Bio
Dr. Johnson Alex is a Professor of Clinical Psychology with more than 18 years of academic and clinical experience. He has worked in different institutions in various capacities such as Associate Professor of Behavioural Sciences, College of Medicine, Dar Al-Uloom University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Associate Professor & Head of the Department of Clinical Psychology, Kasturba Medical College Hospital, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, and so on. His area of expertise is in dealing with adolescents’ mental health issues, marital and family psychotherapy, youth psychological intervention, sleep and CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). He is also a well-known trained life skills trainer and tele-psychotherapist.
Dr. Johnson received national and university research grants to conduct scientific research on stress, learning strategies and management and resilience intervention for adolescents. He has received a research grant from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH), and the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Research Dar Al Uloom University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He has published several peer-reviewed scientific research in reputed journals.
At CVV, he is the Director of the Research and Development Cell and holds the additional charge of Head of the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Heritage.
Education
- MPhil Clinical Psychology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education
- PhD in Psychology, School of Behavioural Sciences, Kannur University
Professional Experience (Research/Teaching)
- Lecturer and Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Manipal Academy of Higher Education, (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka (July 2004-February 2010)
- Asst. Professor and Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Manipal Academy of Higher Education, (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka (March 2010 –June 2013)
- Associate Professor and Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Manipal Academy of Higher Education, (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, India
- Head of the Department of Clinical Psychology (January 2014 – December 2015) at Manipal Academy of Higher Education, (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka (June 2013- December 2015)
- Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and Clinical Psychologist at College of Medicine, Dar Al Uloom University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (February 2016 – July 2021)
- Director and Chief Consultant Clinical Psychologist (July 202 – September 2022) at JS Care and Science, Medical & Wellness Center, Kochi, Kerala, india
Interests
- Research: Cognitive Neuroscience |Stress | Resilience | Learning
- Teaching: Clinical Psychology | Cognitive Neuroscience |
Research Projects Completed
- Principal Investigator of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) funded research project on “Development of learning strategy inventory and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) based stress management intervention for Adolescents”
- Co-Investigator of AIISH (All India Institute of Speech and Hearing) funded research project on “Profiling of anxiety, depression and personality correlates of individual with tinnitus”
Consultancy and Training
- JS Care and Science, Medical & Wellnes Center
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) Trainer
- Life Skills Trainer
Certifications and Membership
- Certified Internal auditor of ISO:2000 by TUV Rhineland
- Certified Psychometric Evaluator of Merck Pharmaceutical Company
Awards and Achievements
- Best outgoing (First Rank) student of Psychology Post-graduation course from the University of Calicut.
- Good teacher award from Manipal College of Nursing Manipal, Manipal University.
- Research Excellence Award, Deanship of Graduate Studies and Research, Dar Al-Uloom University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Administrative Roles
- Head of the Department of Clinical Psychology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal
- Member of Institutional Ethics Committee, College of Medicine, Dar Al- Uloom University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Former Joint Secretary of Cognitive Neuroscience Society of India
Editorial Member of the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience Society of India
Publications
Journals
- Neethi NV, Alex J. Behavioural Inhibition and Cognitive Emotion Regulation in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Indian Journal of Applied Research 2013; 3:2,333-334.
- Alex J. Learning Disabilities: Assessment and Intervention, Indian Journal of Research 2013; 2:2, 175-176.
- Pothiyil DI, Alex J. Self-Regulation and Set shifting in Alcohol Dependence Syndrome, Indian Journal of Applied Research 2013; 3:3, 347-350.
- Alex J. Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities: Assessment and Intervention, Paripex Indian Journal of Research 2013; 2:7, 262-264
- Manumohan K., Johnson S, Alex J. Multidisciplinary approach to pulmonary rehabilitation – an overview. Ind J Resp Care 2014; 3(1): 388-95
- Aithal, Venkataraja U and Mohan, Kishan Madikeri and Alex, J (2013) The relationship of perceived severity of tinnitus with depression, anxiety, hearing status, age and gender in individuals with tinnitus. International Tinnitus Journal, 18 (1). pp. 29-34.
