BHU launches workshops to develop teachers as counsellors

Varanasi (UP): The Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has launched a weeklong series of ‘I Care’ workshops to develop faculty members as primary counsellors for students.

This is being done for the welfare and psychological well-being of students.

The workshops are being conducted in association with Maanas, an organisation working for transformation through psychological self-awareness. Teachers are being trained on addressing issues of psychological illiteracy and lack of awareness about mental well-being.

Founder director of Maanas, Meenakshi Kirtane, who is taking the sessions for teachers, said that while youths have a lot of exposure, they lack psychological literacy and creating facilities at the institute’s level will help them take care of their well-being.

First round of the workshop started at Mahila Mahavidyalaya for hostel coordinators, admin, wardens, student advisors and chairpersons of Student Well-Being Initiative Committee and Student Leadership and Life Skill Development and Initiative Committee.

Commander (Retd) Sayantan Sanyal, advisor, student affairs, said the experimental workshops address the gap of psychological literacy and self-awareness.

The first part of the workshop -- ‘Preparing to Connect to Self and Others’ focuses on helping faculty members develop higher consciousness towards their own psychological being and make them aware of their developmental history as a student.

The second part elaborates on different aspects of psychological well-being while third segment underscores the importance of listening.