Our team comprises of professionals who are variously qualified as psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, developmental psychologists, occupational therapists and consultants.Some of them are dually qualified as arts based therapists, expressive arts and movement therapist and family therapists .
Many have also done trainings and certifications in techniques like Sensory Integration Therapy, Oral Placement Therapy, Narrative Therapies, Solution Focussed therapies etc.
We are ably supported by an administrative team and support staff at both centres.
Dr Shelja Sen
Child & Adolescent Psychologist & Family Therapist and Author. MPhil & DClinPsych
Delhi
Dr Shelja Sen
Dr Shelja Sen (MPhil, DClinPysh) is a therapist, a writer, a story weaver and co-founder of Children First. She is the author of the critically acclaimed books, All You Need is Love: The Art of Mindful Parenting and Imagine: No Child Left Invisible and her new book Reclaim Your Life: Going beyond silence, stigma and shame in mental health. Shelja is a TED speaker and a columnist with Indian Express. She aligns herself with collaborative practices that honour the dignity of the person and work at developing richer narratives. She believes that we need to work at building ecosystems that nurture emotionally safe spaces for children and youth at home, schools and the larger community.
Ankita Khanna
Psychologist and Arts Based Therapist, Head of Services, Children First, Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Ankita Khanna
A child of the mountains, Ankita holds a Masters Degree in Psychology from the University of Delhi, with a specialisation in Clinical Psychology. After finishing her masters in Psychology, she worked as a School Counsellor at The Shri Ram School, Gurgaon, for four years, before moving into full time work at Children First. Ankita currently heads the Children First Gurgaon Centre and now has more than a decade of experience in assessments, psychotherapy, teacher training, and group work. She also practices as a certified Arts Based Practitioner and a Village Music Circles™️ Facilitator, using the arts, such as music, drama, storytelling and dance, for therapeutic benefit with children and young people. Ankita loves all things homegrown and handmade, clever words, art, and a good cup of coffee.
Jonaki Arora
Psychologist, Coordinator for Clinical Services, Coordinator for Communities That Care
Delhi
Jonaki Arora
Jonaki loves working with children and enjoys their company more than adults! Through her work as a psychologist she hopes to connect with children, and help them find a safe space to share their difficulties and explore their strengths. She has done her Masters in Educational and Developmental Psychology from Monash University, Australia. Jonaki loves to laugh, read, travel, eat and play.
Niharika Kaul Bhattacharya
Psychologist, Coordinator Profiling Minds, Coordinator Manju Bharat Ram Rainbow Project
Delhi
Niharika Kaul Bhattacharya
Niharika is a counselling psychologist and absolutely loves working with children and young adults. She has a postgraduate degree in counselling psychology, with a specialization in educational psychology. Niharika's passion lies in cognitive and psychoeducational assessments. Niharika is also a college counselor and has done a course in college counselling from Oxford University. Niharika loves books, photography, travel and dogs!
Sandra Jose
Counselling psychologist and Arts-based Therapist, Coordinator for Clinical Services
Delhi
Sandra Jose
Sandra is a counselling psychologist. She not only loves being aorund children but is also passionate about working with them. Her zeal and inclination towards using different art forms in therapeutic work with children has motivated and driven her to complete a course in Arts-based Therapy. She enjoys shopping, Bollywood music, drama and theatre and is secretly ambitious about doing theatre performance on stage some day!
Priyanka Mittal
Priyanka is a Clinical Psychologist with an M.Phil from NIMHANS, Bangalore. A versatile professional with a broad skill set, Priyanka works with children, adolescents and families and is also involved in community outreach, group work, training and assessments. She is also currently coordinating our newly launched Corporates That Care program. Priyanka is a naturally systemic thinker who is able to look at the bigger picture and easily separate the chaff from the actual grains of wheat. Her refreshing clarity and groundedness, combined with her love for good food, good books, and a good cup of coffee, makes her a valued professional and a much loved team member.
Damini Nayak
Damini is a psychologist by profession and social enthusiast at heart. Someone who constantly likes to explore and expand her knowledge base, she enjoys to work with different populations and learn from two-way interaction. She loves to travel and experience cross cultural differences. She adores almost all animals and wishes to raise multiple of them together. Apart from it, she loves to eat, shop and yes of course talk about life and destiny.
