BIO
Ambika Achanta is a Mental Health Social Worker, Counsellor, Mindfulness Practitioner, Lecturer and Researcher with over 15 years of diverse professional experience across mental health, community development, education, research, NGO leadership, management and consulting.
Her experience includes hospital-based mental health practice across inpatient services and outpatient trauma and mental health programs, providing individual counselling and facilitating therapeutic and psychoeducational groups for people experiencing trauma and complex or co-occurring mental health concerns.Her practice is person-centred and integrative, drawing on psychodynamic, trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, mindfulness and biopsychosocial frameworks, alongside CBT, DBT, ACT, strengths-based and solution-focused approaches.
Ambika’s professional journey brings together clinical practice, education, research and community development. She has experience in NGO leadership, community development and research, including research experience as part of an IR team in the UK, alongside volunteering with Samoan Islander communities supporting local empowerment and skills development. Her academic background includes a Master of Social Work, Master of Science, Master of Management and Diploma of Counselling, complementing her experience across clinical, community, research and organisational settings.
As a Lecturer and Researcher at IHM, Ambika also coordinates social work field placements, connecting students, industry partners and social work education across diverse practice settings. Her growing research interest is in AI, technology and mental health, particularly its potential to improve access to mental health support for rural, remote and underserved communities while maintaining ethical and human-centred practice.
Areas of interest: Trauma and mental health; psychodynamic practice; mindfulness; community development; social work and field education; multisectoral collaboration; AI and digital mental health; and equitable mental health access.
“I am inspired by the resilience I see in people and feel privileged to be part of their journey towards healing and hope. I am passionate about creating meaningful connections and making mental health and wellbeing support more accessible.”