Arts based therapy Sessions at Sahodoran

From March 15 to the 26th, Center for Counselling conducted a series of arts based therapy sessions for a group of employees of Sahodoran, an organization working for gay men in Chennai.

We completed 10 therapy sessions - daily Monday through Friday with a group consisting of gay men and one transgendered woman. The group sessions featured group activities and projects, all designed to help participants explore their inner selves and how they interact with the people around them. The group sessions proved to be very popular and the participants want us to continue sessions atleast once a month.

We used a lot of games, exercises, movement, writing, drawing, painting and collage making.

Peer Counselling training

Peer Counselling training was organised by Shakthi Center with funding from LLH Norway, started on 27th Dec and we finished 14 Feb 2010. We completed 6 weekends of counselling training. The training was attended by 10 participants who are going to be volunteers on the telephone helpline that will be set up by Shakthi Resource Center. This training was for the LGBT population in and around Chennai.

At the end of this training we are expected to have a counselling training manual and a group of trained peer counsellors to work with people with issues from the LGBT community.

Certificate Course on Counselling

Center for Counselling and Training, Chennai

announces a 100 hour certificate course on counselling.

This counselling training is focused on the practical aspects of counselling.

The classes are 12 consecutive weekends.(Saturdays & Sundays 2 to 6 PM)

The course begins on 12 June until 29 Aug 2010.

The dates of training are:

June - 12, 13, 19, 20,26,27

July - 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31

Aug - 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21,22,28,29

Who will benefit?

Those who have a certificate or degree in counselling but need help in actually working with the client.

Or

Anyone who is interested in counselling as a profession and is thinking about doing a degree/ diploma in counselling

Who will get the certificate?

Attendance of a minimum of 90 hours is required for the certificate,

Completing all the assignments and

Passing all the assessment criteria

How much? And what does this cover?

The course fee is RS 6000/ participant.

This includes a certificate on passing assessment criteria,

tea all days of training, and training material.

For Registration and more details

Contact - Jonathan +91- 9884700106

centerforcounselling@gmail.com

Report on all the LGBT related work Jan to Dec 2009

A list of activities in relation to the LGBT community, 2009

Date & Month Events

January 5th 2009- Meeting organised by Sangama and hosted by Center for Counselling to discuss setting up a Human Rights commission for S E Asia

Jan 2009- Series of meetings with Shakti center and intensive discussions on the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care for SRS at CFC office

January 31st to April - 8 Tamil group sessions and 8 English group sessions were completed

Feb 2nd - Discussions on Peer counselling training with Mr. Aniruddh Sakthi center

Feb 23rd- Discussions on collaboration with Sakthi center

April 6th - Meeting organised by Sangama and hosted by Center for Counselling to discuss issues of violence among transgenders. This was conducted due to the highly published articles of alleged forced sex change operations by TGs to get young boys into prostitution. Plenty of heated debates and a decision to sensitise the general community on issues relating to TGs as well as within the TG community to reduce the hierarchy within the zamath.

April to May- Series of meetings, interviews to discuss pride events in June was mostly held at our office

June 18th- Meeting at the US consulate as a mark of respect to all those working on the LGBT issues. The evening was hosted by the UN Consul General at his home. All key people working on LGBT issues in Chennai were present.

June 20th- Participated in the panel discussion has happened at Spaces regarding LGBT issues.

June 21st THE HINDU had published an interview of Ms. Magdalene Jeyarathnam, founder/Director of Center for counselling. Chennai suddenly woke up to so much of media coverage on LGBT issues. There was an interview on page 2 and a photo of the panel discussion on page 3
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=469300&id=1460622733#/photo.php?pid=532090&id=1460622733&fbid=1191804802861

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=469300&id=1460622733#/photo.php?pid=532062&id=1460622733&fbid=1191779682233

June 22nd- The feature film “Milk” has been screened followed by a reception at Amethyst.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=848234&id=1460622733

June 26th- The first support group session was conducted for the parents of LGBT community at our office. Very moving for everyone. Active participation by the family and LGBT folks

June 28th Participation in the PRIDE MARCH event

June 29th Got quoted twice on front page of New Indian Express another major newspaper which gave a lot of attention to the LGBT issues. This picture is on facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=469300&id=1460622733

July Pride party at our office


August 16th Thinakaran had a super article on respecting transgendered folks written well by Vaidehi
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=469300&id=1460622733#/photo.php?pid=531861&id=1460622733&fbid=1191743081318

August 28th- Meeting at Women’s development center, Gurukul – The mainstream Lutheran church had gathered people to sensitise their pastors and bring out a statement regarding including the LGBT folks in mainstream church. I got Teja and Gabriel to share in that event and their sharing made a huge impact in the statement that they came up with.

