Shruti is a Basic Instructor for the William Glasser Institute. She sits on the board of Directors for the William Glasser International Organization, GIFCT-US and the WGI-Northeast Region. She recently served as the interim Executive Director for the GIfCT-US board for 8 months. Shruti also serves on the board of directors for the Massachusetts Sibling Support Network and is on the conference planning committee for the Sibling Leadership Network, an organization that supports siblings of people with disabilities. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Indian Merchants Association Netherlands Antilles and is spear-heading an organization that hopes to create awareness around disability issues in Curacao.
MY BACKGROUND
When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a flight attendant. When asked why, I would say I wanted to take care of people. I also really loved flying and had the utmost respect for planes and a pretty paralyzing fear of flying at the same time. In 2011 I decided the best way to get over this fear was to take a flying lesson, and lucky for me, I was right.
I was born in India, lived there for a few years, and moved to Curacao with my parents and sister Meghaa when I was 6 and Meghaa was 2. This was shortly after her cerebral palsy diagnosis. Anyone who knows her will tell you she is treated (and acts like) a princess, and not just in our household.
As I learned more about myself and my role in Meghaa's life, I became interested in human behavior and wanted to delve deeper into why people do what they do. Enter psychology. I am now a mental health therapist/coach/trainer who still has a healthy respect for the aviation field. As my career has evolved, I am realizing that there isn't a lot of space for the siblings of people with disabilities. I have recently become involved with the Sibling Leadership Network and serve on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Sibling Support Network. In addition to that, I have created a space on this website for "Special Siblings" here.
When I am bored I can be found watching youtube videos on the latest aircraft design, reading pilot blogs on social media, and even visiting air museums when possible.
ABOUT CHOICE THEORY
I discovered Dr. William Glasser's Choice Theory in 2012 when I was getting ready to leave the United States because my work visa was expiring. I needed one more class to graduate with me masters in Counseling Psychology from Northeastern University and this course that was being offered over 2 weekends was the only option for me since I worked full time. After day one, I was hooked. You could even say I didn't have a choice in continuing with it, it was that good!
Choice Theory taught me that I do indeed have a say in how I feel and that I didn't need to be a victim to my circumstances. At first it felt a bit like someone was telling me not to feel sorry for myself, but as I delved deeper in to the theory, I realized it was empowering to know that I had a choice in how I dealt with things that were happening outside of my control.
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The Ten Axioms of Choice Theory:
1. The only person whose behavior you can control is our own.
2. All we can give or get from other people is information.
3. All long-lasting psychological problems are relationship problems.
4. The problem relationship is always part of our present lives.
5. What happened in the past that was painful has a great deal to do with what we are today, but revisiting this painful past can contribute little or nothing to what we need to do now: improve an important, present relationship.
6. We are driven by five genetic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun.
7. We can satisfy these needs only by satisfying a picture or pictures in our Quality Worlds.
8. All we can do from birth to death is behave. All behavior is Total Behavior and is made up of four inseparable components: acting, thinking, feeling and physiology.
9. All Total Behavior is designated by verbs, usually infinitives and gerunds, and named by the component that is most recognizable.
10. All Total Behavior is chosen, but we have direct control over only the acting and thinking components.
The Ten Axioms of Choice Theory were taken from Choice Theory: A New Psychology of Personal Freedom by William Glasser, M.D.
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Learn more about it here