ASHA HAI - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director & Principal, CRR NO.B 54048
Gunjan Bijlani holds a Master's Degree in Counselling Psychology with Distinction and Diploma in Early Childhood and Special Education. She is a counselling Psychologist and a licensed Special Educator (RCI). She has proficiency in helping people work on their family and marital relationships. She is a founder Director of Asha Hai Intervention Center since 2010 and has been working with children with special needs like Autism, Down-Syndrome, Learning Disabilities, ADHD, MR and Cerebral Palsy. She is also associated with Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Research and Sciences as a Child & Adolescent, Family and Couple Counsellor.
Ishani Sengupta is the Developmental Psychologist at ASHA HAI. A passionate professional with experience of working with children with neurodevelopmental needs, she believes in having fun with children and that play is the work of children. With a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Delhi University and a Post Graduate Degree in Clinical Psychology from Amity University, currently she is pursuing her PGDRP Course in Rehabilitation Psychology for her RCI Licence. She has done various certificate courses in Play Therapy from the National Association for Play Therapy India and has done an Advanced Level Training Course in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). She began her career as a Developmental Psychologist at Healing Nest where she also worked as a visiting counsellor at Bhatnagar International School. She is currently at Asha Hai and also act as a visiting consultant at Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research.
Her mantra in life is to "Keeping in touch with your Inner Child in all situations". She is playful, friendly, helpful and loves spending time with children. Ishani likes to explore new things, currently she is learning Kathak. She likes to read books, watch horror movies and listening to podcasts.
Mehar Pruthi is a counseling psychologist whose work is heavily influenced by a humanistic philosophy, mindfulness, and somatic experiences. She believes in the multiplicity of the mind asserting that as humans we have different parts to ourselves and that there are no inherently ‘bad parts'; rather we are just continually striving to do what's best for us in any given point of time. In her practice, Mehar adopts a trauma-informed lens and actively strives to make her space as inclusive as possible. Particularly in her work with children and adolescence, she is neurodivergence accommodative and views neurodiversity analogous to an orchestra with each instrument bringing a unique voice to the symphony of life.
Nishu Sharma is an occupational therapist at Asha Hai. She holds her bachelor's degree with an upgradation course from PDDUIPH, Delhi University. She also specializes in Ares Sensory Integration from the University of Southern California. She has extensive hands-on and clinical experience of 22 years and expertise in fields of pediatric motors, SPD, Autism, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, Language, and other developmental delays. She follows a holistic therapeutic approach to help maximize and optimize participation in valued daily life activities and interventions including the Inclusion of Children with disabilities in school and social platforms. She has also been a part of guest faculty lecturer at the association for the advancement and rehabilitation of handicapped. Teacher Training Centre and Consultant Occupational Therapist at New Delhi Children's Hospital and Research Centre (NDCHRC) New Delhi.
Pooja Pathak is a skilled and experienced Paediatric Occupational therapist. She provides paediatric rehabilitation services, training and education programs for parents of special needs children. She has passion for working with children and has done so for over 11 years. She has experience in the paediatric OT setting working with children who have fine motor and gross motor delays, sensory processing disorder, Autism, ADHD, Learning disability, Cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, Erb's palsy, premature babies, mental retardation, visual motor, perceptual difficulties, and developmental delays. She received her Bachelor degree in Occupational therapy from National institutes for locomotor disability NILD West Bengal University of Heath sciences and her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy from SVNIRTAR Utkal University where she also completed research and training in Special need children. she has obtained continuing education training in occupational therapy in NICU, Sensory Integration, Neuro developmental Training. She has completed Paediatric Feeding and Swallowing Education (PFASE).
She believes every child is unique and has unlimited abilities. She advocates Early Intervention, Inclusive education and seeing a child as a whole and not with their diagnosis.
