With the rising number of marital and other family disputes being filed in courts, a new counselling initiative called ‘Sukoon’ has been launched at the Belapur Family Court. The project aims to mediate and resolve conflicts between disputing parties through professional counsellors before legal proceedings begin. The initiative is being implemented by the Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA), Mumbai, in collaboration with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). The counselling centre started from Saturday.
The Sukoon counselling centre will help couples find amicable solutions to their disputes and guide them on maintaining a healthy post-separation relationship if reconciliation is not possible. Professional counsellors appointed by TISS will also provide mediation for other family conflicts. The project was developed by TISS’s School of Human Ecology in coordination with MSLSA to reduce the mental stress caused by family disputes. The Sukoon centre is a field action project by TISS and has been set up on the sixth floor of the Belapur Family Court premises, where necessary facilities have been provided. Belapur is now the fifth court in Maharashtra to implement the Sukoon project.
Initially, the centre will operate once a week, from 11 am to 5 pm, with plans to extend the service duration in the future. The counselling service will be completely free, and the privacy of all individuals seeking counselling—whether couples or other family members—will be strictly maintained. Currently, over 1,800 family dispute cases are pending at the Belapur Family Court. Many of these cases will now be referred to the Sukoon centre for mediation. While the court already provides marriage counselling services, the Sukoon project will enhance these efforts with additional counsellors. The centre will also conduct workshops to raise awareness about mental health and family well-being.
Court judge Dr. Rachana Tehra, Belapur court magistrate of Belapur court, emphasized that the Sukoon project is designed to help couples who no longer wish to stay together, ensuring that they can part ways amicably without future disputes. The initiative aims to provide stress management workshops and create a panel of experts from social organizations to support the counselling process. The court encourages all individuals involved in family disputes to take advantage of this service. The centre was inaugurated on Saturday by Justice Revati Mohite-Dere of the Bombay High Court.
