Pritha Mani, Child, adolescent and young adult counsellor, La Châtaigneraie, 2000

Pritha Mani

La Châtaigneraie, 2001

Child, Adolescent, and Young Adult Counselor

Switzerland

Find out more about me:

• Counselling
• Hand in Hand Switzerland (hihswiss.org)
• Book: “It’s On Us: Sexual Violence Prevention Handbook” is available on Amazon, Notion Press, and Flipkart.

I currently reside in Switzerland. I work between Tannay and Mies. I am a child, adolescent, and young adult counsellor. I work with clients suffering from a wide variety of issues, including low self-esteem, bullying, anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, trauma, and sexual violence. In addition, I advocate for individuals in the LGBTQIA community and people who have been impacted by sexual violence. I run free online support groups for LGBTQIA teens and male athletes (between ages 17-20). The idea behind the support groups was to provide a space where individuals felt safe and where they could talk about issues impacting them without feeling judged. In addition to counselling, I supervise master's counselling students practising in the field.   

I have a few memories that come to mind and it’s hard to pick a favorite. I have very fond memories of my days at Pregny. I had a good group of friends, some of whom I am still in touch with today, and I had the most incredible teachers. I remember struggling with social anxiety as a child. I would spend time in Mrs Preece’s office where she’d encourage me to write poetry. She allowed me the time and space to process my emotions. Her office became my safe place. I wish there were more principals like her.
I’ve recently published a book on sexual violence prevention for schools and organizations entitled It’s On US!: Sexual Violence Prevention Handbook. The book is available in Canada, the US, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, India, Japan, and Australia on Amazon, Notion Press, and Flipkart.

Finally, I am the ambassador of Hand in Hand Switzerland, an incredible international not-for-profit organization whose mission is to eliminate child labour, educate children, empower women, and promote environmental conservation.

The IB is a program that can challenge you, vex you, and exhaust you at all levels (emotionally, physically, psychologically, and cognitively). On the other hand, it enables you to be curious about the world around you and compels you to push boundaries. Moreover, it enables you to analyze situations from different angles.  I am grateful for these tools, as they enabled to me grow as an individual.

As I reflect back on my time at Ecolint, I firmly believe my past experiences have helped shape the person I am today. I don’t necessarily think I would do things differently. I suffered from social anxiety and I endured years of emotional and psychological bullying at secondary school. However, I had wonderful friends and I was fortunate to have teachers like Ms Pandey and Mrs. Linguiri who were warm and nurturing.
Furthermore, my time at Ecolint enabled me to understand and empathize with people’s emotions and their lived experiences; thereby allowing me to grow as a mental health therapist.  

I think if I could do things differently, I would encourage myself to be braver, to take up more space, and to be unafraid to have my voice heard.

If I could give them some “words of wisdom” it would be to never stop growing and learning. Emotional growth is a necessity. It requires us to introspect, to become self-aware, to accept accountability for our actions, to listen, to show self-compassion, and to empathize with others. It compels us to step out of our zone of comfort and to examine/confront our shadow selves (the unconscious parts of our selves we tend to hide). This, in turn, allows us to become better versions of ourselves and better allies to all inhabitants of this vast planet.

A legacy I would like to leave behind is my passion for advocacy. I would encourage students to advocate for causes they believe in, to take up space, to have their voices heard, and to be brave. In my field of practice, I have been extremely fortunate to work with incredibly inspirational children and adolescents passionate about diverse issues whether it is: combatting poverty; women's empowerment; confronting systemic racism, or addressing issues affecting the LGBTQIA+ community. I am continuously inspired. What the world needs is more authentic listening, more compassion, more understanding, and more empathy.