Job Titles:
- Founder, President - Asha Hai, the Dancing Bond / Visiting Consultant Psychologist - Child Development Clinic
Rashi Bijlani Tandon is a Dance Movement Psychotherapist registered with the ADMP, UK (Association of Dance Movement Psychotherapists, United Kingdom) and a Rehabilitation psychologist with the RCI (Rehabilitation Council of India) practicing for the past 10 years in the field of Mental Health. She is the Founder and President of Asha Hai, which is one of its kind project for inclusive education for children with extra needs. She is an accomplished Bharatnatyam dancer. Her experience in the field of movement fosters her belief that dance and movement enhance the smooth interaction of the mind and body. Rashi holds a double Master's Degree in Dance Movement Psychotherapy and Clinical Psychology. Rashi conducts various DMP workshops across schools, colleges, hospitals as well as Rehabilitation centers in Delhi to familiarize people with the concept of Dance Movement Psychotherapy while demonstrating its usefulness in a therapeutic setting. She acquired a scholarship in LMA (Laban Movement Analysis) in Shanghai from the INSPIREES and Laban/ Bartenieff Institute of movement studies.
She is the head consultant psychologist at the Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research at their Child Development Clinic. She is currently closely associated with Shri Edu-Care limited and works as a consultant psychologist with The Shri-Ram Early years. As a consultant and valued resource person at Shri Edu Care limited she conducts training and workshops for schools all over the country. She is a founding Board Member and General Secretary of the Indian Association of Dance Movement Therapy as well as the Member-in-charge of the Membership Committee. Her novel and unique vision of society enable her to view children through a new lens. Enthusiastic about attaching early with our children, she founded
Sheetal Mehra has been an administrator at ASHA HAI. She holds a Nursery Teacher`s Training diploma and an Early Childhood Care Education diploma from IGNOU. She is a seasoned teacher with 16 years of experience behind her. Her area of expertise lies in Early Childhood Care and preschool education. She takes care of the smooth running of the Centre. Her excellent management skills have been a great asset, ensuring a well-organized Institute.
Creative lesson plans and boundless energy is her forte. She excels in planning activities and lessons for the little ones in accordance with their interests. Inspiring learning in children gives her immense joy. In her own words - There is no greater joy than seeing a student finally "get it"
Shivangi Rai is a Child Psychologist at Asha Hai. She is a compassionate and dedicated professional and believes in offering the best possible therapy to children using play based techniques. She has completed her graduation in Psychology from Delhi University and has obtained her Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology from Amity University, Noida. Her internships at Max Hospital, Saket and Centre for Child and Adolescent Wellbeing (CCAW) and work experience at Autism Centre for Excellence (ACE) have made her competent in working with children and in delivering therapies such as Play and Language Therapy, Social Communication and Behaviour Therapy and Special Education. She has been working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy for about two years. Her sessions are child centered, wherein the children are given a safe and comfortable environment to express themselves.
She strongly believes that there is nothing one can't do, if they set their mind to it. Anything is possible. She enjoys traveling, baking and playing with her dogs.
Job Titles:
- Developmental Psychologist
Tanushree is a developmental psychologist at Asha Hai. With a passion to work with children, her zeal towards making every child happy in what they do is a goal she has being in the profession. She considers mental health, especially childhood mental health is at the forefront of growth and enrichment of the future generation in the already competitive 21st Century. She is a firm believer that happiness and skills are always coincided with a positive and conducive Mental Health and positive parenting. She holds a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Maniben Nanavati Women's College, and has also worked with A.H. Wadia School Mumbai as a life skills trainer where her initiative and hard work was encouraged and applauded immensely. Before joining Asha Hai, She was working with Dolphin POD, where she was hired as a POD Coach and was at the forefront of imparting necessary life skills and training to children using Play and Downtime. She also worked with the Aditya Birla Schools in Mathura during her time there and worked on skill building with the children there. At Asha Hai, her goal is to ensure that every child is happier, healthier and above all feeling collaborative and participative with those around them. She wants to make the world a bit more empathetic and sensitive for them.
She loves to sing and often uses music as her go to when she feels overwhelmed. She also enjoys writing and is a published poet, working on her first novel. Considered as one of the most intellectual and passionate in her group, she is always looking forward to rising and being successful.