- Lukas LA & Alex J. The Feasibility of web-delivered intervention for suicide prevention in India, International Journal of Psychosocial Research; Special Issue July-2015 ISSN 2320-6381.
- Mahesh MM & Alex J. The effectiveness of Behavior Therapy in Writer’s Cramp: A case report. The International Journal of Indian Psychology 2016; Vol 3 (2) No. 5: 122-127
- Roy K, Kamath VG, Kamath A, Alex J, & Hegde A. Prevalence of stress and stress tolerance level among adolescent boys- a district level cross-sectional study in South India. International Journal of Adolescent Medical Health 2015 Nov 10. doi:10.1515/ijamh-2015-0054
- Roy K, Kamath VG, Kamath A, Hegde A, Alex J & Ashok L. Effectiveness of Life Skill Training Program on Stress among Adolescent at School Setting Journal of Indian Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. 2016; 12 (4): 309-322.
- Johnson S, Alex J (2018) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Overlap Syndrome and its Cognitive Impairments. Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis Vol No. 3 Iss No. 1:31.
- Sinoj TM, Manu MK, Alex J, Mohapatra AK, & Kamath A (2018) Marital Quality and Erectile Dysfunction among COPD: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research Vol-12 (9) OC01-OC04
- Agarwal S, Alex J. A comparative study between the parenting style of working and non-working mothers and their childs’ temperament on behavioural problems among school going children. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing. 2017 Nov 1;8(11):1335-9.
- Al Tamimi T, Alex J, Khan, MM, Binu VS. Development and Validation of Smartphone Impact Scale, Journal of Taiba University of Medical Sciences, In Press.
- Altamimi T, Alex J, Mattout S, Mitwally N, Alnassar S. Medical students’ perceptions of their educational environment in an integrated curriculum in Saudi Arabia. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association. 2020 Nov 19:1-4.
- Alex J, Choudhary GN. Psychological impact: Unseen effects of COVID-19. Indian Journal of Respiratory Care. 2021 Apr 1;10(4):50.
- Ifthikar Z, Fakih SS, Johnson S, Alex J. Post-traumatic stress disorder following COVID-19 pandemic among medical students in Riyadh: a cross-sectional study. Middle East Current Psychiatry. 2021 Dec;28(1):1-7.
- Nambiar D, Alex J, Pothiyil DI. Development and Validation of Academic Self-regulated Learning Questionnaire (ASLQ). International Journal of Behavioral Sciences. 2022 Aug 1;16(2):89-95.
Reviewer
- Journal of Stroke and Rehabilitation- Elsevier
- Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences – Elsevier
Guest Lectures, Papers Presentations & Conference Attendance
- “The relationship between cognitive deficits and dysfunctional cognition among bipolar and unipolar depressive disorders” Paper presented at the National Conference of Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists held at Coimbatore, India 2005.