August 29th- The Support group session was conducted for the parents of LGBT community

September 21st- The Psychodrama group session was conduted for the LGBT community by Dr. Herb Propper.

November 12th and 13th - A consultation on Sexuality and Faith at Asha Nivas. Ms. Magdalene Jeyarathnam, founder/Director of Center for counselling has done a paper presentation on the issues of LGBT, she also co-moderated a Panel Discussion with gay men and one transgendered woman.

November 14th- NDTV HINDU has interviewed Ms. Magdalene Jeyarathnam, founder/Director of Center for counselling regarding LGBT issues

Dec 5th and 6th - National Council of Churches had organised a 2 day Theological Round Table conference on sexuality and Churches. Magdalene Jeyarathnam presented a paper and actively participated in the debates and discussions which helped the NCCI to come up with a good policy statement

December 26th and 27th - Peer counselling training has started for the members of the LGBT community. The training will be conducted only over the weekends.

Christmas 2009

Christmas Celebration 2009

Date: 23rd Dec’09

This year Christmas celebration has been organised on our (roof)terrace. Around 6pm in the evening people met for a potluck dinner party. Almost all who said they would come arrived and every one participated in the games. We had the movie ‘Wizard of Oz’ playing in the background, followed by the video of a Madonna album. The participant list is as follows

1. Sudhakar
2. Kavya
3. Ramba
4. Raja
5. Anirudh
6. Vikranth
7. Prabu
8. Asma
9. Sharanya
10. Sunil Menon
11. Randall Giles
12. Harsha
13. Sundar
14. Olga
15. Shiva
16. Srijith
17. Rupesh
18. Mani
19. Raji

Our Center for Counselling staff who joined in organising as well as participated were

20. Mrs.Magdalene, her husband Mr.Eric Miller and daughter Kamala Miller
21. Dhanalakshmi
22. Subashini
23. Usha
24. Padmini

We had a lot of food and everyone enjoyed the food very much. After the dinner little Kamala Miller, Magdalene’s daughter cut the Christmas cake. Cake and gifts were distributed to all the members present and they excitedly opened the gifts. Every one enjoyed the party and it was a wounderful evening!!

Few of the members who were not able to join the celebration due to various reasons spent the evening on Christmas day at Magdalene’s home on 25th Dec 2009. She presented their gifts to them too. They were very happy to receive the gifts for Christmas.
Those who visited on 25th were
1. Kalki
2. Sowndarya
3. Devianyi
4. Kannagi
5. Divya

Here are some photos to remind us.

Our support to the open minds campaign

The NDTV Hindu show which had Sunil Menon, Rev Winnie Verghese, Shobhna, Gabriel, Elizabeth and me. It is in 4 segments.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq6TGEm1gN4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHkbakzvag0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQUHrFifPOI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdEQFc7FAok

There is so much discrimination at the health setting. Doctors, particularly psychiatrists, social workers and counsellors pretending or cheating people that they can "cure" or "treat" gay people. Treatment usually means "aversion" or "conversion" therapy which includes ECT often. (Electro conversion therapy or shock treatment)

An example of a psychiatrist's bias rather than her professionalism is here on the links below:

http://tinyurl.com/ndtvhindu-cfom1

http://tinyurl.com/ndtvhindu-cfom2

Please look up this website for further information  orinam.net

If you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender and for whatever reason you have to visit a psychiatrist these are some doctors names in Chennai:

1. Dr Suresh kumar - clinic 044- 24332285/ mobile 98400 31559/ email msuresh@vsnl.com
2. Dr Shalini - 28514741(clinic) - 55 Triplicane High road,
3. Dr Mohan Raj - Please call us and we could give you the number
4. Dr Anbudurai - Please call us and we could give you the number

If you wish to go through some counselling or personal work mainly because of the trauma you have experienced or you are in a particularly stressful situation or if you wish information regarding other health services which are LGBT friendly please call us at the Center for Counselling office (9884100135). 

Call our Counselling helplines( 9 AM to 6 PM):

+91 98847 00104 (English)

+91 98847 00174 (Tamil)

If you are in a crisis, (police, rowdy harassment etc )

You could call Sangama helpline (24 hr) 98406 99776

Center for counselling- Workshops Aug to Dec 2009

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