Ruchir Sodhani Email and Phone Number

I work with a diverse set of clients to help them with their mental health. This could be coping with tough times in their lives, or mental turmoil including mental illness or physical illness. I help deal with depression, anxiety, relationships, conflicts, addiction, and feeling overwhelmed with their situation.I build respectful and effective relationships and to collaborate with people in managing their lives meaningfully at their own terms and pace, while nurturing autonomy and holistic wellbeing. A big part of the role is also raising awareness about mental health and providing tips and tricks for people to explore, practice, and adopt in their own lives, building a toolbox of tools that work for them.

Lifeline runs many NGO community services in rural Australia. I helped establish a new rural service providing outreach counselling support for people struggling emotionally, feeling depressed, anxious or isolated, or suffering from mental illnesses or addiction. This required engaging with GPs, hospitals, nurses, legal services, community groups, and local government and businesses. I travelled daily to meet clients in St George and neighbouring towns at local venues, hospitals, client’s homes, outdoors and also via phone. My achievements included:• Handling a variety of presenting issues such as anxiety, depression, alcohol and drugs, own or family member’s mental illness, isolation, relationship breakdowns, anger, violence, childhood trauma, making sense of growing older, grief, family stability, financial problems, suicide ideation, terminal illness, legal trouble and relocation. Client narratives were typically complex in nature and history. • Engaging over 50 clients and provided counselling and support by relieving their emotional tension through non-judgmental chat sessions, establishing rapport and building trust and therapeutic relationships, helping clients to re-author their stories and connect with their own strengths, resources, and sense of humour. Clients stated that they felt more at peace, more hopeful, and more confident in their own agency and capability in managing their lives. • Raising community awareness about factors and practical tips on mental health and wellbeing through events such as Suicide Prevention, Social Connections, Mental Health awareness workshops, and giving talks in schools and community functions.

Lifeline operates a 24x7 Australia-wide telephone helpline for crisis support and suicide prevention for the general public. As a volunteer crisis supporter, my role included: • Crisis support and counselling, including assistance with managing life situations, helping clients find their own strengths and resources• Suicide prevention, including assessment, finding a reason to live, and facilitating hope and self-belief• Providing appropriate referrals to other organisations

Wesley Hospital has inpatient programs for psychological ailments including Alcohol & Other Drugs (AOD) and Eating Disorders. Outpatient groups, individual counselling, and self-help group meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous are also held on premises. Typically, AOD rehab clients join a 3-week residential program. My responsibilities included:• Conduct one-on-one counselling using person-centred and narrative approaches• Facilitate group psycho-educational sessions, maintain rapport and dynamics while achieving group goals through adult learning principles• Follow ‘disease’ and ‘recovery’ model of addiction using a variety of methods including DBT, CBT, Motivational Interviewing, and Existential Therapy.• Facilitate group sessions such as Emotional regulation & Acceptance; Distress tolerance; Cognitive distortions; Relapse prevention; Guilt, shame & self-compassion; Healthy relationships; Resentment, gratitude & wellbeing; Assertiveness & Boundaries; Triggers & cravings; Anger as a drug; and Mindfulness practice• Participate in weekly ward meetings to review client status, safety, and recovery.plan

A new journey beckons!I am completing ongoing studies in Counselling as well as taking up placement/ volunteer roles in NGOs including Lifeline which runs a Suicide Prevention Telephone Support service.

Mission Australia, is one of Australia’s largest NGOs providing a wide variety of community services to disadvantaged people across the country. I worked with a community program that follows a recovery-oriented philosophy in assisting clients with significant mental health problems to live effective and meaningful lives in the community. My responsibilities included:• Working in various settings including independent living and in hostels, with both high-care and low-care clients• Assistance with case management, and assessement of changes in mental health• Outreach support by working alongside clients in their communities in social activities including shopping, work, exercise, financial management and outings. • Fostering recovery through informal counselling including goal setting, and building confidence and independence • Collaboration with peer agencies including Community Health Services, Housing NSW and other government agencies and NGOs

Delivering Agile and Effective Payment Solutions. Right here, right now!Distra was acquired by ACI Worldwide in Oct 2012.

Working to deliver MAMBO as a new payment scheme to the Australian industry and public.

Distra (www.distra.com) provides innovative EFT payment switching solutions to the Financial Services industry.

I am based in Sydney, Australia