Basic Counselling Skill Certificate Program for Indian Army Officers

The Basic Counselling Skills Certificate Program for Indian Army Officers is a strategic mental health capacity-building initiative of the South Western Command, Jaipur, conceptualised to strengthen psychological resilience, leadership effectiveness, and peer-support mechanisms within military formations.

The program has been designed, structured, and successfully executed in its entirety by the Counsellor Council of India (CCI), ensuring high standards of academic rigor, ethical practice, and operational relevance. CCI brought together experienced mental health professionals and counsellor trainers to deliver a comprehensive, practice-oriented curriculum aligned with the unique demands of military service.

The initiative has further benefited from expert contributions and academic inputs from specialists associated with premier national institutions, including the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), and other renowned educational institutions. This multidisciplinary engagement ensured the program remained evidence-based, nationally aligned, and responsive to contemporary mental health challenges.

Through this initiative, Army officers were equipped with core counselling competencies to identify early psychological distress, respond effectively to alcohol & drug addiction, Marital discord, crisis situations, PTSD and other Mental Health conditions and also address cyber-related vulnerabilities, and provide structured emotional support while maintaining ethical boundaries and confidentiality. The program has contributed meaningfully to building mentally resilient units, stigma-free help-seeking environments, and stronger referral pathways, reinforcing the Indian Army’s commitment to holistic well-being and operational readiness.