Celebrating 27 Years of Service in Mental Health

By Shalu Mehrotra for BIS Mumbai

On September 8, 2025, Prafulta – Centre for Psychological Wellness, Andheri, joyfully marks its 27th anniversary. Founded in 1998 by Fr Godfrey D’Sa SDB, professional counsellor, an educationist and compassionate pastor. Prafulta was established with the mission of making professional mental health services accessible, especially for youth. Fr D’Sa’s vision of continuous accompaniment, rooted in compassion and professional care, continues to inspire all our initiatives today.

Over nearly three decades, Prafulta has supported lakhs of individuals through counselling, psychiatry, occupational therapy, remedial education, psychometric testing, and career guidance. Each year, our team of dedicated mental health professionals conducts over 800 workshops and more than a dozen training programs for mental health professionals, reaching 50,000 individuals annually – including children, adolescents, teachers, parents, and professionals.

Yet, beyond these mainstream services, it is our outreach work among marginalised communities in the bastis and rural villages in recent years that has been especially close to our hearts.

Community Outreach Highlights

Subhash Nagar Basti
To make mental health care more inclusive and accessible, Prafulta runs weekly group sessions for women and adolescent girls. These safe spaces encourage participants to express themselves, build resilience, and strengthen relationships. Using art, games, movement, and discussions, our counsellors also provide psychoeducation on mental health and child development. Individual counselling is available whenever required.

Macramé pe Charcha
In low-income communities, mental health is often overlooked. To bridge this gap, Prafulta has innovatively combined therapy with handcraft work. Every Monday, a psychotherapist skilled in macramé and crochet conducts sessions where women weave while engaging in meaningful conversations around self-esteem, parenting, and relationships. The sale of handcrafted items provides women with not only economic empowerment but also confidence and emotional strength.

Aghai Village Clinic
Since October 2021, in partnership with The Banyan (Chennai), Prafulta has been running a weekly mental health clinic in Aghai village, 90 kms from Mumbai. Around 50 patients benefit each week from free psychiatric consultations, psychological therapy, and essential medication. Social workers ensure continuity of care through psychoeducation, caregiver support, and follow-ups. This initiative is restoring dignity, reducing stigma, and bringing trusted care to a region that previously had no mental health services.

Additional Outreach Initiatives

• Khabi Khushi Khabi Gham Mela: Since 2015, this annual fair for basti children and parents use music, dance, and play as pathways for emotional expression and well-being.

• Saathi Program: A three-year accompaniment program offering counselling and support to youth graduating from Dominic Savio orphanage, easing their transition into adulthood.

• Smiling Schools Project: In collaboration with Project Mumbai, regular workshops are held in 10 municipal schools to build resilience, self-awareness, and emotional literacy among children.

Looking Ahead with Gratitude

As we celebrate 27 years, we pause to thank God for His providence and for the countless opportunities we have had to touch lives and nurture emotional well-being. We remain deeply grateful to our staff, partners, supporters, and above all to our founder-director Fr Godfrey D’Sa SDB.

Moving forward, we reaffirm our commitment: to reach out with compassion, skill, and accompaniment to all those in need, especially those who are often left behind.