Who We Are
On April 27th, 2021, two friends from across the oceans had a conversation. Dr. Radhika Bapat, psychologist in Pune, Maharashtra and Dr. Uma Chandrika Millner, psychologist in Boston, Massachusetts talked about the stress on the health care system in the current Covid-19 crisis in India and the challenges faced by multiple frontline workers. Dr. Millner offered mental health support to Dr. Bapat’s colleagues and Dr. Bapat wondered if there would be more people interested in supporting her colleagues in the same way. Dr. Millner put out a call on social media and several hundred individuals responded.
INDEAR has now grown into a collective of volunteer Indian/South Asian/Non South Asian Mental Health Professionals across the globe who have partnered with our healthcare colleagues in India to support their work in the current Covid-19 crisis by providing free psychological first-aid and related mental health support. Psychological first aid is not psychotherapy but a humane, supportive, and flexible response during or after crises or emergencies, like the current COVID 19 pandemic. We are unable to provide psychotherapy or clinical services but we are able to provide training, supervision and support to Indian mental health professionals providing psychotherapy or clinical services.
It has become more apparent now than ever that the mental health of our colleagues and loved ones is essential for their continued functioning and well-being. Caring for others can be difficult under circumstances where we encounter significant stress, trauma, and grief. These experiences can spill over and affect other areas of our lives and relationships with our loved ones. Psychological first aid from well-trained professionals can help reduce some of the impact of this stress and trauma and help us be more present with our loved ones and family members.