Bhavya Kulshreshtha
Bhavya is a psychologist who thinks of children fondly as her "tiny humans" who deserve care and safe spaces where their voices can be heard. You'll often find her drawing/painting with the children. She also loves to sing and to read. She believes in the immense potential of each child and aims to nurture and build on it. Bhavya has a Master's degree in Applied Psychology (Specialization in Clinical Psychology) from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Her current work includes individual sessions, group work and assessments.
Harshita Kaushal
Harshita is a Counselling Psychologist from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. She loves exploring the different narratives of children and their families, because she believes that there is untapped potential in each child that needs unmasking. She is always on the lookout for light in places that are believed to have none. She enjoys a good book and a good joke, vividly imagines strange scenarios and narrates them with equal enthusiasm. One of her frequent sources of joy is imagining an all inclusive world, and she believes that there is strength in keeping that imaginative vision alive while working towards it.
Kasturi Chetia
Kasturi is a Clinical Psychologist and holds an M.Phil from Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. She has a keen interest in Gestalt, Existential and Psychodynamic psychotherapy along with special interest in the areas of trauma and sexual abuse. Unique clinical cases always inspire her to learn more and therefore provide better care and inputs in her quality of work. Outside the professional sphere, she loves animals, shopping and is quite a Bollywood buff with an affinity for everything masala and rom-coms. Guessing songs by tune is her special skill closely followed by a zeal to try new places to eat and satisfy her culinary cravings. Off late, she has a new-found love for travelling which she pursues with equal passion.
Akanksha Kukreja
Akanksha is a counselling psychologist and believes in the uniqueness of each child. Hailing from the city of Indore, she completed her Masters from Christ University, Bengaluru. She has an eclectic approach to therapy and believes in the holistic development of children. She strongly feels that if given the right kind of care, nurture and love, each individual can become the best version of themselves. An extrovert by nature, she loves travelling, meeting new people and exploring new places. She is also very fond of animals, watching new series and considers herself as an enthusiastic shopper.
Taarini Marwaha
Taarini has completed her MSc in Counselling Studies from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland, UK). She is also certified in counselling skills by COSCA (Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland). She has previously worked as the school counsellor at GEMS Heritage Indian School, Dubai and as a Creative Arts Therapist at Circle of Life, India. She believes in the Person-Centered approach to counselling and likes to use music and art in her therapy sessions. Taarini is a keen listener and admires the strengths in every person she interacts with. She is passionate about music and enjoys singing and playing the piano.
Sanjana Mishra
Sanjana is a psychologist who enjoys learning about new and diverse things, and believes that the best learners and teachers in the world are children. She loves being around them and learning from as well as working with their unique narratives and worldviews. She also loves dogs, cats, reading, music and science! Sanjana has an MA in Applied Psychology (Specialisation in Clinical Psychology) from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Lavina Nanda
Developmental Psychologist and Therapeutic Play Practitioner, Head of Developmental Centre
Delhi
Lavina Nanda
Lavina feels blessed that she can make some of her loved interests like toys, stories, music, art, jumping and laughing, a part of her work. While she feels development and healing is a life long process, she also believes in the magic of ‘early intervention’. Through her work, she hopes to create safe zones for children, young people and parents to explore their strengths and work on their difficulties. She enjoys travelling and has an appetite to experiment with everything edible!
Ritu Shree
Developmental Psychologist and Expressive Arts Therapist, Coordinator for Developmental Therapy services
Delhi
Ritu Shree
Ritu is an explorer, tree lover, dancer, scrap artist, storyteller, yogi, and a student for life. She finds herself most embodied when she is playing, creating, imagining, and simply improvising with children. She pursued her Masters in Clinical Psychology from University of Delhi and then went on to do Masters in Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling from Antioch University, New England, USA. She believes in simple yet creative ways to bring about positive emotional, social, and cognitive changes in children and their families.
