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
Narrative Therapist, Writer, Co-founder Children First. MA, MPhil, DClinPsych and Masters in Narrative Therapy & Community Work
Delhi
Dr Shelja Sen
Dr Shelja Sen is a narrative therapist, writer, co-founder of Children First. Shelja is a TED speaker and a columnist Indian Express, and author of three critically acclaimed books – All You Need is Love, Imagine and Reclaim Your Life. She is Clinical Tutor at the University of Melbourne and international faculty at Dulwich Centre Foundation, Adelaide, Australia. She is a curator of the unique skills, expertise and know-how of children and youth she has the honour of working with.
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 and Narrative Therapist, Head of Mental Health Services, Coordinator of 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 and Narrative Therapist, 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, Narrative and Arts-based Therapist, Coordinator of Mental Health Services
Delhi
Sandra Jose
Sandra is a counselling psychologist. She not only loves being around children but is also passionate about working with them. She ardently believes that each child is wired and inspired differently and hopes to focus greatly on building a safe therapeutic relationship with each child and family she meets with. Her zeal and inclination towards using different expressive modalities in therapeutic work with children has motivated her to complete a course in Arts-based Therapy. Sandra is a major fan of all things Bollywood be it Bollywood music, movies and drama. And a good cup of chai, day-dreaming, lots of sunlight, shopping are just some other things that make her happy and sparks joy!
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.
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 young people. 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.
Soumya Jagatdeb
Soumya is a psychologist who finds meaning in engaging with young people to co-create a safe therapeutic space which is respectful of their concerns, hopes, interests and skills, alongside exploring the pertinent role of society and culture in it. She is also interested in community mental health, training, research and in taking some time out for reading, writing and learning Odissi classical dance form. She holds an Honors degree in Psychology from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi and a Master's degree in Applied Psychology (Specialization in Clinical Psychology) from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Thwisha Bajpai
Thwisha is a psychologist who has always been inquisitive about human behaviour and likes to learn and explore diverse methods to understand it's dynamic nature. She believes that every child has the right to be heard and creating spaces for their well being is the path towards building a healthy community. In addition, she's extremely passionate about dogs, photography and reading. She holds a degree in M.Sc Clinical Psychology from Christ University, Bengaluru.
Rinsakchon Ramshan
Rinsakchon holds a Masters Degree in Psychology (specialization in clinical psychology) from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. She strongly resonates with the ideas of narrative practices which have reinvigorated her journey as a psychologist and redefined what growth means for her. It no longer means trying to attain standards set by others but to strive to live by those which align with her values. She wishes to be involved in work that allows young people to do the same by developing their preferred stories despite encountering difficulties in their contexts. She hopes to travel together in this journey of reconnecting with one’s values, skills and knowledge of being to collaboratively foster a space for multiple stories to exist. During her free time she loves to engage in books, art, pottery, gardening and K-pop.
Priya Ahluwalia
Priya Ahluwalia holds a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. She enjoys working with young people and fervently believes that for them to become our future they need to have the opportunity to develop a healthy, happy and fulfilling present. As a psychologist, she endeavours to create a safe therapeutic space for her clients which invites them to rediscover and author best versions of themselves. She has previously worked with victims of sexual violence and holds experience of victim assistance, as well as community based counseling. Outside of work you can find her doodling away in empty notebooks and singing along to Taylor Swift because she remembers the lyrics all too well.
Annmariya Joy
Annmariya Joy is a Counselling Psychologist who firmly believes that the best thing we can do for ourselves is to never let our childlike sense of wonder and awe ever get sullied. Through her work she wishes to protect and facilitate the same in her clients. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Jesus and Mary College, Delhi and Master's Degree in Counselling Psychology from Christ University, Bangalore. She loves all things Arts, Sports, Music, and if you're ever unable to find her, know that she's just clicking pictures of a sunset somewhere.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
Rabani Soni
Rabani is our developmental psychologist at the Gurgaon center. Rabani did her MSc from University College London, post which she worked as a Case Manager at ACE (Autism Center for Excellence). She also went to Africa to volunteer in a school that works on the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis. She is a happy-go-lucky soul, who tries to find fun in whatever she sets out to do, and is extremely curious about her surroundings. She is a quick learner and a beach lover. Rabani is in love with South Korea and is on a mission to hunt down all the places in India which serve Korean cuisine.
