Dr. Seema Girija Lal [Ph.D.]
is a mental health consultant with over twenty years of experience spanning both non-governmental organizations and private sector institutions based out of India and the United Arab Emirates. Currently, she provides online and in-person consultancy and training in areas related to mental health, education, disability, schooling [home schooling, / inclusive], parent, teacher and student empowerment.
Seema has, over the years, worked with thousands of families, providing training and consultation services addressing areas that can improve their quality of life. Her work has contributed to over a hundred institutions working in the domains of education, mental health and disability. Seema’s work has included one-on-one consultations with children and adults facing mental health-related issues in varied of their lives – learning, relationships, careers or others.
Consultations are provided in English, Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi. Seema has years of experience in guiding and setting up inclusive education models within mainstream schools and sensitising parents, teachers and students alike in understanding neurodiversity. She also has expertise in leading community-based rehabilitation projects, advocating for rights of the marginalized and being instrumental in bringing about policy level changes in India.
She is the Founder of ‘Together We Can (TWC)’, an advocacy forum of that supports social issues and causes. The PIL filed by the forum was instrumental in bringing in guidelines for regulation of therapy centres in Kerala which is a first for the country and her current PIL at the Supreme Court of India has facilitated the much needed legal pressure for States to implement the RPwD,2016.
Her recent petition with the KeSCPCR [Kerala State commission for protection of child rights] led to an order mandating training and sensitization of those involved with National Institute of open schooling [exam and learning centres] , towards understanding and accommodating specific needs of the learners particularly during examination.
Seema has attained her Doctoral degree from Vrije University Amsterdam – The Netherlands. The thesis is titled “Making Lived Experiences Matter – Understanding the Journey of mothers of autistic children in India.” The work entails a road map to work towards empowerment of those positioned as vulnerable and marginalized in any society.
