Mala Giridhar has an M.Phil in Medical and Social Psychology from  NIMHANS, Bangalore after a Masters in Clinical Psychology from Mumbai University .

She has been practicing in the town of Sirsi since the past 25 years and is involved in the planning and implementation of projects relating to child and adolescent development. She has been a core member of a   project that has developed a sustainable model of occupational  rehabilitation  for people with disabilities through a social enterprise that uses locally available raw material  and  employs individuals with different types of challenges .

She believes that  exploration  and understanding of  oneself and the world around us is central to the healthy  development of one’s personality. Towards this end, she is anchoring an afterschool programme for school children that engages them in activities contributing to their socio-emotional development,  assists them in improving learning levels and getting an integrated understanding of the different subjects that they study at school.

Another area of deep  interest is helping women understand themselves, their roles,  conscious and subconscious conditionings  and using these insights towards better mental health. She has designed  camps which are conducted  in calm, natural settings where immersive experiences are facilitated to allow  for exploration, sharing, reflection, relaxation and growth.