Sixteen-year-old Varun Shaw had regular outbursts of anger for no apparent reason.

He is better now, thanks to regular social therapy sessions, where participants can de-stress using techniques like theatre games and improvisation.

The classes, held at the NGO Turning Point, on Jadavpur Central Road, are being conducted by Ishita Sanyal, a psychologist who has completed a social therapy course from East Side Institute for Group and Short Term Psychotherapy, New York.

“The sessions address stressed students and professionals. They help a person reject stereotypes. A shy child gets to act as a leader during a session,” she explained.

The classes combine theory and practical. The latter includes impromptu short skits and extempore to break the ice. They even include unusual topics like “building a house of socks”. “This is to impress on them that nothing is pre-decided as wrong or right,” says Sanyal.

The stress is on enjoying oneself. A child with a phobia of numbers forgets to be afraid of math when he does it in the form of a counting game with other children, she adds.

The first batch completed the course in April. The fee for the six-month course is Rs 8,000 and classes are held once a week for two hours.

The therapy can also be applied on those suffering from mental ailments.

“The therapy has helped me win back my confidence. Now, I have better control over my aggression,” said Varun, who appeared for his Class X examinations this year.

The next session starts in May.