‘IZHAAR’, Gargi's Mental Health Initiative, was initiated in 2015 by the Department of Psychology. This idea came about when the Psychology Association collaborated with the NGO Expressions for their annual seminar in 2015. Izhaar is an on-campus peer to peer support group that aims to create awareness around mental health and provide help and care to the Gargi community. In 2016, the first Mental Health Awareness Week was organized by the team. On 17th April 2016, NDTV covered the Youth Parliament on Mental Health, an event by Izhaar. Izhaar was also recognised in the Hindustan Times on 23 November 2016.

Since then, it has been conducting events that surround the theme of mental health. 'Autism Awareness Day' , 'World Mental Health Day', 'Suicide Prevention Awareness Week’ ‘International Self-care Day’, 'Eating disorders day' are some important events of Izhaar. “Daan Utsav” is another initiative by the Izhaar team to provide help to underprivileged people. During the pandemic in the year 2020-2021, Izhaar members were continuously working towards helping people to deal with challenges and to take care of their mental health through online platforms. 

In 2020, Izhaar got recognised under the Centre for Diversity and Inclusion of Gargi. Izhaar's efforts align with the value of inclusivity & diversity by including members from diverse backgrounds, spreading mental health awareness to wide sections such as mental health of the LGBTQ community, helping underprivileged and those in need. The members of Izhaar also are encouraged to be inclusive and tolerant with each other and celebrate individual differences. 

Not only this but, It's wonderful to hear that Izhaar has had a positive and wide-ranging impact, not only in terms of its societal contributions but also on the career paths of its members and alumni. The fact that alumni have positive experiences to share speaks volumes about the value Izhaar has brought to its community. This is what our alumna have to share. 
 

• Spriha Singh (2015-2018): "Izhaar has helped me understand the value of mental health, the importance of fighting stigma and value of unburdening through sharing. It has helped me realise how sharing can have an effect not only on the individual psyche but on the collective psyche as well and it can in turn facilitate healing."
• Varunika Gupta (2017-2020): "Izhaar helped me to understand students and their journeys from different walks of life, it gave me a perspective that was wholesome and not just my own. As a counsellor and crisis intervention volunteer, I find it easier to communicate with and relate with college students who come to me in these capacities. The skills I learnt from working with Izhaar for 3 years have provided the foundation of my work- empathy, unconditional positive regard and self care."
• Parisha Anand (2023-2027) : "Serving as the Convenor of Izhaar has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my college life. With the guidance of our teacher mentors, | learned to lead with empathy, collaborate with purpose, and transform ideas into meaningful mental health initiatives, whether across campus or within our own team. Every event and every conversation strengthened my belief in the power of creating safe spaces. Having been a part of Izhaar's journey as both a member and its Convenor has made this experience deeply personal. Watching it grow while growing alongside it has been incredibly fulfilling. For someone who has always dreamed of making a difference in the field of mental health, leading Izhaar has been more than a role, it has been the beginning of that dream becoming a reality".
• Charvi (2023-2027): "Izhaar, the mental health initiative of Gargi College" I don't remember how many times I've wrimen this while drafting messages for announcement and permission. Izhaar was not just an initiative but a family to me, wherein all the members did everything together. Whether it be planning any event or preparing the standee for it. We laughed, cherished, ranted and grew together as a team. Izhaar not just helped me cope with the life stressors more effectively, but also made me more empathetic and compassionate towards others. Being the Co-convenor of Izhaar, I formed various professional and personal relationships with the members. Izhaar will always be a special aspect of my college years which helped me refine my own self and curate a better version of me."

 

• Teacher-Convenor : Prof. Neera Pant : Department of Psychology
• Teacher Mentor : Dr. Shyamolima Ghosh Choudhury : Department of Psychology
• Teacher Mentor : Dr. Shweta Chaudhary : Department of Psychology
• Teacher Mentor : Ms. Soni Jaiswal : Department of Psychology
• Teacher Mentor : Ms. Vibhuti Mehta : Department of Psychology
• Student Convenor : Parisha Anand : BA Program (English+Psychology)
• Student Co-Convenor : Charvi : BA (Hons) Department of Psychology
• Student Co-Convenor : Kriti Dixit : BA Program (Philosophy+Psychology)

What are Izhaar ‘s hopes and dreams?

