For listening and facilitating the therapeutic process of another human being to be effective in any way, we are called to respond from the place of our own complete humanness. It needs us to engage from our minds, our hearts and bodies; from what we know from past learning and what we can only discover freshly in the present moment of an alive, dynamic encounter.

In my research on where to learn this, I found either the extremes of places that emphasized rigid, mechanistic ways of knowing a person - flattening the richness and mystery of being a human to fit the fashionable theories of a time. Or I found places that in the name of the mystery, had no sound theoretical framework to guide - risking the anti-ethical stance of ‘anything goes’. I was surprised to find a place like Just Being, where the teachers so skillfully imparted this ‘middle path’ - of integrating evidence-based methods with the capacity of being intuitive and human. Just Being’s pedagogy is highly experiential, which is what it needs to be in learning the ‘art’ and not just the science of facilitation. I feel enormously grateful for discovering this authentic place of learning.

Batch 2022-23

I recently completed my Post Graduate Diploma in Mindfulness based Couseling and I am so grateful for the team at Just Being Center for Mindfulness and Presence under the guidance of an amazing teacher and mentor Sandy Dias Andrade and to all my peers who made this journey such an enriching and wholesome one, I really want to thank you for filling in an empty space in my life that I didn’t even know I had 😇 I learnt so much through the one year, deepening my understanding of what it means to hold space for someone and how I show up in a therapy space and these learnings have brought an enormous change in how I hold myself as a therapist in therapy sessions now. I hope I continue to use these learnings to grow and nurture myself and my practice. Adding the title Mindfulness Based Counselor to the hat now.

Batch 2023-24

This course has helped me much more than I had expected. I came to this course wondering if I wish to pursue a career in counselling. Also, to understand what goes in a listening process, since many people around me had appreciated me for my ability to listen. This course set the ground for me. One of the peers who attended the course and is also a clinical psychologist said once, “This course orients you to the human side of the counselling process.” In my experience, this listening process serves as a holistic approach to counselling process. The course definitely has helped me become a better listener in the counselling process, and along with it, I also see myself growing as a human being. This actually means that I’ve benefitted from the course on different levels.

Batch 2018-19

I am extremely delighted to share that I was able to experience a course so profound & experiential, that enabled me to tap into my inner space. The course not only provided hands on extensive training with consistent supervisions to aid in professional development, but also has helped me find and tune into parts of myself that I was not aware, existed. This has given me the opportunity to help the other in the listening space navigate their way through with an enhanced sense of groundedness and mutuality.

The deep embodied listening that is at the core of this course, has enabled me to be present with the other with more openness, less resistance & enhanced responsiveness. I have experienced moments of feeling strong emotions and yet allowing them and creating space, while at the same time holding space for the other, which I believe is crucial to the process of listening to the other with depth and the course has given me to lean into & cultivate this wonderful capacity to navigate my own inner processes.

Sandy, Harini & the team have given me the possibility to be more aware of my own processes & some glimpses into myself, through this course, which help me in being empathetic, receptive & intuitive in the space that I hold with the other. To be able to cultivate this ability as a listener & psychologist has essentially provided me ways to help the other tune into themselves by just being present.

I am extremely grateful to be able to experience this beautiful course and to meet wonderful people, in whose presence I have come to learn & value the attributes of safety, compassion & containing, as we hold space for the other & ourselves.

Batch 2022-23

I completed my listening course with Sandy at Just Being in 2018. From the time I heard of the program, to my first conversation to understanding the program, I have felt a deep resonance with the vision of the centre. Going through the course was a process of self-actualization for me on many levels.

Every discussion and interaction has taught me so much; not only knowledge of the subject but an inner-understanding. It is rare in these times to come across such a genuine team of people with deep knowledge, integrity and such empathy.

I feel so much joy and privilege to have been connected with JBC and the programs they continue to add are wonderful. I hope for a long-sustaining relationship of continued learning with them

Batch 2017-18

Mindfulness based Counselling program has made a huge difference in my life, personally and professionally. The program, Sandy’s presence and teaching methods are very unique and precise.

I loved how the modules flowed and progressed. It’s a perfect combination of practical and theoretical learning.I now listen to myself more deeply and hence able to bring a deeper listening presence in the spaces I am in.

As a yoga and movement facilitator, I am able to listen better to my clients too. When I look back it seems like vast experience shared with us with such simplicity and grace. I feel very lucky to have received Sandy’s incredible guidance through this program.

Batch 2021-22

The MBC-LWEP program has truly been a unique and life-changing experience for me. The program’s andragogy, which insists on learning wholly through experiencing, sets the program apart from others. I believe the program has contributed to calming my overemphasized cognitive, slowing me down, noticing my inner world, catching somatic sensations, and also softened me, given me the courage to become vulnerable, and helped me see the softer aspects of humanity and life. Suffice to say that post the program, I have discovered that the act of listening to anyone deeply, non-judgmentally and compassionately, is extremely nourishing, energizing and fills my heart with joy.

