IBA, Karachi and Saaya Health collaborate to facilitate mental health counselling

November 6, 2019: The IBA, Karachi's Human Resources (HR) Department, in collaboration with Saaya Health conducted a session to focus on the mental well-being of the Institute's students, staff and faculty. The discussion led by Saaya Health Counsellor Ms. Asma Inayat focused on strategies of stress management. The session was widely attended by the IBA fraternity, including students.

Director HR, IBA, Karachi Mr. Mashooque Ali Bhatti commenced the session by introducing the Saaya team. It was followed by Ms. Inayat's talk which revolved around overall mental wellbeing. She discussed strategies of stress management, tackling challenges in our daily lives and developing resilience to eliminate negative elements. She also cleared common misconceptions about counsellors and encouraged students to reach out to them without the fear of being judged.

Assistant Professor Social Sciences and Liberal Arts IBA, Karachi Dr. Nadya Qamar Chishty-Mujahid talked about how students' stress affects teachers as well. Emphasizing on the role of therapists, she said, "They are specifically trained to identify problems which may involve life risks. Therefore, it is crucial to seek help from them".

Towards the end, Co-founder Saaya Health Ms. Alizeh Valjee informed the students about the online counselling services that Saaya Health provides. She also emphasized on the services being free for the students and staff and also demonstrated the process to sign up for the counselling services.

The event concluded with Mr. Bhatti presenting mementos to Ms. Inayat and Ms. Valjee.