Lekhana Priya G
Lekhana Priya Gundapaneni is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and a concentration in Literature at Krea University, with a keen interest in Trauma-informed care, Crisis Intervention, and Disaster Mental Health. Her passion for these areas is fuelled by engaging courses such as Clinical Psychology, Introduction to Counselling Theories, Experimental Research Design, and Disaster Response and Humanitarianism which have deepened her understanding of psychological principles and their practical applications.
With a love for writing, Lekhana's interest in research grows exponentially as she pursues a Capstone research project at the intersections of Social Psychology and In-group Communication, under the supervision of Professors Suryodaya Sharma and Rakshi Rath. Lekhana has hands-on experience through her internships at Swarn Aayu, where she engages with senior citizens to gather qualitative data, and at HOPE – Deaddiction and Rehabilitation Clinic, where she learned about addiction recovery methods. Additionally, she showcased her dedication to inclusive education during her internship at Adhyayan Inclusive Learning Centre, working closely with children with intellectual disabilities. Lekhana's diverse experiences reflect her commitment to making a positive impact in the field of mental health.
Internship(Duration)
HOPE – Deaddiction and Rehabilitation Clinic, Hyderabad
60-hour Internship
June 2024 – June 2024
• Internship Duration: 4 weeks [in-person]
• Theoretical training in the basics of Clinical Psychology and ICD and DSM Diagnostic criteria of various groups of illnesses
• Practiced role play, interviewing and detailed case history taking with fellow internship members under the guidance of a clinical
psychologist
• Taught various tangents of Addictions and Substance Abuse, and the process of using a combination of CBT plus Alcoholics
Anonymous 12-step method for recovery of addicts
• Exposed to talks on the personal experience of both amateur and experienced members of the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
community and discussions over how the learnt theory applies to and reflects in the members’ respective stages of changes in their
recovery
Adhyayan Inclusive Learning Centre, Delhi
Intern
May 2023 – August 2023
• Internship Supervisors: Rajeev Bhatt, Special Educator; Deepak Bhatia, Occupational Therapist
• Internship Duration: 75 days [in-person]
• Worked closely in one-on-one and group tutoring of children ranging from ages 4 to 19 years with a diverse range of intellectual
disabilities including Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Down syndrome and Autism
• Made case notes (based on observation and engagement) on students, tracked their progress trajectories, developed and
practiced techniques to retain student concentration, attention and memory with both already-learned and new concepts or ideas
• Engaged in disciplining the children with respect to body and touch boundaries, eye contact, body and eating mannerisms,
respect and drooling issues
• Trained and conducted Preliminary Observational Assessment for a 5-year-old boy for Autism; and Assisted in conducting
Malins Intelligence Scale for Indian Children (MISIC) and Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VISM) for new clients
• Researched and prepared numerous PowerPoint Presentations (Canva) for guest lectures, Animated videos for concept and
symptom explanations to aid in identification for caregivers, and posters, and online news articles for the advertisement of the
organisation
Barefoot Edu Foundation, Mumbai
Documentation Associate (Intern)
June 2022 – August 2022
• Internship Supervisor: Ishani Chanchani, Program Lead, Fundraising
• Internship Duration: 45 days [remote]
• Engaged in identifying potential cases of success and further in-depth interviewing, information, and feedback collection from all
stakeholders involved in the cases to understand the lived experiences and results of the programs initiated and supported by the
organisation
• Wrote ‘Stories of Hope’ for various social media platforms to increase the visibility and access of the organization.
Social Impact and Community Involvement
Peer Support Program, Krea University, India
Peer Support Volunteer
November 2023 – Present
• Selected as a volunteer after undergoing a rigorous 2-day training program and a multistage selection process including role-play
and dialogue skills led by the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF), India
• Trained to not just identify but also provide empathetic assistance and support to peers facing mental health challenges,
contributing to their overall well-being. And to be active listeners, avoiding any kind of advice-giving for peers who might seek
us out as a listener buddy
• Actively involved in assisting and conducting occasional mindfulness and Mandala Art sessions; being Meal Partners, Study
Partners; and also available for university students to book weekly appointments and discuss or talk about anything for relief or
company
Ambassador Program, Krea University
Core Member (Work-Study)
December 2021 – Present
• Contributed to over 40 campus tours explaining the functionalities of all systems, divisions, student life, experiences
and opportunities existing, available and further possible at Krea to numerous prospective parents and students
• Organised and coordinated occasional Krea Connect events, conducted by the Outreach team for school educators, career
counselling and prospective parents coming from all over India
• Advocated for Liberal Arts systems over traditional rote learning educational patterns to high school students seeking guidance
during our Open Information Webinars
60-hour Internship
June 2024 – June 2024
• Internship Duration: 4 weeks [in-person]
• Theoretical training in the basics of Clinical Psychology and ICD and DSM Diagnostic criteria of various groups of illnesses
• Practiced role play, interviewing and detailed case history taking with fellow internship members under the guidance of a clinical
psychologist
• Taught various tangents of Addictions and Substance Abuse, and the process of using a combination of CBT plus Alcoholics
Anonymous 12-step method for recovery of addicts
• Exposed to talks on the personal experience of both amateur and experienced members of the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
community and discussions over how the learnt theory applies to and reflects in the members’ respective stages of changes in their
recovery
Adhyayan Inclusive Learning Centre, Delhi
Intern
May 2023 – August 2023
• Internship Supervisors: Rajeev Bhatt, Special Educator; Deepak Bhatia, Occupational Therapist
• Internship Duration: 75 days [in-person]
• Worked closely in one-on-one and group tutoring of children ranging from ages 4 to 19 years with a diverse range of intellectual
disabilities including Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Down syndrome and Autism
• Made case notes (based on observation and engagement) on students, tracked their progress trajectories, developed and
practiced techniques to retain student concentration, attention and memory with both already-learned and new concepts or ideas
• Engaged in disciplining the children with respect to body and touch boundaries, eye contact, body and eating mannerisms,
respect and drooling issues
• Trained and conducted Preliminary Observational Assessment for a 5-year-old boy for Autism; and Assisted in conducting
Malins Intelligence Scale for Indian Children (MISIC) and Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VISM) for new clients
• Researched and prepared numerous PowerPoint Presentations (Canva) for guest lectures, Animated videos for concept and
symptom explanations to aid in identification for caregivers, and posters, and online news articles for the advertisement of the
organisation
Barefoot Edu Foundation, Mumbai
Documentation Associate (Intern)
June 2022 – August 2022
• Internship Supervisor: Ishani Chanchani, Program Lead, Fundraising
• Internship Duration: 45 days [remote]
• Engaged in identifying potential cases of success and further in-depth interviewing, information, and feedback collection from all
stakeholders involved in the cases to understand the lived experiences and results of the programs initiated and supported by the
organisation
• Wrote ‘Stories of Hope’ for various social media platforms to increase the visibility and access of the organization.
