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Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a compassionate, evidence-based response that reduces distress, promotes safety, and prevents long-term mental health issues during crises. Despite its effectiveness, training remains limited. This workshop will teach participants to recognize distress, offer empathetic support, practice through role-plays, and connect individuals to professional help, thereby fostering resilience and recovery.

This workshop focuses on the crucial role of educational institutions in supporting students' mental health. It highlights the growing need for effective mental health frameworks in schools and colleges, noting that a significant number of students face mental health issues but few receive help. The session aims to equip participants with strategies for early intervention, and for creating sustainable, stigma-free mental health support systems tailored to the Indian context. Key takeaways include understanding the importance of these services and learning how to identify and address student mental health concerns.

This workshop on positive parenting is designed for parents and caregivers to learn how to raise resilient, emotionally secure children. It will cover evidence-based principles and provide practical strategies for strengthening communication, managing behavior, and balancing discipline with compassion. The session will draw on both national and international expertise to help participants navigate modern parenting challenges and create a supportive home environment where children can thrive.

This workshop focuses on Expressive Therapeutic Techniques for Healing, exploring two non-verbal approaches: Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) and Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT). It highlights how these methods offer alternative pathways for emotional healing and self-expression beyond traditional talk therapy. The session will explain the science behind how movement and the human-animal bond can help with emotional regulation, stress reduction, and mind-body integration. Facilitated by experts in each field, the workshop will provide participants with experiential insights into how these innovative therapies can be applied across various settings, from clinical care to corporate wellness.

This pre-conference workshop, "Designing Research for Impact," is designed to guide participants on how to conduct behavioral health research that is both academically rigorous and socially relevant. The session will focus on shifting from research that only serves to build theory to research that addresses real-world community needs. Participants will learn strategies for collaborating with stakeholders, using culturally relevant methods, and integrating interdisciplinary perspectives to ensure their findings can be translated into actionable policy and practice. The key takeaways include understanding how to frame impactful research questions and how to create pathways for scalability and sustainability.

Mental health disorders affect millions, and in India stigma, poor access, and neglect of the homeless mentally ill worsen the crisis. This plenary session highlights moving from illness management to wellness promotion through holistic rehabilitation. The session will talk about combining medical care with psycho-social interventions, community and family support, vocational training, destigmatization, and reintegration showing how compassionate outreach and teamwork can restore dignity, fight stigma, and create replicable models of care.

This session explains a shift from a traditional illness-focused view of mental health to a more holistic, strengths-based approach. The session will explore how positive psychology, which focuses on enhancing well-being and resilience, can be applied in clinical, educational, and community settings. The plenary aims to highlight strategies that go beyond just reducing symptoms to help individuals to flourish and build resilient communities.

This session will examine the deep connection between psychology and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. It will highlight how stress, anxiety, and depression influence disease progression and outcomes, while showcasing integrative approaches like yoga, mindfulness, and mind-body medicine that enhance resilience and adherence to treatment. Through real-world case studies and psychosomatic models, the session will outline opportunities and challenges in embedding psychological care into mainstream NCD management to improve overall patient wellbeing.

This session will focus on the role of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in strengthening behavioural health systems in India’s multicultural context. It will highlight how DEI can reduce disparities, improve access, and enhance patient engagement, while also addressing systemic barriers such as inequities and cultural insensitivity. Drawing on research, practice, and successful models, the session will provide strategies and best practices for embedding DEI principles into policies and care delivery to build more inclusive and effective behavioural health systems.

This session focuses on suicide prevention in vulnerable populations, specifically addressing the high rates of farmer suicides and youth suicides in India. The session will explore the neurobiological and psychosocial factors contributing to suicide and will highlight the need for a holistic, community-based approach that integrates mental health, livelihood support, and policy. This session will introduce the successful "Pyramid Model for Farmers’ Suicide Prevention" and other innovative, evidence-based strategies for reducing suicide rates in l communities.

This session will explore how to apply theoretical knowledge in mental health to practical, community-based interventions.It will focus on innovative research methods and how to co-design effective, culturally relevant solutions with communities. It will highlight the importance of connecting academic learning with real-world needs to create lasting change and improve access to care.

