MUMBAI : Superstar Aamir Khan recently revealed that he and his daughter Ira have started attending joint therapy sessions to address their interpersonal issues. Actor Aditya Deshmukh believes that public figures like Aamir speaking about therapy is a significant step toward improving mental health awareness.
“I encourage such initiatives. It is important not only for artists but for everyone. If you start meditating, if you start giving time to yourself, I think it is one of the greatest things an individual can do. Therapy is a positive approach for self-care. Meditation and spirituality help you grow mentally, physically, and spiritually. I wholeheartedly support such practices,” he says.
He adds, “When a celebrity seeks therapy for their mental or physical well-being, it makes an impact. But what’s most important is that the therapy genuinely benefits them. At the end of the day, what matters to the audience is the happiness of their favorite celebrity or artist. If the celebrity is happy, their fan base is happy too.”
He acknowledges that people often hesitate to discuss their mental health issues openly. “Even when they see psychologists, they tend to withhold certain things, treating it as a private or personal matter. They worry about how society might react. Even in progressive societies, there’s still hesitation around mental health issues. Most people only discuss these matters during counseling sessions with psychiatrists or close friends—and often not even with family. I think it’s a good start, but I don’t claim to have all the answers. Personally, I’m someone who is very expressive and loves to share things I feel are important,” he says.
Talking about his own life, he emphasizes how self-care has helped him maintain his mental health and well-being. “As a personal example, I’ve been through a lot, but I’ve never attended therapy or counseling. Instead, I gave time to myself, and I think self-reflection works. Therapy, or even activities like cycling, can be effective—it works when you enjoy spending time with yourself. Over the years, I’ve turned to spirituality, which has been a form of therapy for me. I feel like a completely different person now. If someone tries to hurt me personally or professionally, I believe a higher force is watching over me, helping me overcome anxieties and past issues. At the end of the day, the more you work on yourself, the more you become a winner,” he says.
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