Sandy, as the core facilitator, is a treat to sit with. She lives a life steeped in mindfulness, compassion and authenticity, all of which make her a perfect role model to emulate. The other facilitators and assistants, who have held our hands and guided us through the program, have always been available and approachable.

In summary, the MBC program has provided me with a once-in-a-lifetime experience of self-discovery and growth. I wholeheartedly recommend this program to anyone seeking a deep dive into themselves, with the intention of cultivating harmonious connections within themselves and with others. The MBC-LWEP program has the power to truly transform lives and nurture a profound sense of interconnectedness.

Batch 2022-23

A gifted psychotherapist, trainer and workshop leader with 19 years of experience in the field, she has primarily trained in Mindfulness based interventions like Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Integral Somatic Psychotherapy (ISP), Biodynamic CranioSacral Therapy (BSCT), Focusing Skills Certification and is equipped in skills in cognitive, affective, somatic works as well as trauma resolution.

Sandy Dias Andrade is a psychotherapist in mindfulness and presence and founder director of Just Being, Pune. She is also a trustee at Connecting, an NGO involved in suicide prevention work. She was responsible for initiating the helpline service and has trained and mentored over hundred volunteers in ‘Mindfulness Based Active Listening’ as well as mentored other organisations and individuals in setting up listening systems.

Harini is an associated counselor with Just Being and holds individual as well as Group therapy spaces. She facilitated Grief Circles for the community on behalf of Just Being Center in association with Connecting Trust. She also works in the area of strengthening leadership in education and child development.

Harini Raval holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from ‘College of Social Work Nirmal Niketan’ and a Doctoral Degree in Education from ‘University of Twente, Netherlands’. She has trained in ‘Mindfulness Based Counseling: Listening with Embodied Presence’ from Just Being & St. Mira’s and ‘Mindfulness & Presence Oriented Psychotherapy’ from Just Being Center.

Jaya is the The Principal In-charge at St. Mira’s College for Girls, Pune and has served at St. Mira’s as Head of the Department of Psychology. She teaches many theory-based modules on the course and brings the theory alive for students. She has an ability to teach in a way that makes theoretical concepts lucid and places them in a concise yet comprehensive framework.

She has actively designed courses to advance students’ understanding of psychology as a profession, designed curriculums for undergraduate programs with psychology as a specialization, taught varied psychology courses for undergraduate levels, including psychopathology, research methodology and counselling psychology. She is also responsible for developing several volunteering programs that were very popular with the community and students. She is also a coordinator of the Internal Quality assurance cell and is instrumental in launching a very successful mental wellbeing program for students.

Dr. Milan Balakrishnan is a licensed psychiatrist with over 15 years of experience in the field of mental health. He completed his medical degree from the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences followed by residency training in psychiatry at Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital. Dr. Milan is trained in both general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. Throughout his career, Dr. Milan has provided compassionate care to patients across the lifespan, from children to older adults. He has worked in a variety of settings, including community mental health clinics, inpatient hospitals, and private practice and Digital Psychiatry clinics. Dr. Milan has extensive experience treating a wide range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and substance use disorders.

Dr. Milan uses a variety of treatment modalities, including medication management, psychotherapy, and lifestyle interventions. He is also trained in neurostimulation and ketamine use. He is trained in Mindfulness based therapies. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Balakrishnan is a respected researcher and educator in the field of psychiatry. He has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and has presented his research at national and international conferences. He has also been quoted in many newspaper and magazine articles. He is also a clinical professor at Masina Hospital, where he teaches medical students and psychiatry residents.

While Lorraine was the mother of two girls, many people who crossed her path, often thought of her as their mother. If one were asked to come up with adjectives to describe her, we are sure the following would be amongst the top 5 – loving, generous, kind, tall, warm.

Lorraine was a teacher by profession. She gave up teaching when she conceived her first born, although she, proverbially, remained a teacher for life. Her longest role was as the Lady of the House, a homemaker and it is a role she carried and wore with pride. Alongside this, she served on the Board of Trustees for the Lila Poonawalla Foundation for several years. At some point in her lifetime, she headed the Works of Charity, a social organization of the Mount Carmel Church that facilitated the education of several needy children, who are today pursuing careers of their choice. In addition, she proudly facilitated several inter-faith meetings with the purpose of creating understanding, building sensitivity, and bringing people of different communities together. Having lost her husband at a young age and despite her responsibilities towards her home and as a single parent, Lorraine’s strongest purpose and focus was her charity work. Much of this work was done quietly and she pursued it honestly and with honour, with the singular purpose of alleviating suffering & promoting self-reliance.

Lorraine was a chef par excellence and she enjoyed entertaining, cooking, and feeding people. She loved to embroider and several of her saris were hand embroidered by her. Her weakness was saris, she could not resist buying them and left behind an impressive collection of them. The love of her life was her husband, Alfred, and the bond they shared was rare. Lorraine passed away in November 2021 but she will always be remembered for her large-hearted warm persona, her beautiful smile, her kind heart and for being the giver of the tightest, warmest hugs.