Soumini Menon
Developmental Psychologist and Arts Based Therapist, Coordinator for Developmental Therapy services
Gurgaon
Soumini Menon
Soumini is a Developmental Psychologist, who loves discovering the voice of the children through their play, and helping the inhibited ones find their hidden play. Teaching and training is in her core, and she loves finding different ways to explain what it is our children experience, need and yearn. Recently through her own personal journey of motherhood, she has started working as a Parenting Therapist, helping parents cope with their daily struggles and celebrate their personal victories. She has done her graduation from Delhi University, India; and post graduation from Essex University, UK and a Fellowship in Clinical Psychology from AIIMS, India. A self-proclaimed fashion addict, she is a trained classical dancer and is forever ready to shake a leg or two. When she manages to find some time between baby and work, she loves to spend her time blogging.
Tanvi Sehgal
Developmental Psychologist, Associate Coordinator for Developmental Therapy Services
Delhi
Tanvi Sehgal
Tanvi is a developmental psychologist with a Masters from the Anna Freud Centre, UCL, London. A lateral thinker in the true sense of the word, she is not content to take things at face value and loves to question, synthesise and experiment with ideas constantly. Her soulful presence allows her to truly tune in to children and help them feel instantly held, ‘seen’ and grounded. Her ‘zen’ temperament is also greatly valued in the team, especially as she is an island of calm when things get chaotic! Tanvi has a quirky sense of aesthetics and design, and enjoys all things wholesome and flavourful.
Ashima Kandwal
Ashima is a developmental psychologist with a background in counselling psychology. Ashima tries to embody a balance of quiet self discipline along with a calm, reassuring presence. Her style of intervention is effortlessly intuitive and described aptly by her team as “she just gets it without us having to explain it”. Add to this her ability to speak with undeterred authenticity and objectivity. A true mountain girl at heart, she loves long walks and treks and is a badminton player!
Sukarma Dawer
Sukarma is a Developmental Psychologist who joined the team with experience in child assessments and adult counselling. However, it was her core belief in the power of intervention that steered her towards becoming a developmental therapist. As an interventionist, Sukarma brings in the perfect balance of groundedness and playfulness, seriousness and giggles, and an infectious presence that makes children naturally gravitate towards her. She balances this beautifully with being able to take a systemic perspective with children and families. She is a peace loving soul who is highly creative, loves beach trips, singing and all things pink and pretty!
Sukriti Agnihotri
Sukriti believes in the magic of individual agency and thinks that the first step of intervention with children and young people is respecting it. Being a part of emerging narratives of little ones is the most beautiful experience for her, which is why she loves working as a developmental psychologist. She views psychology as inherently interdisciplinary and enjoys engaging with texts from other fields that enrich her learning. She shares this passion with music and is also a trained Hindustani classical vocalist.
Aditi Sharma
Aditi is a Developmental Psychologist with a masters in Psychology from University of Delhi. She loves to engage with children and considers them to be bundles of joy and positivity. Her playful and cheerful nature helps her to connect with them easily. She aims to create an atmosphere of love and acceptance for children wherein they can reach their highest potential. Her strengths include critical thinking, perspective taking and a strong sense of empathy, which she brings beautifully into her work. She enjoys reading, writing, watching movies and travelling. She also considers herself to be irrevocably in love with dogs.
Akansha Rastogi
Akansha is a developmental psychologist who finds joy in working with kids. She has a background in counselling psychology and 3 years experience working with children and adolescents in school setting. She loves reading, traveling and is an adrenaline junkie. She finds spending time around children energising, and attributes it to their innocence and free spirit. Her goal is to be able to provide safe spaces for children where they can just be. Akansha is passionate and takes pride in her work. She has a positive outlook towards things and is a keen learner.
Pallabi Gogoi
Pallabi is a developmental psychologist with a postgraduate degree in Psychology from Jamia Millia Islamia. Fond of working with children, she is keen to build herself both professionally and personally. She loves watching movies and Tv shows and is an ardent fan of Harry Potter. She also enjoys talking about football, super heroes and is a big pop culture buff!
Sukanya Chakraborty
As a Developmental Psychologist, Sukanya believes children are the most competent scientists, who are on their quest to figure out the world around, and in the process challenge and question our existing beliefs and values. She loves experimenting with new cuisines, listening to diverse opinions, reading all sorts of genres and travelling as much as she can in the hopes of broadening her perspective and never stop learning.
