October Community Newsletter

October: On being heard, little by little.

Hello there,

I wanted to share a few moments from the past month that have made me feel... hopeful☺️

I had opportunities to speak with some of Australia's larger mental health institutions about the experiences of Asian communities, from being a panelist at the National Mental Health Commission's 2026 Symposium on Stigma and Discrimination, to helping Lifeline create new online mental health resources to reach multicultural and migrant communities.

When I started Shapes and Sounds in 2019, conversations about cultural nuances in mental health care weren't happening nearly as often. And so in our early days, we spent a lot of time (and energy) simply explaining why these conversations needed to happen.

Now, I'm increasingly finding myself in rooms where the question is not so much about "Is culture relevant?" but moreso, "How are we going to do better by multicultural communities?"

There's still a very long way to go, and change at a systems level can feel frustratingly slow.

But I wanted to share this with you because I think these shifts can help us to feel hopeful too.

It's an honour to be immersed in the work we do at Shapes and Sounds and I'm very grateful to work alongside so many incredible practitioners and advocates in this space, working to support the mental health of our broad and diverse Asian community here.

❤️ Asami

Mental health resources

📖 A research article you might be interested in: 

Huynh and colleagues (2024) explored how parental exposure to war/migration-related trauma impacted the mental health of second generation South East Asian Americans. They found that while these hardships caused ongoing stress and deepened cultural/generational differences within the family, many participants also reflected on a positive sense of hope for future generations as they sought to build resilience through their community and social engagement. Many also reflected on a strong desire to overcome these challenges by acknowledging their own and their parent's resilience in these contexts. 

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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, Dhiya Patel, via our interview:

"You light up peoples worlds, take a step back and notice that."

Get to know registered psychologist, Milly Tupthim, via our interview:

"You don't have to have everything figured out before taking the next step. Remember your values and that growth happens gradually rather than all at once." 

🐌 And last but not least:

Recently in social media land,

We shared snippets from our chat with clinical psychologist and PhD candidate Daniela Ho-Tan, where we talked about the importance of culturally-responsive therapy, what that means, and how we should remain critical of traditional therapeutic approaches. Check out more on our Instagram here.