Dr Avantika Bhatia
Senior Lecturer
College student mental health, Maternal mental health, Attachment and Psychotherapy, The therapeutic relationship
, School of Psychology
Avantika Bhatia is a Senior Lecturer on the BSc (Hons) in Counselling course at UEL. Her research interests are in the therapeutic relationship, college student mental health and women's mental health. She follows psychodynamic and relational approaches in her clinical work.
Qualifications
- PhD Counseling Psychology
- MA Rehabilitation Counseling
- MA Clinical Psychology
OVERVIEW
Avantika Bhatia received her PhD in Counselling Psychology from the University of Maryland (UMD) in the United States. Prior to the PhD, she received a Master's in Rehabilitation Counselling, also from UMD, and a Master's in Clinical Psychology from Delhi University. She worked as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at a university in India prior to joining UEL. She has also taught at NYU London.
Avantika values the scientist-practitioner model and has pursued teaching, research and clinical work throughout her career. She is most drawn to psychodynamic/relational therapy with a focus on multicultural and social justice considerations. She believes it important to consider the unique and systemic lifelong experiences of individuals to understand their present struggles. She has experience providing both short-term and long-term adult psychotherapy. She works with college student concerns, trauma, maternal mental health and interpersonal concerns.
CURRENT RESEARCH
Avantika's research spans three different areas. First, she examines psychotherapy process and outcome variables, with a special focus on the therapeutic relationship. Through her research she hopes to highlight the 'human' and relational aspects of therapy as universal components of effective psychotherapy. Second, she also conducts research to examine the effectiveness of mental health interventions, with a particular emphasis on college student mental health. Finally, her research interests also include women's career development and maternal mental health. She utilizes attachment theory, social cognitive career theory, identity and diversity-related variables in understanding women's career development and experiences during the perinatal period.
PUBLICATIONS
- Bhatia, A., Rana, S.*, & Gregor, M.A. (in press). The Relationship between Parental Attachment and Career Aspirations in Indian Female Undergraduate Students. Journal of Career Assessment
- Pasricha, M.*, Kochhar, S.*, Shah, A.*, & Bhatia, A. (2021). Sense of coherence, social support, maternal-fetal attachment, and antenatal mental health: A survey of expecting mothers in Urban India. Frontiers Global Women's Health. doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2021.714182
- Wasil, A. R., Malhotra, T.*, Nandakumar, N.*, Tuteja, N.*, DeRubeis, R.J., Stewart, R.E., & Bhatia, A. (2022) Improving Mental Health on College Campuses: Perspectives of Indian College Students. Behavior Therapy, 53, 348-364. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2021.09.004
- Bhatia, A., & Gelso, C. J. (2017). The termination phase: Therapists' perspective on the therapeutic relationship and outcome. Psychotherapy, 54, 76-87. doi:10.1037/pst0000100
- Bhatia, A., & Gelso, C.J. (2018) Therapists' perspective on the therapeutic relationship: Examining a tripartite model. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 31, 271-293. doi: 10.1080/09515070.2017.1302409
TEACHING
BSc (Hons) Counselling
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