Leaders
Dr. Ali Khwaja
A Montessorian, an engineering graduate of Institute of Science and IIT Bombay, MIE, MIIM, with a Ph.D in behavioral sciences — he has always carved out his own path and been a free-lancer, ensuring that work is joy every day.
He is invited regularly to conduct workshops or lectures for Defence, Central Government, prestigious National institutions, schools and colleges, but he prefers to be informal, learning while he teaches, and being honest and congruent in whatever he says or does.
He is the founder and Chairman of Banjara Academy, a unique institution committed to enriching life though empowerment. He trains people from all walks of life to reach out to others and provide emotional support, and leads a large team of counselors who give free service in person, on phone and through email. He conducts a very popular and practical one year part-time Diploma in Counselling Skills, 4-month Certificate in Child & Adolescent Development, and other online courses.
He has written over 30 books and 80 booklets on all practical aspects of day-to-day life, and writes regular columns and articles in many reputed publications, and edits a unique newsletter, ‘Banjara Life’. His videos on Banjara’s website and YouTube get thousands of viewers from all over the world.
Notwithstanding all that, he loves all human beings alike, is willing to listen, and his prime focus is on empowering individuals to help themselves.
Purnima Ganesh
A graduate in law with a Masters in Management, she started her career with a reputed business house of Mumbai known for its integrity and ethics. Working closely with the top management, she acquired the skills of handling different types of people and maintaining a pleasant and harmonious atmosphere wherever she was given responsibility. Moving to Bangalore she took a major decision to keep away from the corporate rat race and armed herself with a Diploma in Counselling Skills while pursuing her Masters in Psycho-therapy. Subsequently she took the plunge to become a full time counselor, trainer, coordinator and mentor to those who either seek emotional support or wish to become part of the counseling and life skills world.
Indu Kamal
Director Administration
Having had a varied successful stint as an entrepreneur Indu decided to commit herself to meaningful work and was one of the founders of Banjara Academy when it was in its infancy a quarter century ago, and she also armed herself with a Diploma in Counselling Skills. She has smoothly taken over the functions of administration, personnel, finance, and ensures that the institution runs efficiently despite the financial constraints of not having business income. She ensures that there is a right balance of work, philanthropy and services to the needy by keeping a check on the overall functioning.
Sonal Patel
Director and Chief Counsellor of Gurukul
A qualified Advocate, she realized early in life that her calling lies in helping children improve their quality of life and their future. She underwent extensive training not only in counseling but also in child development, assessments and special education. Her passion made her commit full-time to Banjara’s Gurukul, of which she is the founder and driving force. She oversees a wonderful team of highly committed, compassionate and humane teachers, therapists and counselors who are willing to take up the cause of any child with any types of special needs or emotional support.
Sridhar Srinivasan
Counsellor & Coordinator
Transitioned from a very successful technical career in the IT sector, rising up to very responsible positions in MNCs in India, USA and the Middle East – to the human world of Counselling one decade ago, He found his calling as he was genuinely interested in understanding human beings and reaching out to them for their emotional needs. He used to identify the need for raising awareness of EQ, especially among the youngsters who were joining the corporate mainstream right after college. After completing his Certification in Life Skills and Diploma in Counselling Skills at Banjara, he decided to follow his passion for social work and chose to join his alma mater as a counselor, mentor and faculty member. He also completed his BA in Psychology and M.Sc. in Counseling and Family Therapy
Ramaswamy Natampally
Crisis Manager
Mr.Ramaswamy is always available to anyone who is undergoing trauma. He is a living legend among highly specialized doctors as he looks after each individual patient, guides and leads him or her to the best possible treatment. Without any formal qualification in medicine or psychiatry, he armed himself with qualifications in counseling, was trained At Banjara, in NIMHANS and other prestigious institutions, and since the past twenty odd years he has been giving his free services for people in emotional, medical or mental distress. Retiring from a very senior position in an aviation public sector unit, Mr. Ramaswamy was offered very lucrative positions due to his expertise as a design engineer. But he chose to move on to a path less travelled and has created a path where none existed.
Free Counseling
Banjara Academy offers free counselling ( face-to-face, telephonic and email ) for individuals, children, adolescents, family for inter-personal, emotional and any other psychological issues.
Counseling on Call
Call us anytime you need help. Counsellors trained by Banjara as well as specialists such as psychologists, pediatricians, special educators, etc. are available to help and support you.
Face to Face Counseling
For the convenience of our visitors, counselees and students, we are open on many public holidays, you are welcome to visit on those days also to avail any of our services.