Need for Gender Sensitive Counselling Interventions in India

Abstract

Gender is a critical determinant of mental health and distress. Gender influences roles played by men and women, stressors experienced by them, their access to resources and their participation in decision making. Gender also influences manifestations and consequences of psychological distress and the nature of counselling services needed. Yet, existing counselling services in India, with the exception of a few, are gender blind in nature. Gender issues rarely find expression in mainstream counselling discourse in the Indian context. This results in lack of acknowledgment of impact of gendered socialisation on individual’s psychological and interpersonal functioning and on her power, position and privilege in the given socio- political- cultural system. It also leads to reiteration and maintenance of traditional gendered messages and power differentials; making counselling services less effective. Given the patriarchal nature of Indian society and the gendered norms prescribed by the culture, there is a strong need for integrating gender discourse within existing counselling services in India. Using case examples, the author suggests strategies for addressing gender issues in counselling conversations and also for developing gender sensitive counselling interventions.