1, 22, Asaf Ali Rd, Kucha Pati Ram, Ajmeri Gate, New Delhi
Welcome to You’re Wonderful Project;
Welcome to You’re Wonderful Project;
1, 22, Asaf Ali Rd, Kucha Pati Ram, Ajmeri Gate, New Delhi
The vision of You’re Wonderful Project; is to make mental health available and accessible for all.
YWP; online peer support team is available through our Facebook message option, Instagram DM option and via e-mail at helpteam.ywp@gmail.com If you prefer to reach out anonymously, you can do so using an anonymous account. You can also chat on our website and someone will respond live to your queries or be there to support. In that case, your identity will remain anonymous. In addition, the peer support team at YWP; assures confidentiality of all the information for everyone contacting us for support.
You’re Wonderful Project; does not offer any paid opportunities currently. However, the organisation reimburses any organisational expenditure incurred by the members in the course of the working of the organisation. Further, the organisation does recognise the work of the members in the form of rewards and incentives.
The organisation recruits members through an intensive recruitment process which is conducted by the HR department. The notification for any recruitment is done on all our social media platforms including LinkedIn. The organisation is primarily youth-run, and all current members are under the age of 30, but there is no age bar for working with us.
You’re Wonderful Project; has several departments which focus on a particular aspect of our organisation. The list of departments and what they do is mentioned below:
There are various ways in terms of how one can contribute through donations. The organization offers donor cards, which basically range from 100 rs. to 50,000 rs. depending on one’s convenience and ability to pledge money to the organization. All of the donor cards come with various perks which keep on increasing along with the total sum put forth by an individual. For more details, you can check out the pledge section on the official website, https://yourewonderfulproject.org/pledge/
YWP; was founded by Akhilesh Nair & Akash Saxena. Further, all the departments of the organization are managed by respective Heads and Co-Heads, the list of which is as follows:
The minimum duration for working with YWP; is six months, but a majority of our members have been associated with the organisation for several years. We are focused on building a strong network of like-minded individuals so we have a relatively slow turnover rate for our members. Individuals can also work in the organisation as part of a team for a particular event or project, in which case the duration of work will be the duration of the event or project itself.
Ans. A Counselor is a mental health professional who has a master's degree (MA) in counselling.They work with clients to help them learn better ways to manage their problems.A Clinical Psychologist is a mental health professional who has an MPhil from an RCI recognized institute in India. They are trained in assessing, evaluating and treating psychological disorders. A Psychiatrist is a licenced medical doctor and the only mental health professionals who are licensed to prescribe medicines.
Concept Note : Mental health professionals – counsellors, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists – work very closely to prevent, diagnose, and treat mental illnesses. Their main aim is to improve psychological well-being among people. These professionals work very closely with individuals experiencing psychological distress and may even work together to attain the goal of improving one’s psychological well-being.
1. Counsellor: A mental health professional who has a master's degree (MA) in counseling. They work with clients to help them learn better ways to manage their problems.Counsellors offer assistance to people suffering from problems that cause emotional distress, such as anxiety, relationship issues, eating disorders,or any other life changing events.
2. Clinical Psychologist: A clinical psychologist has a doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) in psychology or an MPhil in India. They are trained in evaluating and treating psychological disorders. Licensed clinical psychologists are qualified to do counseling and psychotherapy, psychological assessments, and provide treatment for mental health disorders. Psychologists cannot write prescriptions or perform medical procedures.
3. Psychiatrist: Psychiatrists are licenced medical doctors who complete specialized training in psychiatry. They are trained to differentiate mental health problems from other underlying medical conditions that could be present with psychiatric symptoms. Unlike clinical psychologists or counsellors, psychiatrists are the only mental health professionals who are licensed to write prescriptions. They treat disorders like depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar or schizophrenia with psychiatric medications and most part of the treatment may be focused on medication management.
Concept Note : To find a suitable mental health provider, you can look out for certain aspects that would make your experience with them easier, comfortable and eventually help you deal with your problems more effectively. The initial step could be to simply narrow down your research. Think about the issues that you need help with and subsequently search for specialists that work with individuals who require help with similar problems. If you have done your research and feel that a certain approach would work for you, go ahead with professionals who specialize in that particular approach. Finding out their educational qualification and professional experience will further help you understand if they are reliable and trustworthy. Moreover, every country provides a license to mental health professionals who fulfil a certain criteria . This is to ensure that the mental health professionals have relevant skills and knowledge to cater to the needs of those seeking help.
