Jul 23, 2024 02:36 PM IST

Actor Aishwarya Sakhuja talks about turning into a certified therapist and not waiting for good projects.

On July 11, actor Aishwarya Sakhuja shared a series of photos on Instagram, hinting at a new phase in her life: she’s become a teacher. She captioned her post, “Playing the role of a teacher… no not for reel, for real! PS- It’s definitely not easy to be a teacher “#newbeginnings #lifeofateacher #realnotreel.”

Aishwarya Sakhuja is a certified therapist

When asked about her new beginnings, Sakhuja explains, “I was waiting for a good project to come my way. During the wait, I realised I wasted a lot of time. So, I thought, until a project I like comes along, I should utilise this time.”

Revealing she is now a certified therapist, Sakhuja tells us, “I’ve been studying therapy for the past two years and am now working as a therapist, taking clients. I got my certification last month in June. The pictures are from my class as I conduct workshops for regression therapy. I’m a trainer in this subject now.”

The 37-year-old says she never thought she would get back to studying and become an academic again. She elaborates, “Taking the workshops has been very interesting. It’s been insightful to progress from a student to a teacher. It shows that if I set my mind to something, I can achieve it. I surprised myself by doing this, but it turned out really well.” She continues, “As actors, we’re used to performing on stage, which helps with public speaking. But teaching factual and scientific knowledge requires thorough preparation; there are no retakes because your credibility as a teacher is at stake. I feel more responsible teaching people the right things.”

Having appeared in TV shows like Main Na Bhoolungi and Saas Bina Sasural, Sakhuja discusses the challenges of the industry, saying, “I’ve lost a lot of people to ‘suicide’ in this industry. With its ups and downs, I understand it personally. I want fellow actors to feel comfortable speaking to me so I can provide professional help for their mental health.”

“As an actor, I take it as my moral responsibility to choose roles carefully. I avoid characters that regress progress. While such projects haven’t come my way recently, I continue auditioning regularly,” she ends.