Social Impact and Community Involvement
Peer Support Program, Krea University, India
Peer Support Volunteer
November 2023 – Present
• Selected as a volunteer after undergoing a rigorous 2-day training program and a multistage selection process including role-play
and dialogue skills led by the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF), India
• Trained to not just identify but also provide empathetic assistance and support to peers facing mental health challenges,
contributing to their overall well-being. And to be active listeners, avoiding any kind of advice-giving for peers who might seek
us out as a listener buddy
• Actively involved in assisting and conducting occasional mindfulness and Mandala Art sessions; being Meal Partners, Study
Partners; and also available for university students to book weekly appointments and discuss or talk about anything for relief or
company
Ambassador Program, Krea University
Core Member (Work-Study)
December 2021 – Present
• Contributed to over 40 campus tours explaining the functionalities of all systems, divisions, student life, experiences
and opportunities existing, available and further possible at Krea to numerous prospective parents and students
• Organised and coordinated occasional Krea Connect events, conducted by the Outreach team for school educators, career
counselling and prospective parents coming from all over India
• Advocated for Liberal Arts systems over traditional rote learning educational patterns to high school students seeking guidance
during our Open Information Webinars
Projects & Work
WARMCAMP 2023 - International Conference on Military Psychology and Counselling, Pune
August 2023
• Presented an Exploratory Research titled, 'Opening the First Layer to Trauma and Resilience in Military and Emergency First
Responder’s children – based on a literature review. Attempted to explore the unique traumas of children from such high-stress
family environments, the influence of cultural factors on their experiences of trauma, coping mechanisms, emotional expressions,
help-seeking behaviors, and overall resilience; identification of universal and unique resilience factors in these children, and
gender differences in the experience and expression of their trauma; and develop culturally sensitive strategies that can enhance
mental health support for these children, acknowledging both their universal and culturally distinctive experiences using the role
of their guardians, families, and schools
• Participated in a panel discussion on current publication practices and critical psychology
• Attended talks on self-regulation, teamwork, high-stress decision-making, Statistics for psychologists, JAMOVI Basics,
graphology – Handwriting analysis, Character strengths in military, krav maga, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear
Defense (CBRN) Threats and Psychosocial Response, community health, public medicine and PTSD
32nd Annual Convention of the National Academy of Psychology (NAOP), Ahmedabad University
March 2023
• Attended multiple talks around adverse childhood experiences, its relation to adult well-being, contemporary issues and
emerging trends in Military Psychology, Organisational Resilience, Moral Injury and Applied Research
• Participated in a pre-conference workshop on Emotional Intelligence: Applications at Home, School and Workplace by
Professor Rabindra Kumar Pradhan, IIT Kharagpur
August 2023
• Presented an Exploratory Research titled, 'Opening the First Layer to Trauma and Resilience in Military and Emergency First
Responder’s children – based on a literature review. Attempted to explore the unique traumas of children from such high-stress
family environments, the influence of cultural factors on their experiences of trauma, coping mechanisms, emotional expressions,
help-seeking behaviors, and overall resilience; identification of universal and unique resilience factors in these children, and
gender differences in the experience and expression of their trauma; and develop culturally sensitive strategies that can enhance
mental health support for these children, acknowledging both their universal and culturally distinctive experiences using the role
of their guardians, families, and schools
• Participated in a panel discussion on current publication practices and critical psychology
• Attended talks on self-regulation, teamwork, high-stress decision-making, Statistics for psychologists, JAMOVI Basics,
graphology – Handwriting analysis, Character strengths in military, krav maga, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear
Defense (CBRN) Threats and Psychosocial Response, community health, public medicine and PTSD
32nd Annual Convention of the National Academy of Psychology (NAOP), Ahmedabad University
March 2023
• Attended multiple talks around adverse childhood experiences, its relation to adult well-being, contemporary issues and
emerging trends in Military Psychology, Organisational Resilience, Moral Injury and Applied Research
• Participated in a pre-conference workshop on Emotional Intelligence: Applications at Home, School and Workplace by
Professor Rabindra Kumar Pradhan, IIT Kharagpur