Mallika Narang
Mallika is a mental health professional who doesn't like to be limited to her professional designation. She did her post graduation from AUD and then worked at ACE for a year and a half. She is fascinated by language both verbally expressive and the one that goes beyond words and sentences. It marvels her to see the variety of ways kids play and the impact playing has on one's growth. She likes music, car rides, food and everything freshly made from books to food to babies.
Tarang Kaur
One of the newest members of the Developmental Team, Tarang is living out her dream of working with kids. (Sometimes, they make more sense than adults!) She recently graduated with her Master's in Psychology from Delhi University, following a BA (Hons) in the subject from Lady Shri Ram College. She feels passionately about narrative practices, community mental health, and the importance of early intervention. Tarang loves good food, bad movies, and terrible jokes. Currently, she's making ambitious vision boards of rereading her entire bookshelf, travelling to Norway, and someday adopting a cat named Minerva McGonagall.
Niru Sankhala
Niru is a developmental psychologist who sees a child’s ability to rage as an important ingredient in their capacity to love. She believes in creating a safe space for children in which all their parts can emerge and integrate. She works on her capacity to be a “good enough” (Winnicott reference) therapist who is able to survive all the rough days and start the next with as much hopefulness. She dreams of writing a children’s book and is always looking for inspiration. Babysitting since her teenage years, she is the resident rhyme expert at CF. She completed her Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Ambedkar University, where she acquired a keen eye for metaphors and symbolism. She loves to dance, read and doodle.
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.
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!
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!
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.
Sazia Khatun
Sazia, an occupational therapist, who did her graduation from Jamia Hamdard University, is an amiable and cheerful spirit. A passionate soul for music, singing and loves to play ukulele. Every child is unique and she finds herself fortunate enough to work with the innocent little ones. She lives by the mantra that every little step towards the goal is a moment of joy. Her good listening skills and empathetic nature makes her very easy to be with. She is an ardent learner and observer of human behaviour which she incorporates in the professional field. She believes that every exeperience we come across is an opportunity to learn something new and that is what makes a person more humble and wise.
Huma Naaz
The newest addition to our Gurgaon center. Huma is an Occupational therapist graduated from Jamia Hamdard. As a passionate advocate of play-based approach, she feels blessed to be working with the little ones and finds their laughs and giggles truly rewarding. Her spontaneity and creativity makes her an amazing play partner. She’s an inquisitive learner who is always ready to take up tasks and explore as much as she can. An enthu cutlet, a die hard chai lover, loves all things aesthetics and would probably cross oceans for her cat fur-ends!
Harshita Gusain
Harshita is an Occupational Therapist , completed her masters specialised in neurology from Indian spinal injuries center. When it comes to showing her creative side, Harshita is always ready as she is fond of art & craft, for her its her stress buster. Believing "you always have something to sing about" helped her to find new interest in singing also. Being a Pahadi girl she have a never ending love for mountains. Her mantra of life is keep smiling & spread happiness around. she feels extremely grateful & blessed to work with little ones, for her children are like fountain of joy.
Sidra Arshad
Sidra is an Occupational Therapist and an ailurophile (cat lover). She is fun, witty and adventurous. Everybody is a fan of her sense of humour, finding a fun pun or reference is what she does best. She loves being around her floof ball Bughlushi and is the kind of person who would choose beaches over mountains. She completed her Masters in Occupational Therapy in paediatrics from Jamia Hamdard University and has a certification in Lego Therapy. Her playfulness and seeking spirit makes her a perfect human to work with children.
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!
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.
Pooja Jain
Pooja has an MBA in Healthcare Administration and handling the post of the manager. She is our go-to person in time of need as she has solutions for every possible situation. Managing clients and families in a hassle-free manner, while staying cool and calm, is her unique quality. Pooja is a DIY lover and adds her creative touches to any work she does. She is quite fond of food and looks forward to exploring different cuisines as well as loves to travel.
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.
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.
Ravi Kohli
Ravi has joined Children First in October as Front Desk & Admin. He has done B. Com from Delhi University. He has 4 years of work experience with different NGOs and Trust. Ravi loves to play sports, clicking pictures and designing.
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.