MAIL: info@anjalimhro.org
PHONE: +913335392788

SAMHI

SAMHI ~ Sexuality and Mental Health Institute

The Sexuality and Mental Health Institute (SAMHI) was conceptualized as an extension of Anjali’s work on sexuality and mental health. The aim was to reach out to students, young mental health professionals, medical professionals, lawyers and people working within NGOs, CBOs, donor agencies, etc. to learn and understand more about issues of sexuality and mental health so that programs designed and methods of intervention can be more holistic. The organization aims to encourage thought, study, enquiry and action, by providing a space for discussion, cultivation of ideas, breaking down of notions of stigma- with the penultimate aim of promoting inclusion of sexuality in mainstream mental healthcare services.

               

Anjali has completed four years of SAMHI in 2018, 2019, 2023 and 2025.

April 20 - 25, 2026

Participants are expected to arrive by 19th April 2026 and stay for the entire duration of the course.

Vedic Village Spa and Resort

The Venue is disability friendly and fully accessible.

Accommodation

Accommodation will be on a single sharing basis.

                           
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The Institute aims to

  • Facilitate the understanding of the nuances of psychosocial disability and sexuality
  • Create linkages with global work and programs that impact mental health
  • Examine existing laws – both national and international – that impact the work on mental health and sexuality
  • Discuss work that is already existing in the field and enable participants to connect their work with issues of mental health and sexuality
  • Create a dynamic point of enquiry, study and action on mental health and sexuality
  • Generate new ideas and public debates on mental health and sexuality
                       

Pedagogy

The Institute will use a mixture of lecture, discussion, group work, films, readings and case studies.

Core Faculty

                                   
  • Chayanika Shah - Queer feminist activist, educator, and independent researcher working at the intersection of gender, science, sexuality, and politics. She has been part of several voluntary collectives and has led pioneering work on population control, reproductive technologies, and queer/trans rights in India.
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  • KP/Ketki Ranade - Faculty at the Center for Health and Mental Health, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. KP’s work focuses on queer-trans affirmative mental health, legal advocacy, and policy. They bring decades of experience in research, teaching, and writing on gender, sexuality, and mental health.
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  • Ratnaboli Ray - Psychologist, Ashoka Fellow, and founding director of Anjali. With decades of experience in rights-based mental health, she has served on the Government of India’s Task Force on Standard Treatment Guidelines and received the Alison Des Forges Human Rights Defender Award from Human Rights Watch.

Participants

We would encourage students and enthusiasts from all backgrounds to be a part of the institute.

  • Students interested and committed on working with issues of mental health, rights and sexuality
  • Any person working in the social sector on gender issues/ women’s rights/disability/sexuality/mental health/ development and/or youth activism
  • Able to demonstrate how you will use what you learn at the Institute in your work and how you will continue to participate in follow-up activities
  • Proficient in English language, as the Institute is conducted in English and all the training and reference materials used will be in English
  • Any person studying or working in the medical or legal sector with an interest in mental health, gender and sexuality.