FAQ: Some of the questions that you may ask a mental health professional could be regarding the process of therapy itself and how it would benefit you, ideal expectations from counseling/therapy and the specific approach that the professional uses for the sessions. It is important to understand the role of professionals in your journey and ask them about what you can expect by the end of this process. Questions asking their therapeutic approach can also help you in understanding your mental health professional.You can further ask them how their therapy approach can effectively help individuals with similar requirements as yours.
Another question that you could ask is how long would it take until you can see adaptive changes in yourself. Do they use a particular approach in counseling/therapy? If yes, what approach is it and how effective is that for individuals with similar requirements as yourself.
Concept Note: As individuals seeking help from mental health professionals it is essential that we understand the process of therapy and/or medication. Everyone has different experiences, that is the process is never the same for any two individuals .
Questions which can be asked are :
FAQ: With counselling/therapy, there usually is no set/fixed timeline of treatment. Therapy may vary from just a couple of sessions to a few months or even years, depending on the needs of different individuals. It is best to discuss this with the professional you seek help from, as they would be well-informed about your mental health problem/s and its nature.
Concept Note: Therapy may vary from just a couple of sessions to a few months or even years, depending on the needs of different individuals. Treatment methods, goal of the person seeking therapy, the symptoms they have, and the history of those symptoms determine the length of counselling/therapy.The length of treatment may also vary depending on the type of therapy one engages in.Some people come to therapy with a specific issue or concern, while some people come to therapy to explore issues that seem to run a little deeper. For example, cognitive behavioural therapy or relationship counseling tend to be short to medium term therapies, while psychoanalytically-oriented therapies may involve more medium to long term work.
Ans.(FAQ) Social support means having a network of family and friends that you can turn towards in times of need. Professionals consider social support important when you are trying to reach your goals or deal with a crisis as it ensures that you’re never alone to face various challenges.
Visual idea: make a circle visual of people we maintain connection with.
Concept note: Social support is your network of family and friends that you can turn towards in times of need. These people provide the strength and support that someone needs during a stressful situation and helps the person to move forward and carry on without allowing the person to give up. It is a two-way street, you rely on others to support you and in turn, you serve as someone’s support system as well.
Many mental health professionals often consider social support as an important network when trying to reach your goals or deal with a crisis situation. Social support comes in different forms, depending on the person being helped and the person that is helping.Having a good social support system ensures that you're not alone to face a crisis and you always have someone to turn to. These people keep you going on in life and provide the push that is sometimes needed in life.
Ans.(FAQ) Sadness is a natural human emotion that we all experience. Whereas, depression is usually accompanied by symptoms besides sadness like helplessness, hopelessness, lack of motivation etc. It is important to be aware of the difference between sadness and depression since it helps in finding the right therapeutic environment.
Concept Note: People tend to often misunderstand depression for sadness and use the two interchangeably. However, the experience of emotional sadness is different from diagnosed depression. The latter refers to when a person has been identified and analysed by a therapist as undergoing depression. While both might seem similar in meaning ,knowing the difference between two, helps an individual to better understand their mental health issues. Sadness is a natural human emotion that we all experience at some point in our lives usually after a loss, rejection or pain. Mostly, we are able to overcome this feeling of sadness in some time span. However, if the feeling persists for a long period of time and has started affecting our daily routine we might need to seek help from a professional. Depression is usually accompanied by symptoms besides sadness like hopelessness, lack of motivation, loss of interest in previously cherished activities, tiredness, tiredness and fatigue, change in sleeping and eating patterns and more. It is typically recommended that one must seek professional help if such symptoms last for longer than two weeks.
You’re Wonderful Project; works on raising awareness on mental health, encouraging acceptance of mental health difficulties, promoting prevention and facilitating intervention. We make this happen through a range of online and offline campaigns, events, workshops and training. These initiatives are in addition to the work our dedicated team puts in towards the same ends.
