Hank Nunn Institute is a registered not-for-profit charitable trust based out of Bengaluru. It was founded by Anando Chatterji and Shama Parkhe in 2014. The organization is named after Father Hank Nunn, S.J., a Canadian Jesuit who spent 35 years of his life dedicated to working with persons diagnosed with chronic psychiatric disorders.
Since inception, we have endeavored to challenge the power dynamics in a therapist-patient relationship, as well as the existing mental health system. We create therapeutic spaces for individuals to collaboratively reflect on long-standing intrapersonal, interpersonal, and prosocial difficulties. We implement carefully designed programs within the local community with a focus on distress over diagnosis for people to regain a sense of meaningful existence and independent living. Our bottom-up approach to mental health helps us focus on the service users’ needs and involve them in the planning, designing, and execution of their treatment plan. At HNI, we understand and explore mental health as a continuum between well being and dysfunction that belongs to us all.
As we work relentlessly towards expanding our community mental health services and bridging the mental health gap, we hope to create an atmosphere that is significant to the service users’ journey in discovering and empowering themselves.
We are thankful for the supportive network of individuals, groups, and organizations across borders who have helped us learn, and enabled us to find our path in customizing international practices to the local context.
Our Vision
To make mental health a priority in every community
Our Mission
To develop and deliver carefully designed, robust, low cost, long term and culturally congruent mental health services
Our Aim
To make mental health accessible and affordable with a focus on distress over diagnosis
