Our Team — Bezalel

Abi Roy is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bezalel, bringing together expertise in developmental psychology, trauma-informed practice, residential childcare, and positive behaviour support to create a child-centred organisation focused on helping every child realise their potential.

Driven by a deep understanding of child development and the impact of early experiences, Abi founded Bezalel with a vision of creating a supportive environment where children are understood beyond their challenges and supported through compassionate, evidence-informed approaches. His work is centred on the belief that every child has unique strengths, abilities, and potential that can flourish when provided with the right relationships, opportunities, and support.

Abi has extensive experience working with children and young people with complex emotional, behavioural, developmental, and additional needs across residential care, therapeutic communities, special education, and support settings. His practice integrates principles of attachment, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), developmental psychology, trauma-informed care, and positive behaviour support to promote emotional wellbeing, resilience, independence, and healthy development.

Throughout his professional journey, Abi has collaborated with multidisciplinary teams including psychologists, educators, healthcare professionals, and care practitioners. He has contributed to individualised support planning, developmental interventions, behaviour support strategies, psychological observations, and holistic approaches that place the child at the centre of decision-making.

As Founder and CEO of Bezalel, Abi provides the strategic vision and leadership that shapes the organisation’s programmes, culture, and standards of practice. He works closely with the multidisciplinary team to develop innovative, strengths-based approaches that support children, families, and communities while ensuring a strong commitment to safeguarding, quality, and professional excellence.

Abi is passionate about building a future where every child is recognised for who they are, supported through their challenges, and empowered to grow, develop, and achieve their full potential.

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Amritha Roy is the Managing Director, Training Coordinator & Workshop Facilitator at Bezalel, bringing extensive experience in higher secondary, undergraduate, and competitive examination coaching. With a strong academic background in English Language and Literature and professional qualifications in teaching, she has dedicated her career to empowering students through quality education, academic excellence, and holistic development.

Amritha brings several years of experience across schools, colleges, and civil service coaching institutions. She has served as a Higher Secondary School Teacher at Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School, Dwaraka, Wayanad, as an Assistant Professor at the Colleges of Applied Science in Neruvambram and Pattuvam, and as Vice Principal and English Teacher at St. John’s Secondary School, Karauli, Rajasthan. In addition, she has been a part-time trainer at Ananta Civil Service Academy since 2019, mentoring aspiring candidates for competitive examinations and helping students develop strong communication, analytical, and language skills.

Her teaching philosophy is centred on creating engaging, inclusive, and learner-focused environments where every student is encouraged to achieve their full potential. She is passionate about nurturing critical thinking, effective communication, confidence, and lifelong learning while adapting her teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs of her students.

As Managing Director, Training Coordinator & Workshop Facilitator, Amritha provides strategic leadership in shaping Bezalel’s vision, educational programmes, and operational excellence. She coordinates and facilitates training programmes and workshops for parents, educators, professionals, and community organisations, promoting inclusive education, child development, effective communication, and evidence-based intervention practices. Working closely with the multidisciplinary team, she contributes to the development of innovative programmes while fostering a supportive, child-centred environment where every child is valued, empowered, and given the opportunity to reach their full potential.

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Sreya is a Social Worker at Bezalel with a strong academic background and practical experience across child protection, mental health, healthcare, rehabilitation, and community development. She completed her Master of Social Work (Medical and Psychiatric Social Work) at Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, graduating with distinction and receiving multiple Academic Excellence Awards.

Throughout her training, Sreya gained experience working with children, young people, families, older adults, and vulnerable communities in a range of healthcare and social care settings. Her placements included a tertiary hospital, a District Child Protection Unit, a rehabilitation centre, an assisted living service, public health research, and migrant welfare programmes. These experiences strengthened her skills in assessment, psychosocial support, case documentation, multidisciplinary working, community outreach, and evidence-informed practice.

Sreya has a particular passion for helping children and young people recognise their strengths and reach their full potential. Her research has focused on the long-term success of young people who have experienced institutional care, reflecting her commitment to strengths-based and trauma-informed approaches. She has also undertaken research into caregiver wellbeing and has presented her work at an international social work conference.

At Bezalel, Sreya works alongside children, families, schools, and the wider multidisciplinary team to provide compassionate, child-centred support. She believes every child deserves to grow in a safe, nurturing environment where they are understood, encouraged, and empowered to thrive.