Tanmay Kapahi
Tanmay is a developmental psychologist with a Masters from Teachers College, Columbia University, New York. She has experience in working with children in varied settings, including the school setting and community based organisations. Being an “aunt”/partner-in-crime to 4 little ones within her immediate family, Tanmay rejoices in the company of children and loves to engage with them. She considers herself a music lover, with a passion for singing. She also enjoys reading, travelling, and watching movies and tv shows.
Saisha Sawhney
Saisha is a developmental psychologist who recently finished her masters at the Anna Freud Centre at UCL. She wants to dedicate herself to mental health awareness and betterment through compassion and understanding of children’s needs. To paint her complete portrait though we cannot but mention her therapeutic love for diving where she is already a PADI certified rescue diver and her affable effervescent mingling personality.
Noor Us Sehar
Noor is an artist, a writer and an Occupational Therapist, graduated from IPH, University of Delhi. She loves reading books, trying new forms of arts & crafts and helping kids learn through fun-filled therapeutic activities. She does assessments, works with the younger kids in the developmental center and totally believes that kids teach you a lot more than anything else. In her words, each child has its own rainbow which they carry with them and given the optimum conditions and space every child is certainly capable to brighten up the world with their vibrant colors
Kanika Goyal
Occupational Therapist, Coordinator for Occupational Therapy Services - Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Kanika Goyal
Kanika is a fun-loving, joyful, compassionate and courageous girl. She loves to be around children and feels very happy about working with them as an Occupational therapist. She connects with the pure and little hearts and tries to bring out the best in them. She is very passionate for her work and concerned for people in her family and surroundings. She tends to make everyone around her very comfortable. She has worked with children of different age group and in different clinical and school settings and feels content when they respond positively.
Kavita Joshi
Kavita is an occupational therapist who loves to play, interact with children and spend time with her family. She is an artist and has keen interest in music and dance which she incorporates in her work too. She believes in living life to the fullest. For her, small moments of joy mean the most.
Bhavna Aswal
Bhavna is an occupational therapist who loves working with children of all age groups. Children love her company because of her playfulness in therapy sessions. She is a spontaneous, enthusiastic and creative therapist who believes every child has a innate spark with which they can create Magic. She loves to travel and retreat herself with mountains, beaches and good food. She likes to live life to its fullest.
Ritika Gogia
Ritika is an occupational therapist. She completed her Masters in paediatrics from Jamia Hamdard University. She loves to work with children of all age groups. She believes every child is unique and all they need is little more love, care and happiness. She is industrious, caring and creative. She loves to travel, explore new places is a complete foodie!
Heena Khan
Heena is an occupational therapist graduated from Jamia Hamdard University, New delhi. She is very passionate about her work , and is sincere and punctual. She loves to play with children as she believes in making a connect with child . Her hobbies are to explore new places and playing sports. She's also passionate about dancing and acting. She believes in the philosophy of time spent playing with children is always cherished.
Naaz
Naaz is an Occupational Therapist who graduated from Santosh Medical College and Medical Hospital, Ghaziabad. She is a loving, caring and a patient person who loves her strength. She is very passionate about her work. She loves to play with children and thoroughly enjoys her therapy sessions. Her hobbies include exploring new places and she loves to dance, sing and play sports!
Mukul Vij
Mukul is a hard-working, determined and well-motivated Occupational Therapist. He has done his Bachelors degree from National Institute for Persons with Physical Disabilities (NIPPD) formerly known as Institute for the Physically Handicapped(IPH). He is a music lover and likes to sing and play the guitar. He is our own in-house guitarist! Kids love when Mukul sings to them and they are able to connect with him so easily. He is playful and adventurous. He is also a foodie and has a big sweet tooth.
Etti Kotnala
Etti is a trekking enthusiast, closet poet, artist and an Occupational Therapist. She graduated from IPH, University of Delhi. A book lover, she swears by the words- "books are always better than their movie". She loves engaging kids through a fun-filled approach and kids soon become fond of her because of her child-like enthusiasm. She considers herself lucky to be working with children as playing with them keeps her stress at bay. Her ability to find a silver lining in everything brings a lot of positivity in the team.
