Admissions 2025 Integrated Programmes

Department of Psychology

Dr.Anita

Designation : Head, Professor

Qualification : Ph.D

Email-ID : anita@rajagiri.edu

Anita Rajah is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with nearly 30 years of experience in the corporate, health and education sectors. From 1998 to 2011, she practiced in Kochi where she established Clinical Psychology services in private clinics and hospitals. She joined Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi and created an independent Department of Clinical Psychology in 2009. Wanting to create impact at scale and to prevent rather than treat mental health issues, she changed sectors and moved into Education. She joined the Piramal Foundation for Education Leadership in 2013, where she headed a vertical at the Centre of Excellence in Socio-Emotional Learning until 2021. She has completed her MPhil from NIMHANS , PhD from Amrita University and is a Fulbright Doctoral Fellow. She has several publications to her credit. She is a trustee at MEHAC foundation- an NGO that provides mental health services to some of the poorest districts of Kerala.

  • PhD - Amrita University, Ettimadai- Coimbatore
  • Fulbright Doctoral Scholar, Illinois- USA
  • MPhil – NIMHANS, Bangalore
  • MA- Mysore University
  • BA- Madras University
  • Walchandnagar Industries, Walchandnagar- Pune
  • Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Ernakulum
  • Kaivalya Education Foundation, Bagar, Rajasthan
  • Private practice at various Hospitals in Ernakulum
  • Trustee- MEHAC Foundation
  • Sunder P, Vincent AS, Saju MK, Moorthy AS, Paulose G, Robins R, Prabhu AV, Arun M, Rajah A and Venkateswaran C (2021) Reimagining Community Mental Health Care Services: Case Study of a Need Based Biopsychosocial Response Initiated During Pandemic. Front. Psychiatry 12:731321. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.731321.
  • Poornima Sunder, S Anitha, Anupama V Prabhu, M Arun, Anita Rajah, Roshni Robins, Chitra Venkateswaran (2021). MEHAC's Virtual Route to Care during Pandemic: An Opportunity to Recapitulate Sustainability. Journal of World Association of Social Psychiatry, Volume 3, Issue 3 No.234-333
  • S Anitha, Poornima Sunder, Meenu K Saju, M Arun, Anupama V Prabhu, Anita Rajah, Chitra Venkateswaran, Roshni Robins (2021) An Alternative Narrative amid the Pandemic – An Alternative Narrative amid the Pandemic – An Integrated Community Approach in Care Delivery during Perinatal Period, Journal of World Association of Social Psychiatry, Volume 3, Issue 3 No.234-333…
  • Rajah, A, Nag, S.(2011). Early Childhood Education In India. A Status Report, The Promise Foundation, Bangalore 
  • Rajah, A. Sundaram, K.R., Anandkumar, A.(2011). Changes in intellectual and academic performance of children following computer-based training: Preliminary results. Indian Journal Of Psychiatry, 53, 249-252
  • Rajah, A, Natarajan, G., Sundaram,K.R. (2010). Profile of couples seeking help in the Family Court- A retrospective analysis. Psychological Studies,  55(2), 172-176
  • Rajah, A., Suresh Kumar., Somasundaram, C.P., Anandkumar, A. (2009). Dissociative fugue in the elderly- A Case Report. Indian Journal Of Psychiatry, 51(4), 295-297
  • Shailaja, C. Rajah, A. Mukundan, C.R.(2009). Technology in Rehabilitation: A computer-based Cognitive Retraining programme for patients with Head Injury. Paper accepted for publication in Indian Journal of Clinical Psychology 36(2), 11-22
  • Rüsch, N. ,  Corrigan, P.W. , Powell, K., Rajah, A., Olschewski, M., Wilkniss, S., Batia, ., (2009) A Stress-Coping Model of Mental Illness Stigma: II. Emotional Stress Responses, Coping Behavior and Outcome. Scizophrenia Research. 110(1-3), 65-71
  • Socio-Emotional Learning-The Way forward in Education : National Conference of School Mental Health Programme: Current scenario and Future Direction, Dept of Clinical Pychology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, July 2019
  • Wednesday’s child full of Woe: Are Rights of Children with Special Needs Ensured and Protected in our Regular Schools? International conference on Protection of Child rights: Issues and Challenges, Pondicherry, January 2013
  • Computer-based training for improving cognitive functions in young children. Paper presented at the International symposium on Language, Literacy and Cognitive Development, Bangalore, December 2011 
  • Referrals from the Family Court- A retrospective analysis. Paper presented at the National Conference of Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists at Jaipur, 2006
  • Effectiveness of a computer-based cognitive intervention programme  for children referred by teachers- Preliminary Results. Paper presented at the International Symposium on Stress, Cognition and Mental Health at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP, India, December 2009
  • O’Mahar, K. , Rajah, A., Pilat, J., O’Shaughnessy, J., Leahy, B. RBANS patterns of performance as predictors of cognitive decline. Poster selected for presentation at the International Neuropsychology Society at Atlanta in February, 2009.
  • “How the brain behaves” Invited speaker at the World Brain Awareness Week, March 2005, Kochi
  • Invited speaker on Psychosocial aspects of Cancer, conference organised by the Pain and Palliative Care Unit, AIMS, Kochi in October 2009
  • Invited speaker on Mind and Consciousness”, State conference organised by the Dept of Physiology, AIMS, Kochi in December 2009
  • Cognitive and Behaviour profile of children with average scholastic performance. Best poster award for the Poster presented at the 37th National Conference of the Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists, Ahmedabad, January 2011
  • Invited speaker on World Epilepsy Day, on “ Managing Co-morbidities in children with epilepsy” organised by Cochin Neurological Society and Indian Epilepsy Association, Ernakulam in Nov 2009
  • Gold medal for the highest marks obtained at the MA examination from the University of Mysore.
  • Fulbright Doctoral Fellowship for the year 2007-2008 with a 9 month placement at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
  • Was part of the Exchange Program from Vigyan Valley Learning Centre, invited by the municipality of Kumla, Sweden in April 2015
  • Chaired sessions at National and International conferences Regular speaker at interactive sessions in schools, colleges, Rotary club, Hemophilia Federation of India(Kerala) on Mental health and Behaviour Management