- National conference presentation of a paper titled “An exploratory study to determine the sexual attitude and knowledge on the sexual behaviour of adolescents” held at Calicut, Kerala in 2008 Organized by Department of Psychology, LISSAH
- Invited resource person to deliver a talk on ‘child and adolescent behaviour problems’ at Kadirur Higher Secondary School, Kannur, Kerala, India
- Invited resource person in Continuing Psychology Education organised by Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists (IACP) supported by Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) held at Kannur in October 2009
- Delivered guest lecture on ‘Personality and development’ Hrudyaram Counseling and Community College, Kannur University, Kerala, India in October 2010
- Invited speaker on “Learning Disability Management” at the National conference of Psychotherapy and Counseling organised by SPSA Calicut, Kerala from January 23-25, 2012
- Invited Chief Guest and delivered a keynote address on “Challenges and significance of psychology in the new era” at ‘Psychoday Celebration 2012’ organized by KE College, Mannanam, Kottayam, Kerala and PAAM (Psychology Alumni Association Mannanam)
- Invited resource person for a talk on “Stress Management “ at the Udupi BBM College
- Invited speaker on “Assessment and Management of Learning Disdabilities” organized by Kerala Kaumadi daily in Kannur, Kerala 19th May- 2012
- The invited resource person on ‘Communication and Counseling’ for Junior Public Health Inspectors and Nurses at Kanhagad, Kerala organized by the National Rural Health Mission, Govt. of Kerala
- Invited guest speaker on “Identification and Management of Learning Disability” at Madhava Kripa School, Manipal University, Manipal
- The invited resource person on ‘Communication and Counseling’ for Junior Public Health Inspectors and Nurses at Cochin, Kerala organized by the National Rural Health Mission on 26th July 2012, Govt. of Kerala
- Invited speaker on “Psychosocial aspects of Pulmonary Rehabilitation” at MCOAHS, Department of Respiratory Therapy – Pulmonary Rehabilitation Update -2012 on 29th September 2012
- The invited resource person on ‘Communication and Counseling’ for Junior Public Health Inspectors and Nurses at Kanhagad, Kerala organized by the National Rural Health Mission, Govt. of Kerala on 8th January 2013.
- The invited resource person for presenting a session on ‘Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Depression’ at Indian Psychiatric Society South Zone CME-2013 organised by Kasturba Medical College, Manipal on 23rd and 24th March 2013 held at Manipal University, Manipal, India.
- The invited resource person for presenting a session on ‘School Counseling & Learning Disability’ at a workshop organised by the Society of Psychologists for Social Action (SPSA) on 25th & 26th May 2013 held at Calicut, Kerala, India.
- Presented a paper on ‘Development of Stress Questionnaire for Adolescent’ at Stress Management Professional-2013, a national seminar organised by the International Stress Management Association-India, Hyderabad on 8th & 9th November 2013.
- Invited as a resource person for a ‘Counselling Workshop’ in the annual Continuing Medical Education (CME)-Psychiatry Update-2013 held at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, organised by the Department of Psychiatry from 16 to 17, November 2013.
- Resource Person for the Life Skill training programme organised for adolescents at Manipal University, May 2014.
- Session on “Performance Enhancement – A Psychological Perspective” in ‘SPORTSMAN’ 2014 – A Hands-on Workshop in Sports Sciences, 24th and 25th November 2104.
- Resource Person for the workshop held at Manipal University Indian Association Speech and Hearing National Conference in January 2015.
- Invited resource person for the Continuing Medical Education (CME) on ‘Psychological Management of Alcohol Disorders’ organised by the Department of Psychiatry KMC, Mangalore on 20th June 2015.
- Invited resource person for the International Seminar on Cultivating Positivity – Cultivating change through Appreciative Inquiry’ held at the School of Behavioral Sciences, Kannur University, Kerala, India from January 3rd to 5th 2019.
- Delivered lecture on ‘Strength-based Resilience Intervention’ organised by Tamil Nadu Association of Clinical Psychologists (TNACP), India on 26 August 2020
- Delivered lecture on ‘Tele crisis counselling protocol’ organised by the MAP Academy, Kerala, India on 6 September 2020.
- Invited resource person for the International conference on “Mental Health for All: A Global concern and Conviction” organised by the Department of Postgraduate studies and Research in Psychology, SDM College Ujire, Mangalore, Karnataka, India on 29 January 2021.
- Delivered lecture on ‘COVID-19 Pandemic and Resilience’ organised by Kristu Jayanti College Chaganaserry, Kottayam, Kerala India on 3rd July 2021
- Delivered a lecture on ‘Psychological interventions & Parenting strategies for healthy child development; Rearing Sociable, Confident and Healthy Children’ at International conference on Positive Parenting Conference Organised by Department of Psychology, Christ Nagar Trivandrum and the Assumption University of Thailand on 24th February 2022.
