Table 4.

Experts Feedback and Suggestions.

Phases of Counseling Process	Framework for Study and Measures	Timing and Sequences	Process of Counseling	Applicability	Questions Felt Irrelevant During the First Interview
• Understanding the problem • Phase II: B. Problem assessment	• Person-centered • Family-centered social work • Group work • Casework	• Prioritize rapport building over introducing Ramayana contexts. • Establish a logical flow: (a) rapport building, (b) problem understanding, and (c) discussing possible solutions. • Allow flexibility in timing. • Allocate more time for building rapport.	• Metaphors are to be used only in current contexts of distress. • If required, the caregiver can also be included in the counseling process.	• –	• The question of whether they have read the Ramayana before is not applicable
• Part-II: Goal-setting	• Informed consent needs to add that the study uses stories from religious texts for counseling that focuses only on improving coping and well-being explicitly rather than reducing the symptoms. • Social casework techniques should be used rather than counseling techniques.	• We need to increase the number of sessions.	• The selection of criteria for patients who can benefit from counseling techniques (anecdotes, concepts, and narratives) was mentioned. • Use simple language for anecdotes, and the desired outcome needs to be clarified. • Pre- and post-assessment required.	• Improve the selection of anecdotes for suitability in Ramayana. • Some anecdotes for somatoform disorders and acute stress/PTSD may not be suitable. • Consider both successful and failed efforts in Ramayana. • Determine the appropriate scenarios for patients with specific CMDs in Phase III. • Specify the duration for Phase III for patients with depression, PTSD, and anxiety. • Clarify the process for counselors to select anecdotes in various relevant contexts.	• Using the video format, pictorial representation would convey the message. • Adding the control group and experimental group. • Including the movie on Ramayana for a better understanding of the anecdotes.
• 3	• Specific measures of change in Functioning (add variable)	• Duration and session need to be increased	• –	• Create criteria for suitable/excluded cases based on contexts in anecdotes. • Define termination criteria and outline the next steps for distressed clients. • Analyze technique success rates across disorders.	• …………………….
• Phase IV	–	• Duration and session need to be increased.	• It needs to be clarified to be more transparent on how Phase IV would bring out the process and outcome. • Feedback from significant others	–	–
• Phase V	–	–	• Follow up • Reference from Valmiki Ramayana can be mentioned.	• How will the sessions be terminated?	• Requesting the patient to chant a Ramayana sloka. • Discussing stories of Rama conversing with trees, especially after the devastation when Sita was not found.
• Suggestions and comments	• Highly positive • Well constructed • Overall satisfactory • Overall, it is a good approach.