Biography
Dr. Aparna Joshi is an Assistant Professor at the School of Human Ecology, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai, since 2010. She holds a Master's degree in Applied Psychology from the University of Pune, a Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling from MIMH, Sasoon Hospitals in Pune, and a PhD from TISS. She has also received further training in Couple and family Therapy, Narrative therapy, Supervision in psychotherapy and Leadership in Mental Health. Before joining TISS, she spent thirteen years as a psychologist and psychotherapist designing and implementing innovative mental health and psychosocial interventions in clinical, institutional, and community settings, particularly focusing on vulnerable groups. She was also involved in research and capacity building initiatives in the field of mental health. At TISS, her teaching, research, and outreach work simultaneously engages with individual mental health experiences and the societal and structural factors that shape them. Through her work, she aims to effectively connect academic knowledge with practical, real-life applications. Many of her projects are commissioned or supported by national and international organisations, including state governments, the Indian Council of Medical Research, Mariwala Health Initiative, UN organisations such as UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP, and IOM and international organisations such as Meta and Zoomcares Foundation. Additionally, she has served as an advisor and a task force member to non-governmental, state, and international organisations on themes related to technology assisted mental health initiatives, youth mental health, gender-based violence, couple and family wellbeing, and suicide and self-harm prevention. She is also actively involved in designing curricula and building the capacities of mental health practitioners and helping professionals. Besides her academic and research work, she leads two field action projects at TISS: iCALL and Sukoon. iCALL, initiated in 2012, is one of the leading national-level technology-assisted initiative for mental health and psychosocial well-being. iCALL provides professional, confidential, multilingual, and free telephone, email, and chat-based services to individuals in distress across the lifespan. iCALL has been recognised as a Mental Health Innovation by the Global Mental Health Network and also as a trusted partner by Meta and Google. Besides service provision, iCALL conducts research, capacity-building, and awareness-raising initiatives in mental health in partnership with state governments, civil society organisations, and international organisations. Sukoon is an innovative program that focuses on the psychosocial and relational well-being of couples and families in distress who are navigating legal structures. The project is highly relevant in the context of the evolving dynamics of marriage, family, and couples in a globalised world. Through its services and research, Sukoon develops contextually relevant models of counselling and psychosocial interventions to promote the well-being of couples and families in India.