Faculty

People shaping every programme

Meet the clinicians, researchers, and educators who make Thrive Academy by My Safe Spaces what it is. Every programme is shaped by leaders in their fields — from Indian and international universities, hospitals, and practice — whose depth, care, and lived expertise you carry into every session, every conversation, and every certificate you earn with us.

Dr. Ram MahalingamPhD

Director, Barger Leadership Institute · University of Michigan

Cultural PsychologyMidfulnessWorkplace DignitySocial TheoryLeadership

Ram Mahalingam is a cultural psychologist, award-winning researcher, teacher, mentor, artist, and filmmaker. His current research concerns nurturing a caring and compassionate workplace that treats its workers with dignity. Ram is committed to developing leaders who are passionate about dignity with a mindful commitment to promoting workplace well-being. Ram’s research examines dignity in three organizational contexts: (a) Janitors and cleaning; (b) Dignity in Healthcare settings; and (c) Dignity, Gender, and Technology.

Dr. Nidhi PurohitPhD

Director, Training · My Safe Spaces

POCSOpsychosocial counselingsubstance usesuicide preventionrelapse prevention

Dr. Nidhi Purohit is a Clinical Psychologist (PhD) and a leading voice in adolescent and institutional mental health, known for seamlessly bridging research, policy, and on-ground practice. As a Master Trainer certified by TISS and trained by NIMHANS in relapse prevention, she brings deep expertise in psychosocial counseling, substance use, and suicide prevention.

Dr. Shirin ShahsavandPhD

Faculty, Radys School of Business · Radys School Of Business, UCSD

Operations Research

Dr. Shirin Shahsavand is a Lecturer in Innovation, Technology, and Operations at UC San Diego's Rady School of Management. She holds a Ph.D. in Operations Management from Washington State University, along with master's degrees in Business Administration/Operations & Management Science and in Statistics and Data Analytics, and a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Biochemistry from the University of Toronto. Her professional background spans mobile application development, operations management, and data analytics, including work building student databases and analytic tools and partnering with industry to shape applied curriculum. A recognised and award-winning educator, she teaches operations and business management and has long mentored young people in computing, analytics, and programming.

Dr Girija MahaleFRANZCP, MD

Head of the Department, Symbiosis Center of Emotional Welllbeing · Symbiosis Center of Emotional Welllbeing

Psychiatry

Dr. Girija Mahale is a psychiatrist and Head of the Symbiosis Centre for Emotional Wellbeing, Pune, where she also serves as Programme Head for the B.Sc. in Mental Health degree at the Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences. With close to fifteen years in the field, her speciality is youth mental health, alongside work in child and adolescent psychiatry and de-addiction medicine. She holds an MD in Psychiatry from Seth GS Medical College, KEM Hospital, and a Fellowship from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, through which she worked extensively with young people aged 12 to 25.

Dr. TeenaPhD, LLB

Head of Department, Law · Apeejay Satya university

POSHPOCSO

Dr. Teena is an Associate Professor and the Head of the School of Legal Studies at Apeejay Stya University (ASU). Her areas of expertise include criminal law, cyber law, and child protection. She is also a certified POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) trainer and academic mentor.

Dr. Sakshi KaulPhD

Dean Of Academics, KIIT · KIIT

Positive psychologyCounseling

Dr. Sakshi Kaul is Professor and Dean (Academics) at the School of Liberal Studies, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar. Her research background is in psychology: her stated interests span positive psychology, counselling, organisational behaviour and qualitative research. Her published work includes studies on the subjective wellbeing of school children and on building hope, optimism and resilience in young people.

Amogha AgarwalMSc. Counseling Psychology

Director, SWISS · My Safe Spaces

Social PsychologyGatekeepingSuicide PreventionSchool Counseling

Amogha Agarwal is a counseling psychologist and wellbeing expert who brings together clinical depth and creative practice to transform how mental health is experienced in real-world settings. She has conducted over 40 wellbeing workshops for educators, equipping teachers with practical, classroom-ready mental health tools.

Ipshita BarmanMA Counselling Psychology

Lead, Mental Health Ecosystems · My Safe Spaces

ResearchMentorshipPsychoeducationProgram Design

Ipshita is a Counselling Psychologist with 200+ hours of training in therapy & assessments. A Gold Medalist and a researcher at heart, Ipshita mentors and supervises psychology students through internship ecosystems. She is a content strategist, designs and facilitates psychoeducational workshops for community well-being.