St Mira’s college, Pune shatters the skill box with path-breaking courses... like, clinical music therapy - Hindustan Times
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St Mira’s college, Pune shatters the skill box with path-breaking courses... like, clinical music therapy

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByDheeraj Bengrut
Nov 29, 2019 04:40 PM IST

On offer are one two-year diplomas that allow exposure to an avant-garde selection of skill sets

St Mira’s College, Pune, has introduced vocational courses that it is identifying as “unconventional” and “path-breaking”.

Students of St MIra’s college with professor Jaya Rajagopalan, head of the department of psychology that offers a course on mindfulness-based counselling.(Shankar Narayan/HT PHOTO)
Students of St MIra’s college with professor Jaya Rajagopalan, head of the department of psychology that offers a course on mindfulness-based counselling.(Shankar Narayan/HT PHOTO)

These include, a diploma in dance movement therapy; a certificate course in disabilities – awareness and inclusion; a certificate course in mindfulness-based counselling – listening with embodied presence; and a postgraduate diploma in clinical music therapy.

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College principal Prof GH Gidwani said, “All these courses are completely different from our regular academic courses. These programmes are uniquely designed so that the education that we impart sensitises our students to the value of service, and sensitivity to others. The college has launched several value-added vocational competence courses, which are skill-based training programmes for helping professionals.” 

Prof Jaya Rajagopalan, head of department of psychology, said, “Dance movement therapy (DMT) is a type of therapy that uses movement to help individuals achieve emotional, cognitive, physical, and social integration. Beneficial for both physical and mental health, dance therapy can be used for stress reduction, disease prevention, and mood management. This course has been started in collaboration with ArtSphere and Creative Movement Therapy Association of India. While a certificate course in disabilities has been started in collaboration with Ekansh Trust, which is a six-week certificate course. It is an introductory course for those seeking to pursue careers in management, social work, education and administrative services.

“The course will help acquaint students with types and terminologies in disability studies, models of disabilities, challenges involved in inclusion of people with disabilities and advocacy and accessibility for people with disabilities,” Prof Rajagopalan said.

“While the mindfulness-based counseling diploma course which is started in collaboration with Just Being Centre, refers to being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the present moment, and accepting them without judgment. Mindfulness-based therapies and methods are becoming increasingly popular with mental health and other healthcare professionals which are been taught in it,” said Prof Rajagopalan. 

A student of the mindfulness-based counselling course, advocate Anuj Shah said, “I have completed my master’s in Law and when I came to know about this course I immediately joined up. My profession needs a lot of patient hearing from clients. The therapies and methods of counselling learnt in this course I can use it in my profession.”

A student of the Dance movement therapy course, Samrudhi More said, “Dance movement therapy teaches us how to connect with your body. It is useful for stress management, relaxation of mind and rehabilitation of a persons in distress.”

Postgraduate diploma in clinical music therapy

- In collaboration with The Music Therapy Trust, Delhi.

- One-year, full-time, and two-year, part-time course.

- Students conceptualise and integrate theory and practice in psychology and music.

“Music therapy is a mental health profession in which personalised music-based interventions improve health. Music therapy provides avenues for communication for those who struggle to express themselves with words.”

- Prof Jaya Rajagopalan, head of department of psychology

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