Ritu Mittal
Ritu is an Occupational Therapist at our Gurgaon centre. An insightful and friendly person, she believes in patiently listening to people. She loves to play and interact with children. She loves to spend time with her family and friends. She has lots of positive energy and believes in living the small moments of life!
Subhav Sharma
Subhav has done his graduation from PDUNIPPD(formerly known as IPH), Delhi University. He has keen interest in sports and has been a volleyball player. He loves to be outdoors and explore new places. He is the kind of person who would choose "mountains over beaches". His playfulness and seeking spirit makes him a perfect human to work with children.
Pulkit Chaudhary
Pulkit is the youngest member of our team, recently graduated from PDUNIPPD (formerly IPH) as an Occupational Therapist. His interests range from music to travel to sports, having played the piano and the guitar, travelled extensively and played and even coached football. Pulkit is always ready with a one liner up his sleeve and keeps everyone buzzing, although they might be a bit hit and miss at times. His eagerness to learn and connect with each child is what stands him in good stead for a very bright future.
Apoorva Srivastava
Apoorva is an occupational therapist who graduated from PDUNIPPD, New Delhi formerly known as Institute for the physically handicapped(IPH). She is friendly with kids and loves to play with them. She is a hard-working and a dilligent girl. Her keenness to learn is what stands out the most for her. She likes to read books and has an interest in crafts as well.
Dr Amit Sen
Director, Senior Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist. MD, MRCPsych, CCST in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Delhi
Dr Amit Sen
Dr Sen is a co-founder of Children First and has been practicing child psychiatry for over 25 years. He proudly believes that he has ADHD. As a child, Dr. Sen started by wanting to become a bus driver, changed to a doctor at an epiphanous moment, was driven to become a footballer through adolescent years, dreamt of being a rock star during medical college days till he realized that he had no talent for it, and finally reconciled to become a doctor after all. After finishing medicine from AFMC Pune, he went to NIMHANS Bangalore for an MD in Psychiatry and had a blast for the next 3 years. A longish stint in Newcastle UK made him serious about life and proud of his country. Besides growing his family, he managed to get another 2 qualifications, one of them being in child and adolescent psychiatry. Working with children, the football and rock music, dreams and aspirations, have all come together for him. Through the myriads of magical and fulfilling experiences, Dr Sen feels that he has developed empathy over the years and can connect to children and their families. In doing so, he hopes to make a difference, however little, in their lives.
Dr Kavita Arora
Kavita is a co-founder of Children First and loves to connect with children and young people.She is of the firm belief that youngsters today are far smarter and quicker to learn and evolve than previous generations! She is curious about new perspectives, and prefers a question to an answer. She happens to be qualified as a psychiatrist, but would prefer to be a DIY guru. She loves the ‘web’, reading, movies, travelling , photography and most of all ,a good joke!
Dr Pramit Rastogi
Dr. Rastogi completed his medical college from the University of Delhi (UCMS and GTB Hospital) in India. He then moved to the USA to obtain a Masters in Public Health with a focus on Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2007. He completed his Adult Psychiatry (~MD) at Georgetown University Hospital (2008-2012) and his superspecialty training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (~DM) at Johns Hopkins in 2014. Since then, Dr. Rastogi had been working as an Assistant Professor and Consultant at Kennedy Krieger Institute and teaching at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland, USA. He returned to India early this year to fulfil a long cherished dream of contributing to the field of children's mental health, with the goal of improving accessibility and quality of care. Dr. Rastogi's interest in Child Psychiatry stems from his experiences with his younger brother who has severe intellectual disability. Dr. Rastogi’s professional interests include anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism spectrum disorder and children with a variety of developmental disabilities. He is a motivated educator and wants to train the next generation of child and adolescent psychiatrists
Ann Phillipose
Ann is a counselling psychologist working in private practice and as a consultant for the W.J.Clinton Fellowship. She loves working with and through the narratives surrounding body image, adulthood and couple relationships. She also has a deep inclination towards the existential framework. Ann enjoys going to the theatre, reading, travelling and adores Leonard Cohen!