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Albin A S is a Paediatric Physiotherapist and Rehabilitation Specialist at Bezalel, bringing clinical experience in paediatric rehabilitation, neurological rehabilitation, and developmental therapy. His work focuses on supporting children with developmental conditions and additional needs through evidence-based physiotherapy interventions designed to improve mobility, independence, functional abilities, and overall quality of life.

With experience at St. John of God Special School, Albin has worked extensively with children with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, developmental delays, and complex physical needs. He provides individualised physiotherapy programmes that focus on improving movement, strength, balance, coordination, posture, and functional independence while working closely with children, families, caregivers, and multidisciplinary professionals.

His clinical experience also includes neurological, orthopaedic, and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, supporting individuals recovering from conditions such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, and post-surgical conditions. Through comprehensive assessments and structured treatment plans, he applies therapeutic techniques that promote recovery, participation, and improved daily functioning.

At Bezalel, Albin works as part of the multidisciplinary team, contributing physiotherapy expertise to support children’s developmental journeys. He is passionate about creating personalised rehabilitation pathways that recognise each child’s abilities and help them achieve greater confidence, independence, and participation in everyday life.

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Dipu John is the Managing Director of Bezalel, bringing over two decades of experience in special education, rehabilitation, disability care, social work, and organisational leadership. His professional journey has been dedicated to supporting children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, helping individuals build independence, confidence, and meaningful lives.

For more than 20 years, Dipu worked at St. John of God Special School and Home for the Intellectually Challenged, where he gained extensive experience supporting individuals with diverse needs. Throughout his career, he has developed strong expertise in personalised care, developmenting interventions, behaviour support, daily living skills training, safeguarding, and creating inclusive environments where individuals can participate, learn, and grow.

His approach is centred around understanding each child’s unique strengths, abilities, and challenges. Through structured interventions, therapeutic activities, skill development programmes, and individualised support strategies, Dipu works to help children achieve greater independence and reach their developmental potential.

As an Intervention and IEP Specialist, Dipu plays a key role in designing and overseeing personalised intervention plans and Individual Education Plans (IEPs), ensuring that each child’s educational, developmental, emotional, and social needs are recognised and supported.

As Managing Director of Bezalel, Dipu provides strategic leadership while maintaining a strong focus on quality care, professional standards, and child-centred practice. He works closely with the multidisciplinary team to develop effective programmes and create a nurturing environment where every child is valued, supported, and empowered to thrive.

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Atley Joe Chacko is the Managing Director and Consultant Psychologist at Bezalel, bringing together expertise in psychological counselling, behavioural interventions, relationship and family support, emotional regulation, and psychoeducational practice. His work is centred on providing compassionate, evidence-informed psychological support that helps individuals, families, and young people navigate emotional, behavioural, relational, and developmental challenges.

With experience working across counselling, psychological intervention, behavioural support, academic guidance, and programme coordination, Atley has developed a broad understanding of the psychological factors that influence emotional wellbeing, relationships, behaviour, and personal development. His practice places particular emphasis on understanding the individual within the context of their relationships, family environment, developmental needs, and wider life circumstances.

Atley has worked with children, adolescents, adults, and families across a range of psychological and behavioural concerns. His experience includes supporting individuals experiencing anxiety, stress, emotional regulation difficulties, anger, relationship and family concerns, behavioural challenges, and life-transition difficulties. He also provides parental management training for families of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, supporting parents to develop practical strategies for behaviour regulation, skill development, and structured interventions within the home environment.

His approach incorporates solution-focused brief therapy, emotional regulation strategies, psychological counselling, psychoeducation, and evidence-based intervention. He has also developed experience in crisis management, including suicide-risk assessment, safety planning, and preventive psychological interventions.

Alongside his clinical and counselling experience, Atley has worked in academic and professional settings, including serving as an Adjunct Faculty member and Association Director at K.E. College, where he delivered psychology teaching, supported students with research methodologies and psychological assessments, and connected academic learning with real-world clinical practice.

