By BIS Correspondent for BIS Mumbai

Prafulta Center for Psychological Wellness, Nerul organised a School Counsellors’ Meet on “Creating Safe Spaces: Where Every Child Belongs” at the Don Bosco School auditorium, Nerul. The meet brought together educators, counsellors and mental health professionals to reflect on how schools can become spaces where every child feels safe, heard, understood and valued.

The programme was graced by Dr. Fr. Barnabe D’Souza, Director, Prafulta Nerul; Mrs. Kalyani Chaudhuri, Principal, Don Bosco School, Nerul; Dr. Prajakta Patkar, Psychiatrist and Secretary, Bombay Psychiatric Association; Dr. Vidhya Satish, Dean, SIES College; and Dr. Ambujam Iyer, Resource Person from CRDE.

The programme opened with “Courage Over Fear,” a meaningful play presented by the students of Don Bosco Nerul, highlighting the importance of courage, support and overcoming fears that can often remain hidden behind a child’s behaviour.

The keynote address by Dr. Prajakta Patkar, “The Child Behind the Behaviour: A Psychiatrist’s Perspective,” encouraged participants to look beyond behaviour and understand the emotions and experiences that may lie beneath it, emphasising empathy and early recognition.

This was followed by a workshop by Dr. Vidhya Satish, “Understanding the Language of the Classroom,” which focused on bullying and classroom management, helping educators recognise classroom dynamics and explore constructive ways of creating positive and inclusive learning environments.

Participants also had an experiential walkthrough of Prafulta Center for Psychological Wellness, familiarising them with its facilities and services and highlighting the importance of collaboration between schools, families and mental health professionals.

The day concluded with a thought-provoking panel discussion, “Creating Emotionally Safe Classrooms: Are We Listening?” The panel brought together Dr. Prajakta Patkar, Dr. Vidhya Satish, Dr. Ambujam Iyer and Mrs. Kalyani Chaudhuri. The discussion explored emotional safety, early identification of distress, inclusion, classroom practices and the importance of genuinely listening to children.

The meet reinforced a simple yet powerful message: creating safe spaces does not mean removing every challenge from a child’s life; it means ensuring that no child has to face those challenges alone.

An emotionally safe school is one where children can make mistakes without fear, ask for help without shame, express themselves without judgement and, most importantly, feel that they belong.

Because when every child feels safe, heard and valued, every child can truly belong.