common queries
frequently asked questions
table of content
Client Related Queries
There may be times when you arrive late for your session due to situational factors. However, the extension of the session under such circumstances wouldn’t be possible and the duration of the session will be confined to your appointment time. In the circumstance that you would want to extend your session, you would need to pay for the extra minutes which would be the breakdown of the hourly cost.
While we understand that there might be certain medical emergencies due to which you wouldn’t be able to make it to your session, as company policy the cancellation charges are levied on any foreseen or unforeseen circumstances.
We value our psychologists’ and your time equally. There could be very valid reasons for your cancellation, however, the psychologist specifically blocks a slot for you that could have been utilised by another client in need. Therefore, if the cancellation is not done 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment, full session charges are levied.
It is important to keep in mind that the therapeutic realm is a professional space for you to benefit from. In times of acute distress, you may feel the need to speak to your psychologist over the phone. However, the idea of therapy isn’t to encourage dependency but rather empower you to be independent. It is also important to note that KCCW is not a crisis intervention center and in case of an emergency, it is advisable to contact the emergency services of your nearest hospital.
Therapy is a collaborative process where you and your therapist set certain goals keeping in mind your best interest. Even though your therapist would have a treatment plan in mind, it is difficult for a therapist to tell you the number of sessions/ duration of treatment. That would depend on the pace at which you and your therapist decide to work at.
A Clinical Psychologist in India is someone with an MPhil qualification and is equipped to do psycho-diagnostic testing as well as psychotherapy. A Counselling Psychologist is someone with a Master’s degree and is equipped to undertake the process of counselling. A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor equipped to prescribe medication for mental disorders.
The standard time for each session is 40-60 minutes. Grief and bereavement sessions can often go up to 1 1/2 hours, but it is situational. Clients always have the option to extend a session-barring any scheduling conflicts on the therapist’s end- by paying for the duration of the extension.
As per the ethical practice and guidelines of KCCW, all information/details discussed in session will be kept confidential, apart from following distinct circumstances: 1) If the psychologist assesses that you’re at risk of harm to yourself or others, they may need to contact the emergency contact listed by you or the local emergency services. 2) When your psychologist discusses your case with other mental health professionals in supervision (while keeping your identity and demographic details anonymous).
Termination of therapy needs to be a well thought out and informed decision that you and your psychologist need to arrive at after reviewing your progress and goals of therapy. Prematurely stopping therapy as your symptoms recede is not advisable.
While each psychologist is competent in their practice, sometimes the need of the client and the therapeutic orientation of the psychologist do not necessarily align. In such circumstances, it is advisable to discuss it with your psychologist so that they could refer you to another mental health professional.
Psychologists use tests and other assessment tools to measure and observe a client’s behavior to arrive at a diagnosis and guide treatment. Psychological tests are administered for a wide variety of reasons: Children & adolescents who may be experiencing difficulty in school, for example, may undergo aptitude testing or tests for learning disabilities. If a person is having problems at work or school, or in personal relationships, tests can help a psychologist understand whether they might have issues with anger management or interpersonal skills, or certain personality traits that contribute to the problem. Other tests evaluate whether clients are experiencing emotional disorders such as anxiety or depression. If you feel that you may be facing any of these issues or have you have been recommended by another professional for a psycho-diagnotic profiling, you could book an appointment with our licensed clinical psychologist who would guide you through the process.
Karma is very proud of a diverse and highly qualified team of mental health professionals. You can have a look at their bios on the ‘Our Team’ page and see which psychologist’s experience and orientation match your preferences.
Training & Internship Related Queries
As an intern at KCCW, you get first-hand training under some of the leading psychologists in the field. Additionally, you receive an insight into the process of therapy and gather expert knowledge regarding various mental health domains.
KCCW offers a variety of internships in different branches of psychology including counselling, child, organizational, clinical psychology and contemporary therapies etc. Usually people choose based on their interests but sometimes one has to choose an internship based on what their university requires, if they are already doing a course. While choosing an internship, factors like the time commitment required, length of the program are some factors one can consider.