Dr Nidhi Rawal
Dr Rawal completed her education from Johns Hopkins University where she obtained a Masters in Public Health with a focus on Childhood obesity, Systematic reviews and Critical analysis of journal articles. To pursue her interest in Gastroenterology, she completed her 3-year Fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the University of Maryland Children's Hospital. She was also working in the capacity of Associate Consultant at Mt Washington Pediatric Hospital and Kennedy Krieger Institute, heading a specialized clinic for children with a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders, especially Autism. She is now practising as a Consultant in Pediatric Gastroenterology, at Max Hospitals, as well as Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research in Delhi. Her professional interests are chronic abdominal pain, chronic idiopathic constipation, Celiac disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Allergic (Eosinophilic) Disorders of the gut, Feeding difficulties as well as Failure to Thrive. She envisions a state of the art Center of Excellence in Pediatric Gastroenterology so that all services are available to families under one roof.
Puneet Chityal
Puneet holds a Masters degree in Administration from Symbiosis, Pune and has more than 9 years of experience in diverse fields like School Administration & Facilities as well as the Software Industry. He helps keep track of the various systems and processes at Children First, and ensures that things run smoothly for all of us both at Delhi and Gurgaon center. The perfection in his work describes his personality as his work says it all for him. He enjoys family time, watch Hollywood movies, travel and try out new cuisines.
Pooja Jain
Pooja handles the front desk and appointments at Children First. She has two year's experience in administration and front desk work, and has an MBA in Healthcare Administration. Managing clients and families in a hassle free manner, while staying cool and calm, is her unique quality. She loves cooking and is fond of different varieties of food; she also enjoys art and craft and keeps adding her special, creative touches to the CF notice boards. At Children First, the kids, families, and staff alike know Pooja for her vibrant energy, lovely smile and super helpful, super efficient temperament!
Sunil Rastogi
Sunil is an accountant with over 15 years of experience working with individuals, as well as small and large businesses, assisting them with their financial, accounting, and tax needs. He's been with CF since its conception! Always ready for a party and a good laugh, Sunil lives in Delhi with his wife and a lovely daughter.
Hinotoli Chisho
Hinotoli manages the front desk and appointments at Children First, Gurgaon and helps everyone who comes through the door. Born and brought up in Nagaland she has been working in medical and healthcare industry for more than 7 years. Her friendly smile and patience make her a joy to work with. When she is not working, she enjoys a variety of hobbies such as stitching, cooking, watching movies and travelling to new places.
Dreamy Iswary
Dreamy handles the front desk and appointments at Children First. She has 2 years experience in years of experience in the Healthcare industry. She is a post graduate in Applied Microbiology from the University of Madras. She enjoys being around children. She loves travelling to new places and loves watching TV shows in her free time!
Kavita Karki
Kavita manages the front desk and appointments at Children First, Delhi. She is a post-graduate in Commerce from Bharti Vidyapeeth University. She has been working in medical and healthcare industry for more than 5 years. Her support includes scheduling appointments, answering phones, billing, resolving issues/complaints, checking in visitors, and maintaining visitor logs—while driving the achievement of business goals in front desk support roles with Children First. She loves travelling to new places and is fond of dancing. The joyful spark and charm on her face disseminate positivity in every aspect.
Rakhi
Rakhi handles the front desk and appointments at Children First. She is a graduate of Kamala Nehru College and has three years of experience in administration and front desk work. Her responsibilities include managing clients and families and addressing their concerns on a day-to-day basis. She loves to play Cricket and also enjoys travelling to new places.
Babu Lal
Babu Lal worked as a Data Analyst with over twelve years of experience with Computer Software. He finished his graduation from Dayal Singh College. He is married and has two cute daughters. He maintains the Administration and Facility of the Children First Gurgaon Branch. He loves to play with children and is always ready to travel to new places.
Asha Singh
A universal favourite at CF, she has been with us for three years now, although how we managed before that, we have no idea! Innately caring and motherly with an eye for detail, she has a connect with each and every CF member and child, and helps us keep things neat, clean and orderly even in the midst of chaos.