The S P Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) has launched a full-fledged Counselling and Development Centre that will be open to participants of the Institute’s various management programmes. The Centre is the latest in a series of new initiatives at SPJIMR, a top ranked school of management that is noted for pedagogic innovations and its deep student connect.
The Counselling and Development Centre aims to be a space dedicated to the well-being of participants and will work to support, nurture and empower students and be available with professional help just when students need it the most. The Centre has been named ‘Vishwas’, which is Hindi for trust.
Said Dr. Ranjan Banerjee, Dean, SPJIMR, “There is a point in time at which every human being needs someone to talk to. We want to be there for our students when this happens.”
Dr. Lata Dhir, Psychologist and Associate Professor at SPJIMR in the area of People & Performance, who heads Vishwas, said, “In today’s times, cope-ability matters as much as capability. Having someone to talk to and respond to various issues and concerns with unconditional positive regard can go a long way in helping participants live up to their full potential and build cope-ability.”
“At the base of all behaviour is the core state of the mind. Vishwas will strengthen this core so that participants can pursue their dreams with greater confidence, enhanced self-esteem and positivity,” Dr.Dhir added.
She said the Centre formalises and expands a support system that had already been working at an informal level for the past several years.
Vishwas will work with three key objectives:
- Provide a platform to address personal concerns
The Centre will address deeper emotional concerns, stress management and any other personal concerns.
- Leverage strengths and create greater awareness of growth trajectory
Vishwas would provide a readily available space where participants can discuss their individual journeys, career aspirations and areas of concern. Career mapping can be a gradual and holistic process rather than an anxiety-provoking question closer to placements.
- Minimise stress and boost confidence during placements
Participants could go through self-doubt and anxiety during placements. The Centre will identify differences between resilient and anxiety-prone personalities and use the insights gathered to plan stress management initiatives.
Vishwas will offer one-on-one sessions, group sessions and workshops,and will support research to identify trends and developmental areas in the batch.
Vishwas, which will have a team of qualified psychologists, will remain space free of course credits and points. Information shared with the psychologists will not be shared without obtaining prior consent. Personal information and psychometric test scores will not be used for academic evaluation or placement considerations.
A student body is actively supporting all coordination activities at Vishwas, while also acting as a sounding board for the team.
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