Dr. Sunil Mittal stands as one of Delhi’s most respected and enduring figures in psychiatry—a compassionate healer who has quietly transformed countless lives over more than four decades.
Picture a young medical student in the late 1970s, walking the bustling corridors of Maulana Azad Medical College in Delhi. That was Sunil Mittal, earning his MBBS in 1979. Even then, he felt drawn not to surgery or cardiology, but to the mysterious, often misunderstood world of the mind.
A few years later, he headed north to the prestigious Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh—one of India’s top institutions for specialized training. There he completed his MD in Psychiatry, immersing himself in both the science and the human stories behind mental health.
Returning to Delhi, Dr. Mittal didn’t take the easy corporate-hospital route. Instead, in the mid-1980s (around 1984–1987), he took a bold step—he co-founded (and later led as Senior Psychiatrist) the Cosmos Institute of Mental Health & Behavioral Sciences (CIMBS) on Vikas Marg in Preet Vihar/Defence Enclave, opposite the metro pillar. What began as a vision for comprehensive, stigma-free care grew into one of Delhi’s most trusted psychiatric centres, offering everything from depression and OCD treatment to advanced therapies like TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) for resistant cases.
Over the decades, he has worn many hats: clinician seeing hundreds of patients, teacher mentoring young psychiatrists, researcher contributing to the field, and even public educator. He once delivered a memorable TEDx talk at Kirori Mal College titled “Shape your mind, shape your brain”, where he explained in simple, engaging terms how thoughts literally reshape neural pathways—bridging cognitive neuroscience and everyday mental wellness.
Dr. Mittal also served as President of the Delhi Psychiatric Society (around 2007), helping shape mental-health policy and awareness in the capital at a time when talking about anxiety or depression still carried heavy stigma.
To bring his journey to life, imagine this small, telling moment from his long career (drawn from the kind of real-life situations he often describes in interviews and social media):
A worried father once sat across from him, voice cracking:
“Doctor saab, my 22-year-old daughter hasn’t left her room in weeks. She says everything feels meaningless. We’re scared… is this permanent?”
Dr. Mittal leaned forward, calm and unhurried.
“First, let me tell you—she is not ‘mad,’ and this is not forever. What she’s experiencing is very real, very treatable depression. The brain’s chemistry can get thrown off balance, just like sugar levels in diabetes. We will understand her story, start with gentle medication if needed, add therapy so she learns tools to manage thoughts, and most importantly—we will walk this path together, step by step. I’ve seen hundreds of young people like her come out stronger, more insightful, even grateful for the journey.”
Weeks later the same father returned, eyes bright:
“She laughed at dinner yesterday—for the first time in months. Thank you for not making us feel ashamed.”
That quiet, human connection—listening without judgment, explaining without jargon, staying present through the hardest days—defines Dr. Sunil Mittal.
Today, well into his 40+ years of practice, he remains the seniormost psychiatrist and head of clinical governance at CIMBS, still seeing patients, still posting thoughtful insights on high-functioning depression, child mental health, and addiction recovery, and still reminding Delhiites that mental strength is as important as physical fitness.
In a city that never slows down, Dr. Mittal has spent a lifetime helping people pause, heal, and find their way back to joy—one conversation at a time.
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