As Managing Director and Consultant Psychologist at Bezalel, Atley contributes to the organisation’s strategic development, psychological services, professional standards, and multidisciplinary approach. He is particularly passionate about strengthening the way psychological knowledge is translated into practical support for individuals and families, with a strong focus on healthy relationships, family functioning, emotional wellbeing, and positive behavioural change.

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Rev. Fr. Stephen Onisseril, CSsR is a Catholic priest and member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists), Liguori Province, India. Originally from Kerala, he has served in pastoral and academic leadership roles and brings extensive experience in spiritual accompaniment and community ministry.

As Spiritual Director of Bezalel, Fr. Stephen provides pastoral guidance, spiritual accompaniment, and reflective support to the organisation, its leadership, and wider community. His approach emphasises compassion, dignity, hope, and the holistic wellbeing of every individual.

Fr. Stephen is also an accomplished author and lyricist. He is the author of A Midsummer Interlude, a reflective novel exploring love, loss, faith, and inner transformation. He has also contributed lyrics to Christian devotional music, including Nithyasahayini and Adhyanuragam.

He currently serves at Clonard Monastery in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he continues his ministry of pastoral care, spiritual direction, prayer, and reflection.

Dr. Aswathy Gopi is the Head of Research at Bezalel, leading the organisation’s research and evidence-informed development of programmes, workshops, and support initiatives for parents and families. Her work focuses on understanding the needs of children, parents, and families and translating psychological research into practical, meaningful, and accessible programmes that strengthen parenting knowledge, family wellbeing, and positive developmental outcomes. Drawing on her expertise in psychology, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, mental health, wellbeing, and evidence-based research, Dr. Gopi contributes to the design and development of workshops and programmes that are informed by research and responsive to the real-world needs of families. Her contribution strengthens Bezalel’s commitment to developing thoughtful, practical, and evidence-informed approaches to supporting children and the people around them.

Dr. Gopi holds a PhD in Psychology from the Central University of Karnataka and has extensive experience in psychological research, higher education, teaching, research supervision, and academic development. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor at SRM University-AP and has previously held academic positions at the Central University of Karnataka and Labour India College, Kottayam. Her academic experience has involved teaching psychology, curriculum development, mentoring undergraduate and postgraduate research students, coordinating academic activities, monitoring practical sessions, and contributing to institutional quality initiatives.

Her research expertise encompasses qualitative and quantitative research, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, research methodology, academic writing, and evidence synthesis. She has contributed to research published in internationally recognised peer-reviewed journals and through leading academic publishers, including Springer Nature, Nature Portfolio, Wiley, BMC, and PLOS ONE. Her research has explored a broad range of topics including mental health, psychological wellbeing, resilience, psychological interventions, health behaviour, family violence, compassion fatigue, post-traumatic growth, and mental health interventions.

A significant part of Dr. Gopi’s research work has focused on understanding psychological factors that influence wellbeing, behaviour, resilience, relationships, and mental health. This research background provides an important foundation for her role at Bezalel, where psychological evidence can be translated into practical resources and learning opportunities for parents and families.

Dr. Gopi also brings substantial experience in research supervision, mentoring, academic writing, and research capacity building. She has guided undergraduate and postgraduate research students and has contributed to the development of research skills through workshops and training programmes. Her experience includes systematic literature reviews, qualitative research methods, mediation analysis, structural equation modelling, advanced research methodology, and other research approaches.

She has presented research at numerous national and international conferences, covering areas such as team resilience, positive psychological capacities, psychological capital, workplace wellbeing, psychological safety, mental health, technology and wellbeing, technostress, and emerging issues in psychological research. These experiences reflect her continued engagement with contemporary psychological research and her commitment to translating research into meaningful knowledge and practice.

Dr. Gopi is also a Co-Project Director of an ICSSR-funded research project focused on promoting mental health help-seeking behaviour and reducing mental health stigma among tribal adolescents through a school-based mental health literacy intervention. The project received approved funding of ₹15.10 lakh, demonstrating her experience in developing and contributing to structured research initiatives addressing important mental health and community needs.

In addition to her research publications and academic work, Dr. Gopi has actively contributed to research education by conducting workshops on systematic reviews and mediation analysis for university students and research scholars. Her experience in communicating complex research concepts in accessible ways supports her work at Bezalel, particularly in the development of educational workshops and programmes designed to support parents and families.