The 21st century demands education that bridges Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), dissolving disciplinary silos to foster holistic growth. This session explores how multidisciplinary learning across humanities, technology, health, and management can create compassionate, ethical, and future-ready learners. It emphasizes innovative pedagogies, collaboration, and internationalization. Key themes include merging EI and AI, breaking institutional silos, building inclusive curricula, addressing ethical and social challenges, and fostering cross-sector networks for creative, adaptable, and responsible education.

Behavioural health, increasingly challenged by rising global rates of anxiety, depression, and stress, is shaped by daily choices in movement and nutrition. This panel highlights how exercise and balanced diets jointly influence brain chemistry, stress regulation, and overall resilience. By integrating sports and nutrition into behavioural health care, the session explores holistic, preventive, and accessible models that bridge psychiatry, lifestyle, and community support. Key insights include understanding biological mechanisms, breaking silos between fields, applying practical integration strategies, addressing equity barriers, and reframing behavioural health as a lifestyle-driven continuum requiring cross-sector collaboration.

This keynote highlights emerging global challenges in youth mental health, including rising anxiety, depression, and self-harm due to social, academic, and digital pressures. The session will focus on early intervention, community-based approaches, technology-enabled care, and evidence-based strategies to strengthen resilience. It will provide insights into scalable, sustainable, and culturally adaptable solutions for improving youth mental well-being worldwide.

The keynote session on "Need-based Innovation in Behavioural Health Sciences" emphasizes that mental health solutions must be rooted in community needs to be effective, culturally relevant, and sustainable. The address will explore innovative practices and collaborative models that can address challenges like stigma and inequitable access, particularly in countries like India, with the goal of strengthening overall wellbeing. It will also talk about the need to go beyond working in traditional mental health setups as every industry and sector requires behavioural counsellors given the changing geopolitical environment as well as challenges of climate change and rapid technological advances. The talk will provide insights into successful strategies and future directions for innovation in this field.

This keynote emphasizes integrating mental health into primary care to improve access, reduce stigma, and ensure timely interventions. It highlights insights from international models, community-based approaches, collaborative practices, and policy strategies to make mental health care accessible, equitable, and sustainable, particularly in contexts like India.

The panel discussion on the "Care to Cure: Collaboration Communication Connection & Compassion – 4C Model" will highlight how these four principles form the foundation of a sustainable and person-centric healthcare system. The session will explore how collaboration, communication, connection, and compassion improve client’s trust and outcomes, sharing real-world examples and best practices globally to transform care from transactional to truly transformative.

The panel discussion on "Licensure, Legislation, & Human Rights in Mental Health" highlights the challenges India faces in implementing its progressive laws and Acts like the Mental Health Care Act, Rights of Persons with Disability Act , National Education Policy , National Commission of allied health professionals Act .The panel will bring together experts from healthcare, education, and law to deliberate on these issues. The discussion aims to find solutions to bridge gaps in education, service delivery, uphold human rights, and create a sustainable system.

"Breaking Mental Health Stigma Through Education & Community Engagement," will explore how education and community-based initiatives can be used as powerful tools to dismantle mental health stigma and encourage people to seek help. The talk will highlight the importance of collective action and collaboration between various stakeholders to create a stigma-free society and foster supportive mental health ecosystems.

The session on "Substance and Drug Addiction: Policy, Prevention, and Practices" will highlight how a multidimensional approach, combining evidence-based policies, preventive strategies like education and early intervention, and effective clinical practices, is essential for addressing the global challenge of addiction. The discussion will provide valuable insights into implementing and sustaining interventions within both communities and healthcare settings.

This symposium emphasizes integrating behavioural sciences into healthcare to improve patient outcomes and support whole-person care. The session will focus on understanding human behaviour ,analysing it and developing strategies for developing comprehensive and customised individualised treatment plans . It will provide practical insights and evidence-based approaches to make behavioural health care accessible, effective, and an integral part of clinical practice.