September Community Newsletter

September: Your sleep and mental health.

Hello there,

We're working on something a little different at Shapes and Sounds!

Over the past few months, we've been exploring the relationship between sleep, technology and mental health and whether sleep tracking could offer a more accessible way for people to think about their wellbeing.

Talking directly about mental health can still carry stigma in many of our communities. Instead, we often talk about distress through physical symptoms.

We might talk about feeling unable to sleep deeply, tired, stressed or run down, and this, might be the way in to bigger conversations about mental health.

💡 So we've been wondering: could understanding our sleep be another doorway into understanding our wellbeing?

We're looking for Melbourne adults to trial a new sleep-tracking technology at home for seven nights and tell us what they think.

We're particularly keen to hear from people in their 30s-50s juggling busy lives who are curious about their sleep. Gift voucher provided as an honorarium.

👉 Interested in helping us test something new? We'd love to hear from you before September 25th.

✨EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST → HERE!✨

❤️ Asami

Mental health resources

📖 A research article you might be interested in: 

Liu and colleagues explored how sociocultural factors (e.g., how much one adopts their new host culture) influence experiences of social anxiety among Asian Diaspora living in Western countries. They found that Asian migrants experienced less social anxiety when they feel more connected to the local culture and see themselves as independent individuals. On the other hand, facing discrimination and interacting with people outside their own cultural group can increase social anxiety. Instead of taking these findings as one-size-fits-all conclusions, they suggest that services must consider the unique challenges of balancing two different cultures to provide effective, personalised mental health support.

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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 psychotherapist and counsellor, Bek La, via our interview:

"We live in a world that rewards speed and resolution, but the body doesn't heal on that timeline. The nervous system usually asks for something gentler, a willingness to stay with what's here, even when what's here is uncomfortable or unclear." 

✨New Workshop✨

Navigating Cultural Expectations: Managing Guilt, Honouring Your Values & Setting Healthy Boundaries | The Inner Collective Psychology

Have you ever felt like you're living between two worlds? You love your family deeply, yet sometimes feel torn between honouring their expectations and living a life that feels true to you. Perhaps you've felt guilty for saying no, putting yourself first, or making choices that others don't understand. 

Join Clinical Psychologists Dr Phoebe Lau and Mei Tran for a warm, culturally responsive workshop exploring guilt, identity, boundaries and belonging. Through practical strategies and meaningful conversations, you'll leave with greater clarity and confidence to navigate these experiences.

Limited to 12 participants to create a safe, supportive and interactive group. Register here now

🐌 And last but not least:

Recently in social media land,

We shared snippets from our conversations with international students in Season 5 of our Asian Mental Health podcast. Check out our instagram to hear what we've been discussing!