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Dedicated to helping Individuals, Professionals, and Organizations unlock their fullest potential.
Dr. Sonakshi Ruhela is a seasoned Educational Strategist, Licensed Psychologist, Leadership Consultant, and Founder of You Matter Consulting Services. Holding a PhD in Psychology recognised by the Ministry of Education UAE and a prestigious Harvard Certification in Higher Education, she brings a globally informed, research-driven perspective to academic leadership, institutional development, executive coaching, and human transformation. Through You Matter Consulting Services, she helps individuals, institutions, and organisations achieve measurable and sustainable growth through evidence-based consulting, coaching, and leadership development.
She currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the Rochester Institute of Technology Dubai. Dr. Ruhela has held several influential leadership roles at leading academic institutions in the UAE and India. She previously served as Program Head for Psychology and Health Sciences at Curtin University Dubai, and as Associate Registrar and Assistant Professor of Psychology at Amity University Dubai. She played a pivotal role in establishing the Department of Psychology at Amity University Dubai in 2016 and at Curtin University Dubai in 2022. She also served as Head of Academics – Humanities, Arts and Applied Sciences at Amity University Dubai, overseeing the academic operations of 14 programmes. Earlier in her career, she spent six years as an Assistant Professor at the Amity Institute of Psychology & Allied Sciences, Amity University India.
Her research profile comprises interdisciplinary, Scopus-indexed publications and research projects submitted to prestigious institutions, including the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and the Al Jalila Foundation. She is also a professional member of the American Psychological Association, the Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists, and the Middle East Psychological Association. An accomplished researcher and doctoral mentor, she has guided and reviewed multiple PhD scholars in counselling and mental health across institutions in India and the UAE, including successfully supervising a doctoral candidate who completed her PhD in December 2024.
Dr Ruhela's influence extends globally, with her book ‘Counselling Interventions for Millennials’ published in 9 languages by Lambert Publications in 2020. The book, archived at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library in the UAE, received the prestigious UAE Mastermind-Authors Award in 2023. Her participation in over 400 national and international events, seminars, talk shows, radio shows, conferences, industrial training, and community engagement initiatives hosted by various schools, hospitals/clinics, government bodies, and corporations in India, the UK, and the UAE is a testament to her global impact. She is a TEDx speaker and a Community Development Authority (CDA Dubai)-licensed psychologist with comprehensive experience in counselling, psychotherapy, behavioural lifestyle interventions, neuro-linguistic programming, and psychometric assessment.
She has received numerous national and international awards and honours for her academic and administrative contributions. In 2025, she was honoured as one of Asia's 40 Under 40 by TradeFlock, recognising her remarkable achievements and contributions to education. She is the recipient of the “Outstanding Positive Impact Speaker” award by UAE Next Mastermind 2024; the “Educational Leadership” award by the International Business Summit and Awards 2023; the “UAE Author’s Award” by Mastermind Awards 2023; the “Excellence in Wellness - Best Mental Health Practitioner” award by Being She Middle East Group (2023); the ‘Leader of Impact’ award by the 8th MENAA Awards (2023); the ‘People’s Choice Award for Excellence in Mental Health’ by The World Health Awards in 2021; the ‘Great Indian Women Leader Category - Education Award’ by Golden Signatures Award in 2021; the ‘Middle East Women Leaders Award’ by World Women Leadership Congress & Awards in 2020; the ‘Academic Leadership Award’ by GISR Foundation in 2019; the ‘Best Paper’ award at the International Conference on Current Practices & Future Trends in Media Communication in 2019; and the ‘Outstanding Achievement for Autism Awareness’ award by Maharat Group, UAE, in 2018.
Through consulting, coaching, workshops, leadership programmes, and strategic interventions, she has empowered professionals, organisations, educational institutions, and communities to achieve lasting growth and measurable outcomes.
Dr. Sonakshi believes transformation is most powerful when it addresses both human and business dimensions. Her approach is evidence-based, structured, and deeply human, helping clients grow with clarity, confidence, and capability.
✦ ABOUT DR. SONAKSHI
Dedicated to helping individuals, professionals, and organizations unlock their fullest potential.
SR
PhD Psychology · Harvard Certified · TEDx Speaker
Founder, You Matter Consulting Services
Dr. Sonakshi Ruhela is a seasoned Educational Strategist, Licensed Psychologist, and Leadership Consultant whose work sits at the intersection of excellence in higher education, human development, and transformational leadership. Holding a PhD in Psychology recognised by the Ministry of Education, UAE, and a prestigious Harvard Certification in Higher Education, she brings a globally informed, research-driven perspective to academic leadership, institutional development, and executive coaching.
Across industries and institutions, I kept seeing the same pattern: capable individuals and leadership teams operating in environments that look successful externally but are misaligned internally. Over time, that misalignment shows up as burnout, disengagement, conflict, and quiet exhaustion that rarely gets named but is deeply felt. So, my work focuses on closing that gap.
Every Engagement Is:
We integrate psychology, strategy, leadership science, behavioural insight, and practical execution to help individuals and organisations achieve lasting transformation.
At the core of our work is a simple belief: people perform better when they are seen, understood, and intentionally developed.
Our work integrates Psychology, Strategy, Leadership Science, Behavioural Insight, and Practical Execution to create meaningful and sustainable development.
We aim to refine thinking, elevate behaviour, and strengthen leadership identity because development is only meaningful when it changes outcomes, not merely understanding.
A distinguished network of Leaders, Psychologists, Educators, Business strategists and transformation experts.
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We partner with people, Families, Educational institutions, Communities, and Organizations to create sustainable transformation and measurable impact.
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Focused on student well-being, resilience, leadership development and academic excellence.
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