Dear members,

It is indeed a great privilege to be elected President of one’s professional body and that too in the Diamond Jubilee Year of the Bombay Psychiatric Society. I thank all the members who have reposed their confidence and trust in me to lead the organisation.  My journey in Psychiatry began with inquisitiveness and awe of the subject during MBBS at KEM hospital. I am forever indebted to the Nair hospital Psychiatry department for shaping me to be the Psychiatrist that I am. 25 years of work in BARC has helped me build on my skills. I bow my head to my patients and families who taught me so much along the way not only about psychiatry but also about life in general.

Catering to patients of all age groups across lifespans with excellent follow ups has taught me many lessons, few of which I have described below.

Practising Psychiatry is not merely treating disorders but managing lives of people with mental illness. We are an anchor in the life journey of many families. The therapeutic alliance forged with the patient is the bedrock upon which the outcomes of our treatments and interventions stand.