Piyasree Dasgupta profiles the 31-year-old woman who helps people cope better with the ebb and flow of life

Devaleena ghosh
At 31, when most of us brace ourselves to face what we call the mid-life crisis, Devaleena Ghosh is busy ridding people of their mental agonies and fears, and that too with comforting words and not by chemical placebos.

The founder-director of Kornash, a lifestyle management school she started in 2003, says “We live our lives as if we are stuck in some rush hour. So, it’s not surprising when things go out of control and the mind refuses to keep up with the demands of responsibilities and targets.

“Lifestyle management is not exactly regular counselling. It’s still a new concept to the city. We focus a lot on preventive counselling, soft-skill training and development,” says Ghosh. So, be it professionals clueless about what to wear or college students apprehensive about culture shock when they go abroad for studies, Ghosh has her hands full. And of course, her stint at Kripa Foundation, which works for the rehabilitation of chemical dependants, comes in handy.

“While working there, my responsibilities included counselling families of chemical dependants and spreading awareness,” she says. It was then that she realised the need to create a stronger mental health among the youth and Kornash happened.

“Often, you lead a lifestyle you can’t handle — both emotionally and physically,” says Ghosh, who with her team of experts tries helping a person recognise the deviations that result in a mental turmoil.

... contd.