Irfan Anjum

Dr. Irfan Anjum joined the Student Counseling Services (SCS) at KAUST in April 2023. He is a clinical psychologist and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS). He is a licensed practitioner with the Health Care and Professions Council (UK), the Psychology Board of Australia, and the New Zealand Psychologists Board. Dr Anjum holds a Doctor of Clinical Psychology from the University of Manchester (UK), as well as an MSc in Psychology and Counseling and a B.Sc. in Psychology. Since qualifying in clinical psychology in 2007, Dr Anjum has held various posts in clinical and academic settings. Dr Anjum has a keen interest in understanding and treating psychological distress and has expertise in various psychotherapy modalities, including cognitive behavioral therapy, brief psychodynamic psychotherapy, and counseling. He likes to promote positive psychology and reduce the stigma around mental health issues. He is also an advocate of recovery principles and living well with mental health issues. Dr Anjum has worked extensively in both the UK and KSA. He has a good understanding of transcultural issues affecting mental health, problems with self-identity, adjustment, anxiety, and depression. He has published research articles on generalized anxiety disorder and depression affecting adult student population.

Janhavi Devdutt

Dr. Devdutt joined the Student Counselling Services at KAUST in July 2021.

She is a Clinical Psychologist, licensed by the Rehabilitation Council of India, with 7 years of experience working in Mental Health. Dr. Devdutt holds a Ph.D. degree in Clinical Psychology from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India. She completed her BA (Hons.) and MA in Psychology, and M.Phil. (Clinical Psychology) from the University of Delhi, India, before joining NIMHANS for her doctoral research. Dr. Devdutt is trained to carry out psychological assessments and psychotherapeutic interventions for various psychological disorders. She uses Cognitive Behavioral and Positive Psychological approaches in her therapy to help alleviate client distress. She also incorporates a Strengths-based approach in her work with clients to help them achieve their professional goals, foster personal growth and enhance psychological wellbeing. Dr. Devdutt has a keen interest in mental health promotion. She has conducted numerous workshops with college students and working adults to promote youth mental health and workplace wellbeing, respectively.

In the past, Dr. Devdutt has worked both in clinical as well as academic/research roles. She has been a Consultant with Tata Health, a primary healthcare service provider based in India, in addition to her own independent clinical practice. She was an Assistant Professor at the Dept. of Psychology, SRM University, Andhra Pradesh, India, before she came to KAUST. She has also worked as a Research Officer at NIMHANS before joining SRM University as a faculty.

In her free time, Dr. Devdutt enjoys yoga, reading, watching movies, and traveling.

Melissa Barnaschone

Melissa joined KAUST in June 2021 as Manager of Student Counseling Services (SCS). She has 14 years of experience as a psychologist and holds a PhD centered in Sport Psychology, specifically focused on need-supportive leadership, motivation and psychological wellbeing.

Her fields of interest and specialization lie within the enhancement of individuals, by fostering their wellbeing, competencies and resilience through a solution focused approach. She also specialises in assisting groups in building successful relationships and driving positive change, in order to achieve excellence within their environments.

Additionally, Melissa chairs the Community Mental Health Committee (CMHC), which brings together mental health professionals from across University departments, and serves as a primary member of the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) and the Clinical Crisis Team (CCT).

Prior to joining KAUST, she was the director of a student counseling and development centre at a South African university where, in addition to counselling students, she trained and supervised intern and junior psychologists and counsellors.

Melissa received her MA and PhD Degrees in Psychology from the University of the Free State, South Africa. She obtained her licence as a psychologist in 2007.

In her free time, she loves travelling, exploring, music and arts.