On 14th May, Shiv Nadar School hosted a counselling workshop titled “From Hurting to Hoping: Healing from Childhood Adversity”, aimed at deepening the understanding of childhood trauma and the pivotal role of counsellors and caregivers in fostering resilience and healing. The workshop brought together educators, counsellors, and mental health professionals to share insights and strategies for supporting children affected by adverse experiences.

Session 01: From Hurt to Hope- Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences and

Benevolent Childhood Experiences

Facilitated by: SNS Counselling Team(Ms. Shravana, Ms. Pooja, Ms. Akanksha, Ms. Ritika, Ms. Shreya, and Ms. Shweta) supports the social and emotional wellbeing of students, staff and parents across school).

The opening session focused on understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs). The SNS Counselling Team provided a research-based overview of how early negative experiences impact emotional and psychological development, and how positive relational experiences can act as protective factors. Emphasis was placed on the importance of trauma-informed care and nurturing adult-child relationships.

Session 02: Stories that Matter

Speaker: Ms. Jonaki Arora-She did her Master’s degree in Educational and Developmental Psychology from Monash University, Australia and another Master’s degree in Narrative Therapy and Community Work from University of Melbourne (in collaboration with the Dulwich Centre). Her experience in mental healthcare includes working with children, adolescents, young adults, parents, teachers and social workers. She has been also teaching narrative practices for over 7 years. Her experience also includes trainings, supervision, mentoring, cognitive assessments and developing mental health programmes for communities).

This session underscored the power of storytelling in acknowledging and validating children’s experiences. Ms. Jonaki Arora shared real-life narratives and case studies that highlighted resilience in the face of adversity, drawing attention to how listening to and sharing stories can be a healing process for both children and caregivers.

Session 03: Helping the Child: The Role of the School Counsellor

Speaker: Ms. Nupur Dhingra -She is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist, Associate Fellow with the British Psychological Society, Child Psychotherapist, and mother-of-two, all of which she has worked very hard at. She is the lead Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist for Family Tree, a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Team in New Delhi, which she started in 2018).

In the final session, Ms. Nupur Dhingra elaborated on the crucial role school counsellors play in creating safe and supportive environments for students. She emphasized collaboration between educators, parents and counsellors, and shared practical strategies for early identification and intervention.

The workshop concluded with a reflection on key learnings, followed by the distribution of participation certificates. The event was well-received, leaving participants with a renewed commitment to supporting children’s mental and emotional well-being through compassion, awareness and action.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the school management for giving us the opportunity to attend such a meaningful and enriching workshop. It provided valuable insights and strengthened our commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of the children we work with.

The workshop was attended by Ms. Dimple Vij and Ms. Rashmi Sharma from Laxman Public School, who found the sessions insightful and deeply impactful.