Dr. Rima Mukherji
MBBS, DPM, MRCPsych (London)
Founder of Crystal minds
Crystal: Where it all Began
Crystal Minds, formerly known as Crystal Clinic, was the brainchild of a renowned psychiatrist who wished to address the psychological needs of the community. Founded in 1997, the clinic nestles in a quiet premier location in South Kolkata near Gariahat. Although it started out with the psychiatrist and Founder who was shortly joined by a clinical psychologist, in about a year’s time its base expanded largely as doctors from various specialities such as Gastroenterology, Orthopaedics, Pulmonology, Ophthalmology and General Surgery set up practice at the clinic to provide their services to people residing in the city. These specialists belonged to Westbank Hospital in Howrah, a hospital set up by a core group of doctors who had qualified in the UK and are currently part of the Narayana group of hospitals.
A New Venture
A new development for the clinic was the launch of a unit called Crystal Child and Adolescent Guidance Clinic in 2001, a great success and the first of its kind in Eastern India which provided expert care and a wide range of psychological services specifically for children and teenagers. The team was multidisciplinary to say the least; it consisted of psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, special educators, speech therapists, occupational therapists and career counsellors.
Forging New Associations
A decade later in 2011, Crystal Minds became part of the Dibyendujyoti Charitable Trust. The trust was formed between Mr. Phalguni Mookhopadyayay (Chairman and Managing Director of Brainware group of Institutions and present Chancellor of Brainware University) and Dr. Rima Mukherji, Founder and Consultant Psychiatrist.
Crystal as a Wellness centre
Crystal made a new venture when it started another centre called Crystal Wellness Clinic at Garia in 2012 with the primary aim to provide a more holistic approach to well-being which had been wanting in the industry. A wide variety of psycho-educational groups and workshops were held here, including Yoga, Meditation and Parenting Workshops as well as Social Skills Training Groups and Women’s Wellness Groups, among others.
In 2014, Crystal Clinic and Crystal Wellness Clinic merged together to form Crystal Minds, an all-inclusive and comprehensive wellness centre that provides the aforementioned services under a single roof at the convenient and premier location near Gariahat. Apart from the regular services provided, various training programmes are held here as well as a Certificate Course on Psychodynamic Psychology.
Crystal Today
Crystal Minds has evolved into a holistic psychological healing centre which understands and addresses the need of the hour: mental well-being. According to the World Health Organization (1948), health is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” People have a tendency to pay more attention to treating symptoms, illness and disease but at Crystal we recognize and work by the principle that the overall well-being of a person is of utmost importance.
Wellness is not a ‘medical fix’ but a way of living – a lifestyle sensitive and responsive to all the dimensions of body, mind, and spirit, an approach to life we each design to achieve our highest potential for well-being now and forever.
– Greg Anderson, American author
