Psychological Sciences Institute commences operations

Paving the way for a new paradigm in psychological wellness, Sri Lanka’s first fully-integrated provider of psychological training, treatment and research, the Psychological Sciences Institute (PSI), celebrated the official commencement of its operations with an inauguration ceremony recently.
The inauguration ceremony was presided over by chief guest, Chartered Occupational Psychologist and Oxford   Psychometrics (UK) Founder Dr.  Chintha Dissanayake and respected Consulting Psychiatrist Dr. Mahesan Ganesan.
Also  gracing  the  occasion  were  leading  figures  in  the  field  of  psychology  and  psychiatry  including  eminent  Child  Psychiatrist  Professor  Hemamali  Perera.
Established  with  the  goal  of  powerfully  enriching  standards  of  psychological health and  well-being on a national scale, the PSI will continuously augment its service offering  in order to  effectively contribute towards the urgent task of improving standards of knowledge and  treatment of  persons dealing with psychological conditions in Sri  Lanka. 
“Over  the  last  three  decades, Sri  Lanka  has  made  important, but  limited  progress  in  terms of education and treatment in the field of psychology. Through the PSI, we hope to catalyse the next phase of development in our field. By  creating  inclusive  spaces where  students,  professionals and  clients  come  together  in  a  safe  and  open  environment  for  the  first  time,  we  are  paving  the  way  for  a  totally  redefined  outlook on psychological services  in  Sri  Lanka,” PSI  CEO  and  Managing  Director  Sharkshini  Mathivanan explained.  
Holding  a  degree  in  Psychology  and  Communication  from  Monash  University  and  an MSc  in  Management  from  Birbeck,  University  of  London,  Mathivanan  is  deeply  committed  to  the  task  of  developing  quality  psychological  services in  Sri  Lanka, together with the PSI  Cofounding  Directors and  qualified  Clinical  Psychologists Dewaka Wanigaratne and Suhaila  Shafeek Irshard.
Wanigaratne gathered  extensive experience  in  the  field  of  counselling  following  the  completion  of  his  Diploma  in  Psychology   and  Counselling  from  Aquinas  University  College  (an  affiliate  of  Galway  University,  Ireland). Wanigaratne  is  a  qualified  Clinical  Psychologist  with  a  Bachelor  of  Science  degree  in  Psychology  and  Counselling form  Aquinas  University  College,  Colombo, and  a  Master’s  of  Science  Degree  in  Clinical  Psychology  from St  Agnes  Centre  for  Postgraduate  Studies  and  Research (affiliated  to  the  Rajiv  Ghandi  University  of  Health  Sciences),  India. He  is  a  member of  the  British  Psychological  Society  and  a  registered  medical  practitioner  in  Clinical Hypnotherapy. 
Irshard  is  a  registered  Clinical  Psychologist with  a  Degree  in  Psychology,  Economics  and  Sociology from  Jyothi  Nivas  College (Autonomous),  Bangalore,  India  and  a  Master’s  in  Clinical  Psychology  from St  Agnes  Centre  for  Postgraduate  Studies  and  Research (affiliated  to  the  Rajiv  Gandhi  University of  Health  Sciences), India with a specialization in  Psychometric and  Psycho diagnostic  assessments  to  meet  a range  of  clinical  and  talent  assessment  needs. In  addition,  she  has experience  in  carrying  out assessment  and  remediation  for  learning  disabilities  using  the Alpha to  Omega  method. She  is Sri  Lanka’s  first  Working  Memory  Coach  and  Trainer  who  has  been  specially  trained  to  offer  the  Cogmed  Working  Memory  training  programme  in  the  island.
Initially  offering comprehensive classes  in  Psychology  for  London  Advanced  Level  and  a  series  of  developmental  workshops  in  academic  writing  for  A/L  and  undergraduate  students, the PSI  will  gradually  expand  the  scope  of  its  academic  programme to  include  postgraduate  qualifications  in  counselling  and clinical  psychology.