KCCW believes that anybody interested in the field of psychology can be a part of our internship and we make sure everybody’s needs and interests are met. There are no particular eligibility criteria involved.
If you are missing a class in case of foreseen or unforeseen circumstances, to make up the hours, an individual session will have to be taken with the Psychologist taking the class, subject to their availability. The fee for these additional classes will be equal to the Psychologist’s session charges.
KCCW is not a hospital setup. We are a private Counselling Center. Keeping in line with our policy to protect the confidentiality of our clients, students are not provided with client contact at the centre. Workshop/Internship participants are taken to NGOs where they can conduct/observe counselling sessions.
We do not provide any trial classes before internships, However, we’ll be happy to brief you about the nature of your internship through a phone call or email.
All our workshops & internships take place per schedule. In case we do not receive the required registrations for the programme, we may need to reschedule/cancel the workshop. You can decide to enrol in an alternative ongoing programme or refund your payment. Your refund will be initiated immediately to your account and will be credited within 7-10 business days.
Participants may choose to transfer their payment towards other existing programs if they cannot make it to the paid program (Center must be informed at least 48 hours before the program commences). However, we do not run the same programs every month and do not promise that the same program will be offered in the coming months. You may choose from the programs that are being offered that month or the next. As a part of our company policy, once you’ve signed up for the internship/workshop, refund would not be initiated.
In case of a lost certificate, the student is required to write to KCCW with proof of having completed their internship. The proof can be a copy of the invoice, registration email, or any other valid proof that verifies your participation in the internship. After verification, a new certificate will be issued at a cost of Rs.1200. Additionally, a cost of Rs. 100 will be levied if a copy of the certificate is required to be sent as a courier.
Karma offers two types of internship opportunities; one is a stipend internship which is more long-term (a minimum commitment period of 3- 6 months). This internship caters to those who want to learn but also want to and can, put their knowledge to work after learning. The second type of internship where the participant pays, is more education-based, consisting of classes, demonstrations, role-plays, and assignments. This internship caters to the limited availability of the student and is curated keeping in mind their own or college requirements. Primarily, the availability/commitment of time is what distinguishes between a stipend internship and a paid internship. Additionally, because the students are primary beneficiaries in this form of internships and no skilled or unskilled work is carried out by them, these are essentially paid training and workshops instead of work.
To provide the interns with a more wholesome and all-rounded experience, our psychologists are chosen carefully and sensitively through a rigorous process of selection. They constantly upgrade their skills thereafter as well. To account for this constant growth (of students and our therapists) and the effort that goes into developing rigorous training modules for students from varied mental health backgrounds, we charge a fee from them. They provide budding psychologists with experiential training which isn’t provided within the curriculum.
Additionally, we also carefully consider the needs and the educational level of the students. Keeping this & our ethical responsibilities in mind, we cannot allow students to observe counselling sessions that other psychologists take. Instead, we work towards providing them experiential knowledge through onsite or virtual field visits with NGOs or organisations that we have carefully selected to ensure they have access to a variety of spaces to gain from, professionally.
Supervision Related Queries
Supervision is defined as a scheduled time to meet with an experienced psychologist to conduct a self-reflective review of practice, discuss professional issues and receive feedback on all elements of practice. The objectives of supervision are to ensure quality of service, improve clinical practice and manage stress. It is a formal arrangement and can incorporate elements of training and assessment. Supervision has shown to help professionals gain insight into their practice, get an objective perspective towards their cases and acquire new knowledge about research & therapies.
Karma offers supervision services for all mental health professionals in both individual and group forums
Career Counselling Related Queries
Career counselling is designed to focus on identifying your areas of strength, potential career choices and assisting you to make informed decisions regarding your career and education. It is a holistic process that takes into consideration your educational background and field of interest. We often use specific career assessments to ensure that you optimize your calibre regarding your professional domain.
KCCW offers a variety of internships in different branches of psychology including counselling, child, organizational, clinical psychology and contemporary therapies etc. Usually people choose based on their interests but sometimes one has to choose an internship based on what their university requires, if they are already doing a course. While choosing an internship, factors like the time commitment required, length of the program are some factors one can consider.