Pia Wurtzbach reveals she saw a therapist during her reign as Miss Universe in 2015

Pia Wurtzbach revealed that during her reign as Miss Universe, she saw a therapist and had therapy sessions.

In an interview with Miss Universe Canada 2016 Siera Bearchell, the Filipina beauty queen opened up on how she coped mentally during her time as Miss Universe. The interview is up on Siera's YouTube channel under the "Candid Convo" series.

In the 44-minute interview video, Pia told Sierra that her win in 2015 felt "more than a personal victory."

"I felt like it was a victory for the whole Philippines 'cause back home, it's really a big deal. Before I competed, the Philippines has always been placing in the Top 10 or the runner-up positions, so the pressure was on every year," she said.

“I felt like I wasn't doing it for myself. I was doing it for everyone or people who were cheering me on. It did feel like I was really carrying the whole Philippines with me because when I was wearing that sash, it said 'Philippines.' It didn't say 'Pia,'" she added.

Pia said it felt good to know that her "hard work paid off in the end."

When Sierra asked how she managed to stay mentally strong during her taxing Miss Universe reign, Pia gave credit to the Miss Universe organization, sharing how thoughtful and kind they were as they would constantly check on her and see if she's doing fine.

But Pia noted overwhelming it all was. "From the outside, you see somebody win and their dreams come true overnight and it sounds like a success story. But it can also be a lot, and overwhelming for a girl; living in New York alone, away from your family and not being able to see them for a year."

"You can get homesick, you can get lonely, you can get tired, and it can also be so overwhelming, the pressure," she added.

Pia then revealed that she would have therapy sessions to talk it out with someone.

"Not a lot of people know this, but I actually went to therapy sessions every week just to be able to talk it out with somebody,” she revealed.

“This is different. Suddenly, your life changed overnight, and I needed time to absorb everything that's going on and really make sure that I'm okay and I don't get overwhelmed and suddenly make mistakes along the way," she added.

The 31-year-old Filipina beauty queen clarified that she did therapy sessions "just to talk it out.

"Not necessarily saying there was something wrong with me 'cause there’s a stigma around it — that you would only ask for help or you would only be seeking to talk to someone when there is something wrong, but sometimes you just need a guide," she explained.

Pia also opened up how she has been criticized in the Philippines for having a boyfriend during her reign.

"I also had a boyfriend at the time, and people back home didn't really approve of that idea because they felt like, 'You're Miss Universe, you should be focusing on your reign, and you shouldn't have time for your love life,'" she said.

“That affected me. That really hurt me. I was hard on myself, and I was putting some people down. It was really me versus me," she added.

Despite this, Pia said she is thankful for the Miss Universe Organization for helping her and taking care of her during her reign.

In January, Pia admitted going through depression. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News