Diploma in Dance Movement Therapy

Dance/movement therapy usually referred to simply as dance therapy or DMT, is a type of therapy that uses movement to help individuals achieve emotional, cognitive, physical, and social integration. Beneficial for both physical and mental health, dance therapy can be used for stress reduction, disease prevention, and mood management. St. Mira’s College in collaboration with ArtSphere and CMTAI (Creative Movement Therapy Association of India) has introduced a Diploma in Dance Movement Therapy. The course helps in acquainting the students with basic tenets of DMT, the various schools of thought in psychology that DMT draws from, the basic tools and techniques, leaning towards the applicability of the subject, the know-how of how to apply the principles of DMT and develop some basic documentation skills for their work. Our interns on the last batch have worked with varied settings including old age homes and centres for children with special needs.

Certificate Course in Disabilities: Awareness and Inclusion

“Disability awareness in educational institutions is extremely important because it educates students so they may become better citizens.” Teaching about disability helps in breaking social barriers and allow a better, wholesome approach to the inclusion of people with disabilities. Ekansh Trust in collaboration with St. Mira’s College for Girls has introduced a six weeks certificate course in Disabilities: Awareness and Inclusion. The introductory course is for those seeking to pursue careers in management, social work, education, administrative services etc. The course has been launched in the remembrance of Dada J.P. Vaswani. The course will help in acquainting the students with the types and terminologies in disability studies, the models of disabilities, the challenges involved in the inclusion of people with disabilities and the advocacy and accessibility for people with disabilities. Our student feedback has been heart touching with several students reporting an increased understanding of tolerance and the importance of an all-inclusive world.

Certificate Course in Mindfulness-Based Counselling – Listening with Embodied Presence

Mindfulness refers to being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the present moment, and accepting them without judgment. It enables you to be a compassionate, accepting, and non-judgmental observer of them. Mindfulness-based therapies and methods are becoming increasingly popular with mental health and other healthcare professionals. St. Mira’s College in collaboration with Just Being Centre conducts a nine-month duration course on ‘Mindfulness-Based Counselling – Listening with Embodied Presence’. The course will help in acquainting the students with listening space, inward, experiential understanding of the listening process and self-care and an ability to listen in an intuitive way is highlighted along with the other skills of counselling that help the practitioner to respond in an attuned way. The course is open to students from non-psychology backgrounds as well. Due to the overwhelming response for the course, we launched two batches simultaneously.

Dr Gulshan Gidwani, Principal, St. Mira’s College Quote: “The Vision Statement of the College is: To grow into a Centre of Excellence providing quality education and empowering women to take their place in society. Quality, as envisioned at St Mira’s College, translates into delivering an ability to ‘think and perform’ and not merely duplicate; addition of competencies and not merely competitiveness.  We realized that after the 5-year education at college graduation level, students still have to put in additional time, energy, effort and money to become empowered enough to take their place in society.  And, so we felt, why not equip them with all the skills they need within the 5 year period at the graduation level itself. Education without skills is like spectacles behind which there are no eyes! So we introduced a plethora of vocational skill-based courses with the cafeteria approach for students to choose from. These courses are designed to provide an education beyond the textbook.”