Daijiworld Media Network—Dubai
USA, Oct 14: Astrid Shanthi D’Cunha, once a teenager editor of the ‘Young World’ column of Daijiworld, recently completed her Ph D in Counseling Psychology from the University of North Dakota, USA. Daughter of Ronald and Aboline D’Cunha (Dubai), she completed her Ph D from the University of North Dakota, on August 8, 2014.
Astrid's dream career was the product of constant support from her parents, family, and close friends, the advice of counselors she knew in Dubai, and most importantly, her desire to change negative attitudes towards mental illness and psychological services.
She completed her elementary, middle, and high school education from St Mary’s Catholic High School in Dubai and decided to head to the USA for college as there are more varied options in the areas of her interest—Psychology and Studio Art, as well as to immerse herself in a different culture. She completed her bachelor's degree with a double major in Studio Art and Psychology at the College of St Catherine in St Paul, Minnesota, in 2002. Astrid feels privileged to have experienced the empowering benefits of an all-women’s college and suggests that young women not rule this option out.
Astrid went on to do her Masters in Psychology at Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania, before joining the University of North Dakota in 2009. In between her different academic programmes, Astrid conducted Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy and group therapy for children who have autism. According to her, this is a challenging area of work for those interested in pursuing psychology as an area of study. Working with children who have autism is not only helpful professionally, but personally fulfilling.
During her graduate training, Astrid did individual and group counseling for children and adults with a wide range of issues ranging from depression to psychosis. She enjoyed her psychological testing, addictions, inpatient, and intensive rehabilitation training during her pre-doctoral internship at a community mental health center in Merrillville,Indiana. She believes that we need to promote awareness of effective interventions for all types of human problems, individually and as a society. Her dissertation on ‘Mental Illness Stigma, Mental Health Literacy, and Psychological Help-Seeking in a Rural Population’ was designed to assess how people's knowledge about mental health services is related to their desire to seek professional help for psychological problems.
Right from the time she left home for her higher education in August 2002, it has been an upward trend in terms of achieving her goal of becoming a psychologist. While the path was challenging at times, the rewards were many. With the right information, supportive mentors, and the encouragement of family and friends, one can channel one’s interests into a productive career. Astrid encourages all young people to consider exploring new career options related to their interests rather than pursuing options they are already familiar with. She will gladly answer questions related to pursuing Liberal Arts, Psychology, and Studio Art in the US, particularly for those interested in moving from Dubai and India.
Astrid also encourages individuals to open up to trusted family and friends about challenges such as depression and anxiety so that they may assist in finding professional help early enough. There are services available in many different forms and it is worth talking to others about the availability of services in your area. The mind and body are one and often times, many psychological issues go unnoticed because people attribute symptoms to a medical condition and/or because of the negative attitudes attached to mental health issues. People often lack awareness of how mental illness symptoms present and this can be a deterrent to seeking the right type of help.
Our felicitations and best wishes to her and her husband Jason Pinto (s/o Dr Thomas Backet and Ona Pinto), on the occasion of their marriage on 30 August 2014, in Pittsburgh, PA, USA.