CCPI CIRCLE: May 2014

News on Bangalore Conference September 2011

Jyoti Nivas College and the Conference of Catholic Psychologists, India (CCPI) jointly organized the National Conference on “Community Oriented Psychological Interventions” in Sept 2011. The Conference was a huge success with over 200 psychologists from all over the country actively participating in the two-day brain-storming sessions. The conference addressed areas such as ‘Peace-making Processes’, ‘Multi-professional and multi-level approaches to Mental Health Promotion’, ‘Harnessing Technological Advances to promote Mental well-being’.

Report of Bombay Conference 5-7th October 2012

Mumbai, Oct. 8. The Conference of Catholic Psychologists of India (CCPI) held its Annual General Body Meeting at the Don Bosco Provincial House, Matunga, from 5th to 7th of October 2012, on the theme ``Family Life Inside Out & Therapeutic Strategies``. The Conference commenced with the Holy Eucharist presided over by the President, Dr. Fr. Kuriakose Pallikunnel sdb. The Inaugural ceremony that started with a Prayer service was attended by his Lordship, Bishop Agnelo R. Gracias, the Auxiliary Bishop of Mumbai and Dr. Fr. Michael Fernandez, the Salesian Provincial of the Mumbai Province.

In his message, Fr. Michael Fernandes, the Provincial, spoke on the importance of family and the role Psychologists should play in maintaining good and happy families.

In his keynote address, Bishop Agnelo R. Gracias, stressed the importance of Family from the viewpoint of Catholic Theology. The family is a community of love and life of a man and a woman, who consider life as a gift and their readiness to be open to the gift of life. He emphasized the need for Theology and Psychology to work hand in hand to create stable and happy families.

Dr.Avinash De Souza developed the session on ``Family, Children and Relationships in a Digital age``. He dealt on the impact of video games, mobile, SMS, Facebook, Cartoon channels etc. on children and young adults. He emphasised the role of counsellors in schools and gave some practical ways in which difficult children could be handled. The dysfunctional family is usually the base from which difficult children emerge.

Dr. Fabian Almeida dealt on ``Decoding Dysfunctional Families``. He distinguished between healthy families and dysfunctional families. The causes of dysfunctional families, the types of dysfunctional families and the outcome on children in dysfunctional families were discussed. He presented various methods that could be used to bring dysfunctional families back into the normal stream of life.

Fr. Cajetan Menezes and his team consisting of Ms. Judy and Dr. Yolanda dealt on the Pastoral care of Families. They developed the aspect that good marriages bring in stable families. The Marriage Preparation and Marriage Enrichment programmes in which the young people are prepared for a happy married life and helped to sustain their love and care for each other and for their children in the years to come was presented. They also dealt with the ways of helping young people who enter into inter- faith marriages.

Jaime & Ligia da Fonseca developed on ``Celebrating Family and Celebrating Life``. They dealt on the Theology of the Body and stressed the importance of sexuality in married life. The various family movements, especially Couples for Christ (CFC) and Marriage Encounter (ME) for the sustenance of families were presented. The various programmes in sustaining families like Pre-baptismal programmes, Infant care, Breast feeding, Retreats for couples etc. were also presented.

Sr. Dr. Johncy CHF presented a Pastoral care model of Family Counselling, developed and practised by the Congregation of the Holy Family Sisters. Family visits and Home Mission in parishes form the methodology of this model. The families are visited and confidence of the family is won over. The family problems are resolved either in the family setting itself or with later follow-up in individual counselling sessions. Thus the families are empowered to lead better lives.

Dr. Fr. Tony J D`Souza developed the aspect of Psycho-spiritual understanding of human nature, which is the foundation for family therapy. He developed how a counsellor could become a mirror for couples to enable them discover their personal selves, their preciousness and `loveableness`. Committed married couples should be led to a mystical experience by helping them to discover themselves in love.

