The Atmiyata Course: Providing Evidence-based Mental Health Support
The Atmiyata Course provides participants skills in evidence-based counselling techniques to identify, reach out, and support persons in distress.
Launched in October 2020, the course has completed 11 batches and successfully trained 136 individuals till date.
The Atmiyata course is based on Atmiyata, our community-led mental health and social care intervention.
In 2021, the World Health Organization listed Atmiyata as one of the 25 good practices for community outreach mental health services in the world. To know more, click here.
Training material for the Atmiyata Course has been developed with funding support from Mariwala Health Initiative and Grand Challenges Canada.
The current batch is open to Indian residents only.
Please note: This course is meant to enhance one’s capacity for self-care, informal mental health care, and support to one’s family, friends and colleagues. It does not equip, qualify, certify or recognise any individual as a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, or any other mental health professional for providing clinical, diagnostic or therapeutic services to persons with mental health problems.
Who is this course for
The Atmiyata course is designed for people who want to provide mental health support using evidence-based techniques.
It is particularly relevant for:
- People with lived experience of mental health concerns
- Caregivers and care providers
- Teachers and educators
- Mid- to senior-level managers and team supervisors
- HR professionals
- General medical practitioners
- Mental health professionals
- Non-profit organisations working in mental health and allied fields, including gender, caste, livelihoods and physical health
- Others interested in developing their capacity to provide informal mental health support
Learning Outcomes
This course will equip you with:
- An understanding of community mental health
- Knowledge of evidence-based techniques to reach out to and support persons in distress (Anxiety & Depression)
- An understanding of self-care techniques
- Conceptual & practical knowledge of tools for providing mental health support
Duration & Schedule
The course comprises 20 hours of learning over seven sessions, including a post-course check-in session.
The six training sessions are conducted over three weekends, with each session lasting three hours.
One week after completion of the training sessions, a two-hour check-in session is scheduled for participants to share their experiences of applying their learning to real-life situations.
This is an ONLINE course.
| Particulars | Dates | Day | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 17 October 2026 | Saturday | 10 AM to 1 PM |
| Day 2 | 18 October 2026 | Sunday | 10 AM to 1 PM |
| Day 3 | 24 October 2026 | Saturday | 10 AM to 1 PM |
| Day 4 | 25 October 2026 | Sunday | 10 AM to 1 PM |
| Day 5 | 31 October 2026 | Saturday | 10 AM to 1 PM |
| Day 6 | 1 November 2026 | Sunday | 10 AM to 1 PM |
| Check-in | 7 November 2026 | Saturday | 10 AM to 12 PM |
Course Structure
| MODULES | MAIN TOPICS |
|---|---|
| Module 1: Mental health is a spectrum | Understanding mental health, stress, and distress
Coping mechanisms |
| Module 2: Knowing more about common and severe mental health conditions | Common mental health conditions: Depression & Anxiety
Severe mental health conditions and referral pathway Understanding grief |
| Module 3: Knowing more about severe mental health conditions | Severe mental health conditions and referral pathway |
| Module 4: Knowing more about suicide | Overview of suicide and referral pathway |
| Module 5: Qualities of a good mental health supporter | Key ingredients for providing support |
| Module 6: Learning evidence-based techniques for providing mental health support | Active listening
Problem solving Behavioural activation |
| Module 7: Relaxation techniques | Learning and practising relaxation techniques |
| Module 8: Understanding social determinants of mental health | Impact of socio-cultural factors on mental health |
| Module 9: Knowing more about self-care | Self-care tips and techniques |
| Module 10: Practice sessions to support a person in distress | Supporting persons who are grieving and/ or dealing with Anxiety/ Depression
Role plays for practising techniques |
Certification
Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate from the Centre for Mental Health Law & Policy, Indian Law Society, Pune.
Application Process & Fee
Participants are required to submit their interest to join via the online application form. We intentionally keep batch sizes small and the course team will shortlist the final cohort from among the applicants.
| Particulars | Date |
|---|---|
| Call for applications | 17 August 2026 |
| Last date to apply | 13 September 2026 |
| Selection confirmation | 30 September 2026 |
| Course begins | 17 October 2026 |
Entry requirements
The current batch is open to Indian residents only.
Fee
6100 + 18% GST
Limited fee waivers are available for applicants demonstrating genuine financial need. Applicants wishing to be considered should indicate this in the application form. Fee waiver requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. As waivers are limited, we may not be able to accommodate all requests.
