The taboo surrounding mental health has presided in our society for decades, including in the 21st century. But as Mrs Sammy Sahni eloquently put it, it plays a vital role in our lives; it’s something that prompts us to function better.
Having suffered a brain stroke when merely 36, Mrs. Sahni understood that her emotional quota needed further nurturing even after recovering physically with the aid of physiotherapy. She sought answers in reading, studying, and connecting with people who were already well-established in the mental health community. Spurred by fascinating discourse, she joined this field as a medium of self-healing and understanding her mind-and-body connection. This also allowed her to discover her passion in healing others, especially people from marginalised communities, who are oppressed and unable to seek mental health services.
When Mrs. Sahni realized this as her calling, she facilitated her work plan in the mental health industry. Pursuing her career with keen passion, determination, and a forward-thinking mindset, she was able to overcome all challenges in her way. While initially confounded by the plethora of institutions and finding the right guides in this new industry, her quest for ethical mental health work connected her to several like-minded individuals who ushered her towards suitable courses – like foundation courses in expressive arts therapy, wherein she was trained to help others express their trauma through the channels of creativity and art. She’s currently pursuing her Master’s in Psychology while specialising in clinical psychology. Simultaneously, she’s working on a fellowship with mental health organization Pause of Perspective, an organisation focusing on the queer community alongside other marginalised groups.
Mrs Sahni shared that the pandemic was both tiresome and gruelling, but it also gave her time to introspect and chalk out her future plans. She opportunistically utilised this time to delve deeper into the mental work she wished to do. Her journey commenced in 2020 and continues to span even now. She personally maintains that the pandemic helped the world come closer and respect how connected people are – as human beings. Covid-19 affected us not just geographically through every corner of the world, but also to each of us personally. We personally witnessed that our only hope for survival – as a species – is love, compassion, and mutual respect – for each other and the environment. This, in fact, also helped many of us truly understand the value of mental health.
With newer variants and Monkeypox emerging, Mrs Sahni shared some crucial things to remember to tackle looming anxiety and paranoia. While times ahead look bleak, she reiterated the importance of living in the moment, especially with our loved ones. And we must remember to follow our passions: whether that’s reading a soulful poem, singing a beautiful song, dancing to the beat of your drum, cooking your favourite dish, or even taking a few moments to yourself, it can be anything your heart desires. And, of course, on days when anxiety looms more prominent than what you can manage, do not hesitate to reach out to a professional who can help you feel better!
Before becoming a mental health practitioner, Mrs. Sahni was a writer, among other things. Initially working in the IT sector, she used her writing skills to craft advertising campaigns. As time passed, and Mrs Sahni become a mother herself, she used her writing skills to pen and express her parenting journey, fuelling her journey as a blogger too. She also used her writing skills while working as a personal branding consultant for different organizations and businesses. After losing her mother, poetry and writing about her loss and grief became a healing practice for Mrs. Sahni. Alongside this, she also used her journaling and expressive writing skills as a therapeutic modality in her profession.
Creative pursuits are essential, says Mrs Sahni. She believes that each of us is creative; we just express it differently, in our own unique way. These different activities increase the vitality and quality of our lives; creativity adds value to our lives by helping us express ourselves in beautiful ways. The same can help individuals and groups in a community express more complex emotions. For example, trauma survivors may find it difficult to verbalize their experiences, but drawing or writing about it with a trained therapist may help them safely express themselves and start their healing process.
Mental health is paramount in our lives, and Mrs Sahni’s exceptional viewpoint on creative channels to express ourselves is certainly a reminder that we need to prioritise taking a pause from regular life and just give ourselves some time to just ‘be’, to learn about ourselves, and to express ourselves with our creativity.
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