- Delivered a lecture on ‘CBT for Suicide Prevention’ organised by the MAP Academy, Kerala, India on 21st September 2022
Workshops/Training Attended
- UGC National Seminar on “Psychology in the 21st century”, held at Calicut University, Calicut, Kerala, India in September 2000.
- Refresher course for trainees in HRD held at Kristu Jyoti College Bangalore, Karnataka, India in May 2001.
- National Conference of Behavioural Medicine Society of India held at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Karnataka, India in October 2001.
- Workshop on “Communication skill” held at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Karnataka, India in January 2002.
- “Psychiatry update 2002” held at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Karnataka, India in April 2002.
- Educational programme on “Emotional and Behavioural Disorders of children and adolescents” held at Kottayam Medical College, Kottayam, Kerala, India in 2002.
- 30th National Annual Conference of the Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists held at Trichur, Kerala, India in January 2004.
- Psychiatry Continuing Medical Education on “Liason Psychiatry and bipolarity in children and adolescents” held at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Karnataka, India in April 2004.
- Attended a one-day workshop on ‘Hypnosis’ held at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Karnataka, India in December 2004.
- 31st National Annual Conference of the Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists held at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India in January 2005.
- ”Psychiatry update 2006” held at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Karnataka, India in April 2006.
- Attended the National Workshop on “Epidemiological Research Methods” held at Manipal College of Nursing, Manipal University in November 2006.
- “The Burnout Banquet: A workshop to feed the professional” held at Manipal College of Nursing, Manipal University in February 2007
- Attended CME on “Substance abuse-Interface and interventions” organised by the Department of Psychiatry, KMC Mangalore on 7th October 2007.
- ”Psychiatry update 2008” held at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Karnataka, India in April 2008
- Attended Indo- Japan disaster management workshop held at Manipal University in 2008.
- An international meeting on Psychodermatology held at Manipal University in May 2011 organised by the Department of Dermatology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal.
- Attended Basic and advanced Hypnosis workshops at Christ University, Bangalore, India from 08/01/12 to 10/01/12 & 13/01/12 to 14/01/12
- Attended National conference organised by the Department of Psychology Christ University and Indian Association of Experimental Hypnosis 11/01/12 to 12/01/12
- Participated in Qualitative Research Methodology workshop organised by department of optometry, Manipal College of Allied Health Sciences, Manipal University
- Participated in a Qualitative research methodology workshop organised by the department of public health, Manipal University
- One-day seminar on the teacher as a leader by MCPD, Manipal University
- Participated in International training in School Psychology held at the University of Calicut organised by Department of Psychology, University of Calicut & School Psychology association.
- Training program on “Nurturing an Effective Work Place” for Head of the Departments of Institutions of Manipal University, Conducted by TAPMI, India, 17-18 October 2014.
- Basic and Advanced Workshop on Clinical Hypnosis endorsed by Bangalore Psychology Circle & Indian Society of Clinical & Experimental Hypnosis, 10-14 December 2014.
- Workshop on Psychotherapy Research: Process and Research variables, organised by the Department of Clinical Psychology, Manipal University from 21st to 22nd August 2015
- Workshop on ‘Innovations in Health Professions Education’ (30 CME credit) organised by the King Saud bin Abdul-Aziz University for Health Science, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 2nd to 6th April 2017.
- Workshop on “Assessment of Learning Outcomes” (12 H training) organised by National Center for Academic Accreditation & Evaluation (NCAAA) from 1st to 2nd November 2017, Riyadh Saudi Arabia
- Workshop on ‘Qualitative Research Methodology’ organised by the Faculty Development Unit of King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Workshops/Training Conducted
- Resource Person for the Life Skill training program organised for the Adolescent at Manipal University, 20-25, April 2015
- Conducted a Workshop on Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) at Malabar Cancer Hospital Thalasery on 4- 5th June 2022
Conducted a Workshop on ‘Counselling Skills’ at Sri C Achutha Menon Government College Thrissur, Kerala, India on 11th August 2022.