As Head of Research at Bezalel, Dr. Gopi contributes to the organisation’s culture of evidence, learning, reflection, and continuous improvement. She works towards ensuring that the development of workshops, programmes, and family-focused initiatives is informed by relevant psychological research and shaped around the practical needs of children, parents, and families.

Dr. Gopi is passionate about using psychological research to create knowledge that has practical value. Through her role at Bezalel, she contributes to building research-informed programmes that help parents and families better understand children’s development, wellbeing, behaviour, and emotional needs, while supporting the organisation’s wider commitment to compassionate, informed, and effective practice.

Qualifications and Academic Credentials

Research Specialisms

Research and Academic Contributions

Akhila Anto is a Speech-Language Pathologist at Bezalel, bringing clinical expertise in speech and language development, early intervention, communication disorders, swallowing difficulties, and child-centred therapy. Her work focuses on supporting children with communication and developmental needs through individualised, evidence-informed approaches that recognise each child’s unique abilities, challenges, and therapeutic goals.

Akhila has experience working with children with a range of neurodevelopmental and communication needs, including Autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, and speech sound disorders. She has developed and implemented individualised therapy plans targeting language, articulation, fluency, social communication, and functional communication, with a focus on helping children communicate effectively and participate more confidently in everyday life.

At Bezalel, Akhila contributes specialist knowledge in speech, language, communication, and developmental support, working alongside children, parents, educators, and other professionals to promote consistent and meaningful progress. Her approach places the child at the centre of intervention while recognising the important role of families and multidisciplinary collaboration in supporting communication and development.

Akhila has experience using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) strategies tailored to individual children’s needs. She has also applied Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) techniques to support speech sound articulation and oral-motor development, alongside standardised assessment of speech, language, pragmatic, and oral-motor abilities.

Her clinical experience includes working at Speech Key Centre for Child Development in Bangalore, where she conducted assessments and provided targeted intervention for children with neurodevelopmental and communication disorders. She has also worked in a school setting in Kuwait, providing individualised speech therapy, developing Individualised Education Programmes (IEPs), and collaborating with teachers, parents, and other professionals.

Akhila also has experience in dysphagia management and voice therapy. During her clinical placement at Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital, Bangalore, she conducted swallowing assessments, supported dietary modifications for dysphagia, and provided voice therapy for patients with vocal nodules and other voice-related conditions.

At Bezalel, she is committed to helping children develop their communication abilities, build confidence, and achieve greater participation and independence in their everyday lives.

Qualifications and Certifications

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Akshay P. Nair is an Occupational Therapist with clinical experience across paediatric, neurological, orthopaedic, psychiatric, and rehabilitation settings. His practice is centred on helping children develop greater functional independence through personalised, evidence-informed occupational therapy interventions.

With particular experience supporting children with Autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorders, and developmental delays, Akshay takes a child-centred approach to assessment and intervention. His work combines sensory integration, motor coordination, Activities of Daily Living (ADL) training, and individualised treatment planning to support each child’s functional development and participation in everyday life.

Akshay has experience conducting clinical assessments and translating assessment findings into tailored therapy programmes. He works closely with children, families, caregivers, and multidisciplinary teams to ensure that intervention is practical, meaningful, and responsive to each child’s individual needs.

His clinical experience includes paediatric occupational therapy, neurological and neuro-rehabilitation settings, orthopaedic rehabilitation, psychiatric occupational therapy, hand rehabilitation, and assistive technology. This broad experience enables him to consider the sensory, motor, functional, environmental, and practical factors that influence a child’s independence and quality of life.

As Occupational Therapist at Bezalel, Akshay contributes specialist occupational therapy expertise to the organisation’s multidisciplinary approach. His work focuses on helping children develop the sensory, motor, functional, and self-care skills they need to participate more fully and independently in everyday life.

Akshay is passionate about creating therapy experiences that are individualised, practical, and centred around the strengths and potential of each child. Through collaboration with families and professionals, he aims to support meaningful progress, promote independence, and help every child engage more confidently in their daily activities.

Team Bezalel

Abi Roy

Dipu John

Amritha Roy

Atley Joe Chacko

Fr. Stephen Onisseril

Sreya Biju

Albin A S

Dr. Aswathy Gopi

Akhila Anto

Akshay P. Nair

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