to create another layer of support for our students in addition to the Conversations team of counsellors. Peer Supporters are a voluntary group of students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, who are selected, trained, supervised, and mentored by the Conversations team to provide emotional support to their peers.

The Peer Support Team (PST) have been trained in basic counselling skills, ethics and confidentiality, gender and sexuality, grief and loss, and mental health conditions. As part of their training, the students also attended Suicide Gatekeeper Training conducted by Suicide Prevention India Foundation (SPIF).

Students can reach out to members of the team for an additional layer of emotional support within the University. 

  • Provide one-to-one emotional support
  • Spread awareness on mental health and wellbeing
  • Identify and help students in distress
  • Identify and refer students to the Conversations Team if professional help is needed
  • Academic difficulties
  • Difficulties adjusting to the University
  • Navigating the transition to University
  • Feeling stressed
  • Feeling anxious
  • Friendship or relationship issues

If you are an undergraduate student, you can reach out to the undergraduate peer supporters. If you are a postgraduate student, you can reach out the postgraduate peer supporters.

Dialogues: Our quarterly newsletter

Dialogues is a quarterly newsletter from Conversations: Centre for Positive Mental Health and Well Being, containing articles, poetry, and artwork by students, faculty, and members of Azim Premji University and the Foundation.

2023

  • January 2023: Building blocks of well-being: Self-compassion and boundaries

2022

  • January 2022: Perspectives on connection with self and others
  • April 2022: Embracing the complexity of societal expectations and individual expressions
  • July 2022: LGBTQIA+ Pride
  • October 2022: Making mental health and well-being for all a global priority

2021

Team members and the languages known

Contact us

Please feel free to reach out to the team at conversations@​apu.​edu.​in

Mental Health Apps List (For additional support)

  • Mental Health Apps List

Banner image Courtesy: Chen from Pixabay