Sanchita Sen - Psychologist, HR Leader, Author, and finalist for Elevitta Mrs. India World 2025 - invites us into her deeply personal journey of motherhood, resilience, and authentic leadership. In this candid conversation, she reveals the nuances behind her transformation and her advocacy for mental health.
Q: Sanchita, as a psychologist and HR leader, how did becoming a mother change your understanding of strength and resilience?
Sanchita: Years of studying psychology and supporting others didn’t prepare me for the profound inner shift that came with motherhood. All my academic tools paled next to the mirror that my child held up for me. I found myself stripped down - facing new layers, complicated emotions, and a reality where gratitude and emptiness danced together. The experience didn’t break me - it broke me open.
Q: Many assume that professionals in mental health always have it together. Did you feel extra pressure because of your background?
Sanchita: Absolutely. There’s this notion that psychologists don’t struggle - that we’re immune to the storms we guide others through. Yet, I was as vulnerable as anyone else. My postpartum journey didn’t undermine my skills; if anything, it deepened my empathy. I learned first-hand that we all walk our own storms - and that’s what anchors my practice in true understanding.
Q: What did you discover about authentic strength during your journey?
Sanchita: Motherhood revealed to me the hidden burdens so many women carry, especially the expectation to be endlessly competent and composed. I realized true strength is about holding space for uncertainty and allowing softness. It’s not about fitting an ideal, but leading with openness - at work, with family, and most of all, with myself.
Q: You founded Project C.R.O.W.N.™ inspired by your experiences. What does it represent to you?
Sanchita: Project C.R.O.W.N.™ stands for Courage, Resilience, Openness, Wellness, and Nurture. For me, they aren’t just ideals but daily actions:
Courage to reach out when struggling
Resilience to rebuild, one small step at a time
Openness to invite others into my story
Pursuing wellness as balance, not mere achievement
Nurture as the true heart of leadership - at home and at work
Q: Did returning to work change your professional outlook?
Sanchita: Definitely. Rejoining the workforce post-maternity made me see my field differently. Now, when I look at employee well-being, I see the human quest for wholeness - not just engagement scores or policies. The real work is in honouring the unpredictable, non-linear journeys each person takes to feel whole again.
Q: How did you navigate your healing?
Sanchita: Recovery for me was slow - a mix of journaling, laughter, honest conversations with fellow psychologists, and guilt-free self-care. One crucial shift happened when I stopped asking, “When will I feel like my old self?” and started wondering, “Who am I becoming through this?” That change in question has been a daily wellspring of strength.
Q: You brought your story to a bigger platform at Elevitta Mrs. India World. Why was that so important?
Sanchita: Getting on the stage was never just about the competition. It was and will always be an act of advocacy - a way to break the silence around mental health, postpartum, having real conversations and collective healing. It is about representing women who choose self-care, their dreams and still balance the other roles in life gracefully.
Q: Your journey is rooted in Indian culture. How does that perspective shape your message on wholeness?
Sanchita: These realisations led me back to Indian wisdom, where “Swasthya” - true wellness is harmony of body, mind, and soul. Wholeness isn’t about choosing between strength and softness or logic and feeling; it’s about embracing all parts and living as an authentic, complete individual.
Q: What message would you share on World Mental Health Day?
Sanchita: To every woman who has put her own needs aside for duty: You can be strong and gentle, capable and emotional - at once. Worthiness comes from the courage to show up as you are, not from perfection or invulnerability.
If my story gives even one person the space to breathe and say “me too,” every step has value.
After all, Strength gains wisdom when partnered with gentleness. Healing isn’t about returning to who we were, but discovering who we’re becoming.
