Dr. Raviraj Shetty Raviraj is the co-founder & director of Narrative Practices India Collective. They are an occupational therapist, children's book author, supervisor, library educator and a teacher who believes that all the problems of this world are rooted in the structural systems of oppression rather than in communities or peoples bodies and identities. Their work is informed by Narrative practices, sensory integration, accountability practices, queer writings, children's books, their mother’s cooking practices and his communities ways of living. Raviraj has worked as therapist, supervisor and senior program manager at not-for profits based in Mumbai, India. Raviraj has been consulting with communities, children, families, adults and organisations since the last 18 years. Raviraj is a teacher of Narrative practices and Early childhood development; and teaches in local and international workshops and diplomas. They supports the work of therapists and community health workers through supervision and consultation. They work in creating spaces of accountability in organisations and well-being of communities. Raviraj has been instrumental in developing the Diploma in Anti-caste mental health practices in India and the curriculum for Diploma in Children's picture book and mental health. Raviraj has published articles and is a peer reviewer for the Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy, Journal of Occupational Science and has also co-curated Jugaad, a little book of know-hows by young people with disabilities about mental health and conceptualised Our Jugaad, a handbook of know-hows by mothers of disabled children. Raviraj has peer reviewed articles for international journals including Journal of Occupational science. They are a TEDx speaker, A Parag Honour list 2025 Author, Omega Resilience Awardee 2025-26 and Wilcock Emerging Author Awardee from Journal of Occupational Science. When not working you will find him dreaming about Unicorns, chatting away with friends, obsessing over a children's picture book, dancing garba to the tunes of Falguni Pathak, listening to a love song on loop or sobbing through a romantic film. Publications:
Re-authoring pain as a map to seek justice - Essay in Ashes to Light - Stories of Hope towards Gender Justice - Penguin Random House, 2026
Resurgence of Indigenous Occupations: Walking Alongside Adivasis in India - Occupational Therapy without Borders: Integrating Justice with Practise- 3rd Edition : Elsevier 2026
Baldiwala.J & Shetty.R. Relentless hope in Action. Journal of Systemic Therapies 2024. https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/10.1521/jsyt.2024.43.1.51
Shetty.R & Nair.S. Understanding the person-occupation enmeshment through exploring the erosion of tribal occupations in India. Journal of Occupational Science. 2023 https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2023.223196
Shetty R & Nair. S. How are Marginalised Communities represented in the Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy: A Scoping Review. Vol 55 | Issue 1 | Jan-Mar 2023 |
Shetty R et al. Caste and Occupation: A perspective. Indian Journal of Occupational therapy | Vol 54 | Issue 4 | Oct - Dec 2022 | Page 169-171
Shetty R. Mapping Queerlands: Meeting children in queer lands using narrative practices. TheIndian Journal of Social Work. Special Issue: Coming out of the dark Emerging discourse on queer affirmative mental health practice in India. Vol 83 | Issue 2 | April 22 | 213-228.
Shetty R et al . Conversations about Mr.Bad Handwriting: Using Narrative Ideas within the context of Occupational therapy practice.Indian J. Occup. Ther. | Volume 47 | Issue 1 | Sept - Dec 2015 | Page 73-77
Shetty R. State of the journal: A five year review of the Indian Journal of occupational therapy. Indian J. Occup. Ther.| Volume 43| Issue 2| May - Aug 2012 | Page 10-15.
Books:
1. Our Library. Written by Raviraj Shetty, Illustrated by Deepa Balsavar. Published by Pratham books. Read on StoryWeaver here. Buy here
2. The worlds we live in/The words we create: A Conversation Starter on Gender and Diversity in Indian Picture books by Pratham Books and UNICEF. Download a copy here
3.Jugaad: A little book of know-hows on Mental Health by young people - Curated by Yashna Vishwanathan and Raviraj Shetty - Illustrated by Ananya Broker Parekh ( Download a copy here)
4. Our Jugaad : A little book of know-hows of care for Mother’s of disabled children - Curated by Raviraj Shetty - Illustrated by Ananya Broker Parekh ( Download English copy here and Download Hindi copy here )
5. Map to navigate when The Hopelessness visits- Author: Raviraj Shetty - Illustrated by Denise Dsouza - Translated by Sneha Shetty & Namrata Edwards (Download English copy here and Hindi copy here )
PODCASTS
Re-writing the stories we live by - In Rising Tide Episode 5, Resilience Org https://www.resilience.org/stories/2026-05-12/in-the-rising-tide-episode-5-raviraj-shetty-rewriting-stories-we-live-by/
Keeping Pace with Therapy- Renedevouz with Narrative Practices, ThexSDG Podcast https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fp7dP32yczhP4SNLFGrp6?si=WD8GWnnvSy60H7d7u6dCTA
How a doctor in India came to see stories as protest - Episode 3 What takes root ? https://orawards.org/how-a-doctor-in-india-came-to-see-stories-as-protest-episode-3-of-what-takes-root/
Awards :
Gold Medalist at Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (M.U.H.S) for standing first in M.O.Th in Musculoskeletal Sciences in Maharastra in 2012.
Smt Bastikar Award by Seth.G.S.Medical College & K.E.M.Hospital for
standing first at M.O.Th in Seth.G.S.MC in 2012
Kailash Merchant Trophy for Best Paper in Neurosciences at AIOTA’s 51st
OTICON’ 2014.
AIOTA Trophy for Best Paper In Mental Health at 52nd Annual National
conference of AIOTA’s OTICON’ 2015.
AIOTA Trophy for Best Paper in Mental Health at 53rd Annual National
Conference at AIOTA’s OTICON 2016
AIOTA Trophy for Best E-Poster at 54th Annual National Conference of
AIOTA’s OTICON 2017.
Young Achiever’s Award 2023 by All India Occupational Therapy Association
Wilcock Award for Emerging Author 2023 - Journal of Occupational Science.
Omega Resilience Award 2025-26