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There are three tiers on which You’re Wonderful Project; operates. On the third tier, through our programs like SPEAK, Our Happy Place and Workplace Mental Health we raise awareness and set up peer support groups on the ground level. At tier 2, we address all the queries and cases which come from tier 3 with the help of our online Peer Support Team, create engaging online content and conduct courses, seminars, webinars and workshops for raising awareness about mental health and increasing accessibility to mental health resources. At tier-1 we have a board of psychologists (counselors, therapists and psychiatrists) to whom the cases in need of professional help are sent.
You’re Wonderful Project was started by Naman Dutt as an online community in 2014. The community got registered as a Charitable trust in 2017. Started with the goal of suicide prevention, the NGO has now started working on various aspects of the problem. You’re Wonderful Project; works on raising awareness on mental health, encouraging acceptance of mental health difficulties, promoting prevention and facilitating intervention.
SPEAK stands for School Programme for Emotional Acceptance and Knowledge. The focus of the programme is on initiating a dialogue among school students around Mental Health and its importance, enabling students to understand and support themselves better as well as those around them by equipping them with various strategies. It further aims to create a space where students accord mental health the same importance as their physical health. The idea is to introduce the concept of Mental Health at a young age when developing minds are able to grasp and understand such concepts without any preconceived notions.
Our organisation has a Policy for Sexual Misconduct as well as a membership agreement with detailed guidelines on the responsibilities of every member. We also have an active HR department which ensures a safe working environment for every individual involved with the organisation.
Anyone can nominate artists and speakers using this link: https://forms.gle/CQPt56nZQ9cSHNau8
FAQ: Mental health is a state of well-being in which every individual realizes how they can cope with the normal stresses of life and can work productively. Mental health is essential for an individual to be able to live a meaningful,healthy and balanced life.
Concept Note. Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the day to day stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, both as an individual and as a member of his/her community or group.(WHO,2004)
Visual idea : 3 major components of mental health according to WHO ; well being, effective functioning of individuals, effective functioning for a community.
Some ways to look after your mental health:
FAQ: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common type of talk therapy that aims to help an individual with their emotions, behaviour and goals. The aim of CBT is to help you get better, which is done through changing your unhealthy beliefs to their healthy counterparts.
Concept Note Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common type of talk therapy (psychotherapy). You work with a mental health counselor (psychotherapist or therapist) in a structured way, attending a limited number of sessions.CBT treatment usually involves efforts to change thinking patterns and behavior patterns. It is effective in managing a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems.
CBT is based on several core principles, including:
FAQ: Psychiatric medication works by altering, blocking or enhancing levels of the brain's naturally-occurring chemical messengers, known as neurotransmitters. Medication helps in managing the symptoms of the mental health disorder and is often combined with psychotherapy as the part of overall treatment. They are prescribed by a registered psychiatrist after consultation.
Concept Note Psychiatric medication works by altering, blocking or enhancing levels of the brain's naturally-occurring chemical messengers, known as neurotransmitters.
There are five major classes of psychiatric medications:
FAQ: Therapy addresses a range of mental health challenges from depression, anxiety, substance abuse to challenges of daily living like when you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, fatigued , angry or burned out by work / personal life. Therapy provides you with a supportive environment in which you learn to cope up with these emotions and the challenges which might arise in future. Moreover,it helps you in gaining a deeper understanding of yourself, helps in developing healthier behavioral patterns and consequently helps in living a more fulfilling life.
Concept Note: Many people may need and can benefit from therapy at least during some point in their lives, but it’s important to look for signs suggesting that you might need therapy. Contrary to the misconception, there shouldn't be anything ‘wrong’ with your mental health to start therapy and therefore it can be used for purposes like exam stress or challenges faced in a relationship.
The American Psychological Association (APA) suggests considering therapy ,when something/someone causes distress and interferes with some part of life, particularly when:
Ans. (FAQ) Dealing with a lot of emotions can be difficult. One of the ways you can deal with difficult emotions is to try and identify the emotions one at a time so as to have a clearer understanding of these emotions. This reflective activity helps in breaking the chain of negative thinking. Another fruitful way is to engage yourself in meaningful and constructive work or hobby.
Concept Note: Feeling overwhelmed can have many faces. It might manifest in the form of intense emotions, such as anxiety, anger or irritability; thought processes, such as worry, doubt or helplessness; and behavior, such as crying, lashing out, or experiencing a panic attack.