Izhaar hopes that by creating awareness it is able to encourage people to talk openly about their mental health without the fear of being judged.

What problem is Izhaar solving for the greater good?

By training members how to listen empathetically without judgment. Izhaar is creating safe spaces for others to feel encouraged to share their experiences.

Who and what is Izhaar inspiring to change?

Izhaar hopes to create a community that is open to sharing and listening about mental health issues free from the associated stigma.
It has the following poem as its ethos and we hope to create a Gargi that can be supportive of all its members by being kind, empathetic and non- judgemental.

Listen
- Author Unknown

When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving me advice, you have not done what I asked.

When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me why I shouldn't feel that way, you are trampling on my feelings.

When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problem, you have failed me, strange as that may seem.

Listen! All I asked was that you listen, not to talk or do -- just hear me.

Advice is cheap and I can do for myself. I am not helpless. Maybe discouraged and faltering, but not helpless.

When you do something for me that I can and need to do for myself, you contribute to my fear and inadequacy.

But when you accept as a simple fact, that I do feel what I feel, no matter how irrational, then I can quit trying to convince you and can get about the business of understanding what's behind this irrational feeling. 

And when that's clear, the answers are obvious and I don't need advice.

Irrational feelings make sense when we understand what's behind them.

Perhaps that's why prayer works, sometimes, for some people -- because God is mute, and They don’t give advice, or try to fix things. They' just listen, and let you work it out for yourself.

So please listen and just hear me. 

And if you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn ,  and I'll listen to you.

What does Izhaar  do?

Izhaar creates awareness about mental health. It believes that by creating awareness the stigma associated with mental illness can be removed.

Whom does Izhaar serve?

Izhaar serves the entire Gargi Community ranging from students, staff, faculty and other associated members.

How does Izhaar serve them?

Izhaar carries out awareness campaigns around the college campus to bring about awareness on Mental Health. 

Training programmes are conducted for the Gargi members students, staff etc. Recently QPR training on Suicide Prevention was conducted for Gargi Staff and Teachers. Earlier it was done for students as well.

Face to face interactions in the college campus as well as online engagement help the Izhaar members to share their mission of creating awareness.

Surveys on Mental Health Literacy are also carried out to better understand the Gargi community. The data helps in using specific interventions to create awareness. 

Helpline numbers as well as details of professional mental health resources are also shared with the Gargi community. 

Students are provided with safe spaces to share their mental health journeys . 

Izhaar members provide peer to peer support to other students by sharing their lived experiences of mental health.

Izhaar organizes various activities from time to time to create awareness about mental health. 

 

● World Suicide Prevention Day: This is a yearly event. Campus-wide awareness drive on prevention of suicides. The members conduct myth-busting games, and share handcrafted wristbands with uplifting messages.

● World Mental Health Day Seminar:This is a yearly event. Every year there are Panel discussions on mental health across specific themes, followed by workshops on mental wellbeing eg. emotional intelligence, workplace wellbeing, and body-based regulation.

● World Kindness Day :This is also a yearly celebration . Students, professors, and staff shared personal stories of giving and receiving kindness, celebrating empathy and connection.

● Daan Utsav: This yearly drive creates a feeling of joy amongst students and community. The drive was on collecting stationery, clothes, and essentials for “Laughing Home for Disabled” NGO.

● Sip Sip Hurray!: Collaboration with Nescafé pairing tea/coffee cups with handwritten kindness messages.

● Eating Disorder Awareness (Rainbow Potluck): Community potluck with color-themed dishes paired with open conversations on eating disorders and body image.

● Time to Talk : Open discussion on how social media, public figures, and political narratives shape perceptions, encouraging media literacy and critical thinking.