August Community Newsletter

August: Support for you in changing times

Hello there,

Last month, I travelled to Sydney to host one of our Asian Mental Health Practitioner meetups.

One of the best parts of my work is meeting clinicians who have dedicated their careers to supporting our communities with cultural humility, curiosity and compassion. After spending an afternoon together, I walked away feeling hopeful.

I also shared something more difficult with the group: As public conversations about race, migration and belonging become louder and, at times, more hostile, many people in our communities may feel increasingly unsettled or unsafe. Unfortunately, this may also mean the need for culturally responsive mental health support will continue to grow.

But meeting with our practitioners reminded me that none of us have to respond to this alone.

👉If you’ve ever worried that no one will understand your culture, family dynamics or lived experiences, I want you to know there are passionate therapists across Australia working hard to change that. They're learning from one another, reflecting on their practice and building stronger networks of support for our communities.

Thank you to our wonderful Sydney practitioners, it was so nice to catchup!

And, if you or someone you know have been searching for a therapist who's passionate about supporting the Asian community, make sure you take a peek at our Asian Mental Health Practitioner List here.

❤️ Asami

Mental health resources

📖 A research article you might be interested in: 

A recent study investigated how various physical (somatic) symptoms - such as pain, low energy, and nervous system issues - relate to suicidal thoughts in adults with major depression over 72 weeks. Researchers found that higher somatic symptom scores significantly increased the risk of suicidal ideation, even after adjusting for lifestyle, demographics, and clinical factors like depression and anxiety severity. Clinically, this highlights the need for routine physical symptom assessments to identify high-risk individuals early, which in turn can improve suicide prevention and depression outcomes. 

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Here you can also find fact sheets aimed to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and offer practical insights for your wellbeing. They’re all free on our website so keep an eye out!

P.S. Have a topic you'd like us to create a resource around? Email us at hello@justshapesandsounds.com! 

🔎 Searching for a therapist?

Connect with our new practitioners via the Asian Mental Health Practitioner List, or share this page with someone who may need this. 

🎤 Therapist spotlight.

Get to know registered psychologist, Shelby Lim, via our interview:

"Give yourself more grace in all that you do, and trust that you're doing the best you can."

Get to know counsellor, Sasha Truong, via our interview:

"You are doing exactly what you are suppose to do. You are continually open to learning and growing"

✨Have you tried Schema therapy before?✨

Daniela Ho Tan is one of the practitioners on our Asian Mental Health Practitioner List and as part of her PhD, she's conducting a research study exploring the experiences of individuals who are of Asian heritage and who have had psychological treatment which includes schema therapy or who are currently receiving treatment which includes schema therapy.

The research is interested in understanding if and how cultural factors have been addressed in your experience of schema therapy.

Taking part in this study is voluntary and the study has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) of The University of Sydney [ethics reference: HE001027].

Learn more and register HERE.

🐌 And last but not least:

Recently in social media land,

We shared some more snippets from Season 5 of our Asian Mental Health podcast. Check out our instagram to hear what we've been discussing!