Aishwarya Sakhuja recently took to her Instagram to share the news that she has become a certified therapist. The actor reveals to us that she got her certification on June 9, and it all happened because of her husband Rohit Nag’s push when she was at her lowest about one-and-a-half years ago. Recalling the phase, she says, “Actors are freelancers and if we say no to something, we don’t know how long the period between two projects will last. I was going through the same thing and calls from even TV had stopped coming. It was a completely dry spell for me. I just did not know what was going wrong. Waking up every day had become difficult as I had no sense of purpose.”
The 37-year-old adds that responding to people’s queries would put her in self-doubt. “When I’d meet people and they’d ask me what I am up to these days, I won’t have any answers. I would feel I am wasting precious time,” she says, insisting that she doesn’t blame the industry for her dry spell. “Unhone theka thodi na le rakha hai mera. When they gave me work, I never thanked them, so when I didn’t have work, how can I crib about it. I am not their responsibility, so I don’t blame them for anything,” she insists.
However, Sakhuja’s husband realised what she needed to get through the phase. “He saw me spiraling down mentally and made me speak to a therapist, who suggested me to take this course (of becoming a therapist) as she felt I’d be good at it,” she shares, adding that while she was doubtful, Nag motivated her to take up the course and she started with a five-day workshop. “It resonated with me so much that everyone saw a complete shift in my energy in those 5 days,” she says.
Sakhuja went on with the course and eventually realised “I do have the knack of becoming a therapist”. “When I started studying and had the scientific studies, facts and figures laid out in front of me, it was very empowering. I understood how therapy has benefited millions of people worldwide,” she says, admitting that today she is busy on all fronts as even the work calls have also returned: “Till two months back, I had no calls coming my way and today I don’t even have time to breathe, and that’s how I wanted it to be.”
Getting back to studies helped Sakhuja get in touch with her authentic self. “I am not saying that I am healed, and I will no longer need therapy, but it’s an ongoing process. Everybody should explore the idea of just sitting and talking about what they are actually feeling,” she says. The actor also informs that she is already interning at the same academy she did her course from. “I have been practising for the last two months and I am also on my way to becoming a trainer in the same field. I do have plans to open my own clinic when I am done interning,” she ends.