Strategies which might help you deal with these emotions:
Ans ( FAQ) There is a negative connotation attached with psychiatric medication because of which people experience ‘pill shaming’ (occurs when someone expresses negative opinions on using medication for treating mental health issues). Another
reason can be the potential side effects that mediation might have on the person taking medication.
Concept Note: Stigma around mental health has persisted since long which in turn deters individuals from seeking help. In addition, there is a stigma about taking psychiatric medication. Research suggests that people may discontinue their medications and attribute this discontinuation to physical, emotional, financial reasons or even mere forgetfulness. Often, people do not want to accept that they have an issue pertaining to their mental health so they may resort to denial. Medicines can also be viewed as a continuous reminder that something is ‘wrong’ and it needs to be treated, which might be difficult to deal with, for individuals who consider mental health a taboo. Individuals might also experience ‘pill shaming’ which is one of the biggest deterrents to taking medication. This refers to the society expressing negative opinions and wrongly assuming that taking medicines is an indication of weakness and symbolic of one’s inability to manage tough times. Another reason why people tend to avoid medication are the potential side effects of it. It is thus imperative to recognise that medication can treat symptoms for mental health issues like any other physical health issues and therefore contributes to the well-being of a person.
Ans.(FAQ) The average cost per session of counselling/therapy can be relatively high (ranging from Rs. 500-2000), but many psychologists work on a sliding scale as well. Some even provide student discounts or other concessions to make it accessible.
Concept Note: While reaching out to professionals, most individuals assume that therapy is expensive. While the average cost per session could be relatively high (ranging from Rs. 500-2000), a few counsellors/psychologists work on a sliding scale. This means that the therapist would discuss with the client and they would mutually decide upon an affordable fee based on the client’s ability to pay. Some organisations/ professionals even provide student discounts or other concessions to make therapy accessible to a large group of people.You’re Wonderful Project; (YWP;) maintains a comprehensive database of professionals that are referred to individuals(according their needs of budget, state,city) who reach out to us, in an effort to help individuals ,so as to find the right therapist for them.However, finding the right therapist, like finding the right physician, may take some time as every professional may not suit everyone’s needs. So it is okay to change the therapist and try someone who you feel would be better suited for you. At the same time, it is also essential to understand that therapy is a long term process and giving it time is key to your well-being. Mental health care providers are willing to and, in fact, some even encourage to discuss with the client any issues that they might have in regard to the therapeutic relationship as it facilitates the trust that is core to the relationship.
For visitors, in the website itself : Introduction to what we do, how first time visitors can initiate conversations with our peer supporters; expected role of peer supporters specified on website; exploring apprehensions and thoughts of people reaching out for their first sessions, to make them feel more comfortable and more understood.
The Peer Support Team is a vital part of the organization .This team consists of undergraduate and postgraduate students of Psychology who are trained in various aspects pertaining to different domains of peer support by professional psychologists. The team takes up Direct Peer support(when the help seeker contacts the team by themselves)and Indirect Online peer support(when help seeker reaches to seek support for someone they know ). Peer Supporters act as a bridge between the help seeker and the professional counterpart by referring the case to a mental health practitioner through the expansive database of the on-board professionals which the organization has curated.
Role of the peer supporters:
The Peer support Team undergoes intense training from various professionals for the domain of Peer support in text based format. The Peer supporters are here to provide emotional support to help seekers . A safe and supportive space is provided to explore one’s own thoughts and feelings along with ensuring better accessibility to mental health professionals through the YWP’s; database of professionals.
For visual: an instagram template can be made to show the introductory conversation with a peer supporter.
The peer supporters provide assistance in various ways. First, by providing a safe space to share and be heard. Second, they refer help seekers to mental health professionals from an extensive, well researched database of psychologists all over the country. Third, they provide access to professionals who take on cases on subsidised rates for students along with free helpline numbers. Finally, the public too can locate contacts and referrals to mental health professionals and independently reach out to them as well.
Families and friends play an important role to help loved ones get through difficult times. They can help by paying attention to them and providing emotional support to the person. Creating a non-judgemental environment for them to feel safe and not be stigmatised about their mental health. Look for signs and symptoms of the person and encourage them to visit a professional to get help and even help finding them a professional. YWP; also provides help in finding a professional that is near your residence and tries to coordinate with the help seekers regarding any other requirements.
