Shweta Kawaatra, who is best known for her stint as Pallavi in Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, seems to have immersed herself into motherhood apart from a few acting stints here and there. We have learnt that the actress has also turned counsellor. She shares, “I’m not a practicing counsellor yet. I plan to study further and eventually take up counselling as a practice and balance it with my primary profession — acting.”

The actress has a certification in personal counselling, one in conscious parenting and a double certification in Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT). Talking about her plans to pursue Masters in the subject, she says, “Earlier, I didn’t even know the difference between a counsellor, a psychologist and a psychiatrist, but now I’m better equipped. Counselling is a huge responsibility as you are dealing with a human mind. If a counsellor is not equipped with proper education and experience, he/she will make the patient sicker than before. So, I’ve chosen the conventional route. I started pursuing parenting courses officially in 2020.”

Shweta calls herself a depression survivor, an experience that led her to explore mental health and work around it. She says, “Having experienced acute postpartum depression, I no longer view life as casually as I did before. Most tend to use the term ‘depression’ loosely. It is real. It’s a chemical change in our body and not just a low feeling or something that stems from boredom. If left untreated, it has long-drawn consequences. I suffered for five years. While I had my husband (actor Manav Gohil) and family’s support during this time, it was difficult for them to understand what I was going through. I wanted to lend a hand and an ear to others with the right tools, hence studying became the next organic step to understanding the disease.”

She advises not to sweep mental health issues under the carpet. “Seek help. In my own capacity, I volunteer to address individual concerns. I listen to their struggles and help them get a perspective. If I notice red flags, I refer them to a psychologist or a psychiatrist,” she signs off.