Susmita Baral holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Rajiv Gandhi University, Karnataka, India. She is a Registered Nurse with the Nepal Nursing Council and brings a unique combination of clinical, academic, and psychosocial counseling experience to her work.
Susmita has over four years of clinical nursing experience, during which she provided direct patient care, administered medication, and built strong relationships with patients, families, and healthcare professionals. She also served as a nursing instructor for nearly a year at Narayani Polytechnic Institute in Chitwan, where she taught PCL-level nursing students and contributed to their academic development.
Her expertise extends beyond clinical nursing to the field of psychosocial support and mental health. She has worked with We Women and BEE Group Nepal (partners of CARE Nepal) as a Psychosocial Counselor during reproductive health camps across various districts, including Kailali and Banke. There, she focused on promoting the importance of family planning, birth spacing, and contraceptive use.
At TPO Nepal, Susmita served as both a Psychosocial Counselor and Program Officer under a UNODC-funded project. In this role, she conducted individual assessments, offered first-line psychological responses, and supported individuals facing mental health challenges, including those with suicidal ideation. She led capacity-building sessions for self-help groups, addressed the needs of survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, and managed administrative responsibilities related to mental health and development initiatives.
Susmita is passionate about integrating psychological support into health and community services and continues to contribute meaningfully to the mental well-being of individuals and communities through her work.