Anyone who thinks that a psychologist, psychological assistant or registered psychologist has acted illegally, irresponsibly, or unprofessionally may file a complaint against them. This can be done by visiting the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) website and filing an official complaint. Another website that can be helpful to file a complaint is Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists(IACP).
The Peer supporters provide their services free of cost. YWP; is available on platforms like Instagram, Gmail, Twitter and Facebook, and one can initiate conversation with a peer supporter by sending a simple 'Hey' on any of those. A person can also reach us by sending a direct message through our website, which remains completely anonymous.
Concerns about confidentiality, anonymity and general apprehension of an online medium might hold people back from reaching out. However, YWP; ensures that all conversations remain strictly confidential and no information is shared without your consent. Starting and maintaining a conversation with a peer supporter is easy and accessible, where a safe, non-judgemental avenue is provided for exploring thoughts and feelings. All messages are responded to promptly and the person can choose to remain anonymous too by contacting us through our website (crisis intervention cases are directed towards appropriate professionals for supervision). Finally, there are financial concerns which hold people back,YWP; provides free of cost services and helps you reach out to a professional on subsidized rates.
If you need urgent help, you can contact 24*7 helplines that provide mental health services.In addition to that, YWP; maintains an extensive database for these helplines and you can contact us.
Ans. (FAQ) Some of the things that one can do to relieve exam stress are:
Ans. (FAQ) Keeping yourself physically and mentally fit by exercising and consuming a healthy diet can help in enhancing our mental health. Meditation, talking positively to yourself and maintaining a good sleep cycle can also help.
Concept Note. Mental health should not only be understood in terms of a diagnosis, it also includes our general sense of well-being. Just like our bodies, we need to ensure we are in a healthy state of mind as well.We can ensure good mental health and well being by a number of ways. One of the most well known ways of keeping yourself fit physically and mentally is to exercise your body regularly and to take a healthy diet. At the same time you can also exercise your mind through meditation which helps one to be more mindful and stay calm. Talking positively to yourself has been shown to have a huge impact in the way you view yourself. People generally maintain a journal in order to write down positive affirmations as well as things they are grateful for. Maintaining a good sleep cycle with at least 6 to 8 hours of undisturbed sleep also contributes to your good well being as well.
In addition to the above aspects, another important way is to open up to someone and share your feelings. Bottling emotions is likely to lead to frustrations, feelings of loneliness as well as the feeling of helplessness. Talking to your friends and family helps.While this might sound like a lot, starting even one of these practices can exponentially help in improving your mental health
Ans. (FAQ) If a relationship can impact your mental health in an adverse way, it can be considered to be toxic. Being in such a relationship can be bad for one's mental health . So talking about your feelings to the partner might help. Seeking help from others, making a decision of getting out of it and following it can help as well.
Content Note. A toxic relationship is one where you find yourself longing for emotional understanding and honesty. Often characterised by aspects like disrespect, dishonesty, controlling behaviours, toxic communication, lack of support, feelings of insecurity, etc., it can hamper your mental health.
Ans. (FAQ) If a relationship can impact your mental health in an adverse way, it can be considered to be toxic. Being in such a relationship can be bad for one's mental health . So talking about your feelings to the partner might help. Seeking help from others, making a decision of getting out of it and following it can help as well.
Content Note. A toxic relationship is one where you find yourself longing for emotional understanding and honesty. Often characterised by aspects like disrespect, dishonesty, controlling behaviours, toxic communication, lack of support, feelings of insecurity, etc., it can hamper your mental health.
Are you kind to yourself ?
What is my sexual orientation?
Shame in mental illness, medicalisation, how to replace shame with openness and support in family? Is anyone “normal”? Do I need to “fix” my mental state?.
Belongingness
Seeking help in case of sexual abuse
Understanding love
Bereavement and loss
Feeling low
Feeling lonely
Self harming
Relationship problems
Feeling suicidal
Feeling stressed or anxious
Bullying, Mental Health and Help Seeking?
Does seeking help make you weak?
Is emotional vulnerability desirable?
How does a therapeutic alliance work?
How do I remove the stigma around mental health?
How do I encourage my family and friends to see a psychologist?
How to tell my parents I’m seeing a counsellor or therapist?
A brief introduction to all psychological disorders