Dr Sankaran has worked extensively for almost four decades to help children and parents with understanding sex and sexuality, and developing critical life skills. She moved to Kochi as a consultant Psychiatrist in 1984 and started counseling students in 1991 at the Bhavan’s Vidya Mandir, Elamakkara, where she worked for over 20 years. Later she established similar services at four schools in Kochi and trained school counselors at six Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan schools.
She has also served as a member of the Child Welfare Committee, Ernakulam District for a six year period (February 2012 until January 2018 and trainer and mentor in counseling skills for the staff of HIV/AIDS intervention projects in India, Bangladesh, The Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.
He works have been published in several peer-reviewed journals and training manuals on HIV/AIDS counseling, sex education for high-school children and life skills education. She is a life member of the Indian Medical Association, Cochin Branch, a life fellow of the Indian Psychiatric Society and a fellow of the Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health
She is currently a consultant psychiatrist at a private college in Ernakulam as well as the Palluruthy Relief Settlement. She is a therapist at ‘Dil Se‘, an NGO which works for the prevention and healing of child sexual abuse victims. She is also a trainer for the social workers of Rajagiri Hospital.