I know Magdalene Jeyarathnam and her institute since its beginnings. I appreciate after all its whole heartedly felt engagement in so many sectors of public life. It is an outstanding contribution to train doctors, psychologists, nurses, social workers, buisiness men and artists in many different settings and many different places in India now for so many years because it means to spread knowledge and freedom for future generations in a significant way. I am honored to have been involved in this process and to have witnessed it from first hand.

East West Center for Counselling has collaborated for the past decade with Orinam, one of Chennai's LGBTIQ collectives and an online resource on gender and sexuality (orinam.net). Some of Orinam's volunteers have been trained as peer counselors by the Center for Counselling. Recognizing that clients from the LGBTIQ community may need both professional counseling and peer support, two-way referrals between the Center and Orinam routinely take place. The Centre has also co-facilitated workshops and panel discussions with Orinam, and is part of the organising team of Reel Desires, Chennai International Queer Film Festival (ciqff.org)

I am really glad that I got the opportunity to take part in the course Visual Arts in Counselling. It was a wonderful experience. The course was very insightful, and got to learn a lot of new techniques and mediums which can be used. The sessions were very interactive, which helped me to gain and learn new perspectives. Also, personally I left that during the course I was exploring myself and becoming more conscious of the self.

Although I don’t have an art background and hardly use art materials in my daily life, this series brought out so many different ways that one could find therapeutic or a new hobby. It was a wonderful learning altogether and the usage of various art materials helped me bring out different moods while using them. Thank you for the amazing opportunity!

When I decided to do this course, I was inclined to do to expand my knowledge horizon as a therapist. But what I actually I learnt was something something phenomenal. It was phenomenal because every activity I did, it evoked my inner child. It took to me back to my early life. In a way I was able to work through some of what I was holding to as a child and the journey of letting go week after week was amazing. To understand a child, I must first understand my inner child. As within, so without. So, this course was so instrumental in helping me understand and nurture that inner child with creative ways. Thank you so much for introducing this course. It’s not just a course but life lessons. - Participant in visual arts and Counselling training

"I took up a 4-weekend course on integrating the visual arts into counselling for children and thoroughly appreciated every second of it. The facilitators provided various opportunities for everyone on the course to engage in very meaningful conversations about some of the skills, techniques and the ethics that are relevant to the field. They also made it a primary necessity to make us feel comfortable and completely safe within the group that we were. Along with the reading material that was shared with us, it made for a course that really made me confident enough to be more creative with the skills I use in the educational setting of the visual arts (without trying to practice as a therapist)." - Participant in visual arts and Counselling training

I took the course because I thought this could help in my future plan to set up an alternative school based on arts. I do not come from psychology background. So I was little anxious if I wouldn’t be able to utilise the course to the fullest. To my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed it even without the background. Have become a fan of Roshni (faculty) after this course. She was so friendly that in no time participants (at least me) started feeling safe and comfortable to express. She explains the details really well from her experience. I found them valuable. My key takeaways: Besides understanding what to use when and for whom 1. Use abnormalities exhibited by the children as an opportunity to understand them 2. How visual arts work well in expressing at every level (cognitive, affect and more) 3. Visual arts - a great tool for self-exploration and to appreciate the differences (by understanding how everyone in the group reacts differently for the same activity)

Thank you for organising this wonderful expressive arts therapy workshop.The way activities were planned for ice-breaking and opportunities to connect one-to-one in break out rooms left me with a very warm feeling. And the opportunities I got to self explore and introspect through different art activities was refreshing. - Participant in Introductory course in Expressive Arts therapy - online.

I liked it very much,The theme and the way of the session was run, I am an art psychotherapist so i will use these at my work,it helps me think of work with anxiety and WAYS to cope with the COVID19.

Exploring fairytales through Psychodrama- it was fascinating to watch the psychodramas play out so effortlessly, revelations happening, shifts happening and healing happening not only for the protagonist but for many others as well. There has been immense learning in these ten days. It was fascinating to see this group of diverse cultures and backgrounds coming up with such unique, individual interpretations of the stories, characters, metaphors and at the same time, finding resonance in each other. For me, this group and the experiences of the ten days was a representation of the Macrocosm in the microcosmic form. We saw people take on roles willingly to help another- if only we realized that all the people in our lives too have taken on that role to help us even if it doesn't appear to be so. Coming to the stories, I felt that it was an amazing, diverse collection. I enjoyed every single one of them. Eric and Magdalene, thank you once again and heartfelt gratitude for all the learning and wisdom that came about because of You being You!