In the final discussion the participants put forward many suggestions that could be taken forward in the coming years to fortify marriages and families in the Indian context. Among them the importance of adequate Marriage Preparation for young people and Training Priests and Religious in marriage guidance needs to be focused upon. The Pastoral care model developed by the Congregation of the Holy Family Sisters could also be replicated in various parts of the country. A very important point that emerged was the need to develop an active collaboration between the Priests, Religious and Lay people in the pastoral care of the families.

The Catholic Psychologists from various parts of the country went back enriched and better equipped to fulfil their role in bringing about solace and happiness to families. Congratulations to the co-ordinator Fr. Godfrey D`Sa SDB and his team for the wonderful organisation of the conference.

By Dr. C.M. Joseph Cherukunnel SDB

A report on Trivandrum Conference, Kerala 2006 by UCA News

Catholic Psychologists on Effects Of Call-Center Industry On Workers

India October 13 2006

Catholic psychologists in India have expressed concern over aspects of how the information age is affecting society, focusing attention on especially information-technology workers and their families.

Marshal Philip, a psychologist from Bangalore, says the call-center industry, which has grown dramatically in India as companies overseas look to take advantage of cheaper labor by outsourcing business processing, is taking a toll on its workers. They are "not able to cope with stress and strain of the industry" and some suffer from "burnout," he told UCA News.

According to Gartner, an information-technology research and consulting firm, India accounted for an estimated 80 percent of the world´s call-center market as of August 2004. Bangalore is recognized as India´s center of offshore outsourcing operations.

Philip was one of about 100 participants from all over India, mostly priests and nuns who are qualified psychologists, at the seventh national conference of Catholic psychologists, held Sept. 30-Oct. 1 in Sreekaryam, Kerala state, about 2,800 kilometers south of New Delhi.

The 42-year-old psychologist said more and more youths working in the call-center industry come to him for counseling. "Although they draw huge pay and perks, mental satisfaction eludes them," he explained, since the constant demand for performance brings them stress. "They have everything except time," he remarked, adding that this strains relationships with family members.

These workers typically have to undergo weeks of intensive training in English grammar, pronunciation and idioms, after which they are under pressure to handle hundreds of calls from users from all over the world -- quickly, effectively and politely. Many work shifts that start early in the morning or very late at night so user support can be maintained 24 hours a day.

"They know they should care for their family and spend time with them, but the work pressure imprisons them in the workplace," Philip said.

The only way to help them, according to Philip, is to incorporate spirituality in their lives. "Psycho-spirituality is the best tool to minimize stress and strain," he advised, though he maintained that spirituality is not confined to religions. "Believe in God, be good and do good" is what instills new vigor in these workers, he said.

Psycho-spirituality integrates a spiritual dimension into psychological analysis.

Salesian Father Jose Parappully, a clinical psychologist who presented a paper on Stress -- An Outcome of the Information Age at the conference, also said the information age has generated stress for individuals and families, leading to confrontation and friction.

Father Jose Puthenveed, convener of the conference´s organizing committee, told UCA News Oct. 2 that Catholic psychologists set up a forum in 1999 for networking. The forum now has about 600 members working in various parts of the country, and they meet every year to "understand the latest trends in the field and share views."

This year they decided to address the information age´s impact on society, because "only limited research" has been done on the subject in India, Father Puthenveed told UCA News. He added that the forum is convinced psychologists should take the lead in doing detailed research on the topic.

According to the retired professor of psychology, information-technology companies appear to be concerned about job stress and psychological burnout among their employees. Developers of a technology park in Thiruvananthapuram, just south of the conference venue, have invited Catholic psychologists to study the impact of work conditions on employees.

"We can offer some remedial measures for both individuals and organizations," Father Puthenveed said.

Sister Celine Jose, another participant, told UCA News, "The Church should evolve strategies to promote the right approach to stabilize families" in the information age.

Father Paul Karachira, who manages a drug rehabilitation center in Kerala, commended the Catholic psychologists for trying to address new dynamics in society. The 70-year-old priest told UCA News he found the conference "very encouraging and inspiring." The discussions helped him get "a broader understanding" of the new challenges and the role "we have to play to make this world better."