Sandip Anand
Psychologist | Counsellor | Researcher
Email ID : sandipanand.nl@gmail.com
RELEVANT EDUCATION
University of Edinburgh, Scotland (Sep '18 - Sep '19)
Master of Science in Psychology of Mental Health, Award: Merit
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Chennai Counselling Services Academy (Jan '20 - Apr '20)
Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Life Coaching
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WORK EXPERIENCE
Research Intern at Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health (BALM)​
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An NGO providing healthcare, rehabilitation, and social support to individuals experiencing mental health challenges and homelessness, with a focus on oppressed and marginalised communities
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Worked within the Centre of Integrated Mental Health Systems (CIMHS)
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Conducted extensive literature reviews on public mental health systems, distress prevalence, and community-based systems to support funding proposals, inform research, and support existing mental health services
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Conducted interviews and prepared a case report to evaluate course outcomes and the phenomenological experiences of students at BALM
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Founder and Counsellor, Becoming Centre for Mental Health (May '21 - Present)
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Started a mental health service from the ground up to offer online counselling for adults with everyday mental health issues
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Managing a blog site and Instagram page providing evidence-based information on psychology, mental health, and counselling
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Conducted a workshop and Q&A session on mental health for 50 working professionals at Chrysalis, an organisation working on educational reforms
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Created educational mental health modules for students, implementation of which proved to be challenging due to the Covid-19 pandemic
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Support Practitioner at Carr Gomm (Apr '19 - Feb '20)
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A leading Scottish social care and community development charity
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Used a person-centred approach to support vulnerable adults with severe mental health issues (usually schizophrenia), either living in intensely supported housing services or within the community
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Assisted service users to move out from long-term, in-patient psychiatric care and integrate into society
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Provided medication support, financial management, social & emotional support
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Coordinated with NHS Scotland (National Health Service) staff, mental health officers, and other stakeholders to ensure strict adherence to support plans
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RESEARCH PROJECTS
Master’s Dissertation, Supervised by Dr Karen Goodall, University of Edinburgh
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The first study to explore the complex interactions between attachment and psychopathology through fear of happiness and positive emotion regulation
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Conducted a serial multiple mediation analysis using SPSS on quantitative data obtained through an online survey
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I found that the relationship between adult attachment insecurity and anxiety was serially mediated through fear of happiness, followed by positive emotion regulation
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Bachelor’s dissertation, Supervised by Dr John P. John, NIMHANS, India
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Studied working memory and response inhibition in people with schizophrenia
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Used secondary fMRI data obtained from participants performing an n-back or Stroop task
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Conducted meta-analyses using GingerALE and compared regions of brain activation with healthy controls
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This meta-analysis helped consolidate existing evidence and highlighted the need for standardisation of procedure for fMRI studies
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TRAINING AND WORKSHOPS
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Single Session Therapy (SST) with Prof. Windy Dryden (26 hours)
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6-week Training for Bereavement and Grief Counselling with Dr John Wilson (18 hours)
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Pluralistic Therapy; Relational Depth & Goals in Therapy with Dr Mick Cooper (21 hours)
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Trauma-informed Approach to Psychological Interventions with Syam K Ravindran, CORE (12 hours)
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Existential therapy with Dr Ernesto Spinelli (6 hours)
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Working Successfully with Men in Therapy with James Hawes (6 hours)
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Internship in Clinical Psychology with Fortis Healthcare and Sukoon Health (50 hours)
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Workshops on Therapy and Social Change (9 hours)
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ORGANISATIONS
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Graduate Member, British Psychological Society, Membership No. 509219 (Jan ‘20 - Present​)
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Member, Therapy and Social Change Network - An emerging organisation exploring the interface between therapeutic ideas and practices and social justice perspectives and actions (Mar ‘23 - Present)
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ACTIVITIES AND VOLUNTEERING
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Co-founded ‘F.E.E.L.S.’, an organisation that raised awareness of emotional well-being at Edinburgh; Organised an art exhibition at the University of Edinburgh and another at an independent venue as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF); Recruited and managed over 15 volunteers from various nationalities and backgrounds (Oct '18 - Jan '20)
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Volunteered at Best Buddies (The University of Edinburgh), a non-profit organisation creating opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (Sep '18 - Mar '20)
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Member of Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN), Chennai helping conserve the vulnerable Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) (Jan '12 - Present)
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Rajya Puraskar Scout (Governor’s Award) with The Bharat Scouts and Guides - the second-highest award in India for exemplary social work, health literacy, and community participation (Jan ‘07 - Apr ‘13)
REFERENCES
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Dr Karen Goodall, Senior Lecturer and Master's Dissertation Supervisor, University of Edinburgh
karen.goodall@ed.ac.uk -
Mrs Aishwarya Ramesh, Co-Lead (CIMHS), Senior Research Associate, BALM
aishwarya@balm.in -
Mrs Gem Harris, Service Manager, Carr Gomm
gemcroft@hotmail.com