The Asian Mental Health Podcast

"It seems like a lot of mental health messaging seems to be a rejection of Asian values..." 👋Welcome back to the Asian Mental Health podcast, and to the midway point of season1! Time flies! And in this episode, it’s just your hosts Asami, Marcus and Oscar, trying to answer this question that was submitted by someone from the Shapes and Sounds community: “It seems like a lot of mental health messaging seems to be a rejection of Asian values. For many of us, our parents worked hard and ran their own business, and valued our education, essentially focusing on the things we can control. As a result, intergenerational mobility is higher for Asians than for white people. But modern grievance culture tells us that capitalism is evil, maths is racist, and Asians are white adjacent. The prosperity of our parents is considered to be the result of privilege, rather than their hard work and delayed gratification. How do we balance this type of mental health messaging with the values we have been taught by our parents? Is there a better type of mental health messaging that empowers people to work towards their goals without burning out, and without getting caught up in status contests?” It’s such a layered and juicy question, did we answer it okay? Through our discussion, you’ll also learn about: 💡How positive stereotypes (like, “all Asians are smart”), can be really harmful for our mental health and wellbeing 💡The way in which Asami would exploit this positive stereotype (she’s not proud of it) 💡How Marcus defined and connected in with his values, which you can follow to find your values 💡One really surprising way in which social media might be impacting your mental health, as outlined by Oscar, who manages our social media! You can read the transcript over on our website ⁠here⁠. ~ This episode includes journaling prompts both for the person who submitted this question and, for you! ✍️Scribble your answers down to these prompts: where in your life do you feel like you're not gaining the recognition and celebration that you deserve and why? how have you come to define success in the past, and does that still align with your values today? ~ As we’re a brand new podcast, we’d love for you to help us in three ways: Download this episode so you can refer back to it when you need! Join us in our mission of destigmatising mental health conversations in Asian communities by sharing this episode with your friends and family Connect with us on instagram ⁠@justshapesandsounds⁠ 🌱You can learn more about Shapes and Sounds at our website: ⁠justshapesandsounds.com⁠ ~ This podcast is proudly supported by the Victorian Department of Health via the Diverse Communities Program however all the thoughts and ideas you hear are independently ours and our guests.  This podcast talks about mental health and answers questions directly from our community. However, all information provided is shared as general information only and does not replace individualised mental health care. Please always consult with your trusted GP when making changes to your mental health care plan.  Lastly, as we’re discussing mental health, some of the conversations might be difficult or painful to listen to. If so, we encourage you to press pause on the episode and if it feels right, return to it at another point in time. ~ PS. Keen to submit a question for future episodes of the Asian Mental Health podcast? Share your question with us here.

👋Welcome back to the Asian Mental Health podcast! Behind every win, lies a series of failures that we’ve all had to overcome. This episode talks about how we can quieten that persistent voice of self-comparison. Please note that this episode involves conversations about mental ill-health which may be triggering to some. - In episode 6, we’re joined by Dr Belle Lim who’s a diversity and inclusion advocate, consultant and speaker. She’s the founder of Future Forte, an initiative that's supported over 2,500 international students and multicultural women focusing on gender equity and youth leadership. She also holds a PhD degree at Monash University and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre on the topic of breast cancer genetics. AND, Belle’s been recognised as the Victorian International Student of the Year in 2019, Victoria Volunteering Leadership Award Finalist 2022, Asia Society's Asia Game Changer Finalist 2023, and Global Citizen Youth Leader Award in 2024… to name just a few. As someone who’s already achieved so much, with perhaps many people comparing themselves and wondering how she could possibly do it all… we knew that Belle was the perfect guest to help us answer this question which was submitted to us by a Shapes and Sounds community member: “I'm so stressed out by the pressure to grind and keep up with others' lifestyles/purchases! Is this what people mean by capitalism and neoliberalism? Help me make sense of this please.” You’ll also hear about: 💡The story behind Belle’s successes that include mental health challenges, loneliness and disconnection 💡How the experience of being an international student impacted her mental health 💡How Belle had the courage to let go of different career paths and interests and the steps she took to find and connect with her values 💡How Belle turned her challenges into creating support, opportunities and connection for others via her organisation, Future Forte 💡Marcus’ secret love of LinkedIn You can read the full transcript ⁠here⁠. And, connect with Belle on LinkedIn or at Future Forte. 🎨If you’re an international student from Asia based in Melbourne, you might be interested in our Creative Community Care series where our art and music therapists will help you relax, focus and express your emotions! Find out more here. - As we’re brand new, we’d love for you to help us in three ways: Download this episode so you can refer back to it when you need! Join us in our mission of destigmatising mental health conversations in Asian communities by sharing this episode with your friends and family Connect with us on instagram ⁠@justshapesandsounds⁠ 🌱You can learn more about Shapes and Sounds at our website: ⁠justshapesandsounds.com⁠ - This podcast is proudly supported by the Victorian Department of Health via the Diverse Communities Program however all the thoughts and ideas you hear are independently ours and our guests.  - This podcast talks about mental health and answers questions directly from our community. However, all information provided is shared as general information only and does not replace individualised mental health care. Please always consult with your trusted GP when making changes to your mental health care plan.  Lastly, as we’re discussing mental health, some of the conversations might be difficult or painful to listen to. If so, we encourage you to press pause on the episode and if it feels right, return to it at another point in time. - 🫶PS. Keen to submit a question for future episodes of the Asian Mental Health podcast? Share your question with us here.

👋Welcome back to the Asian Mental Health podcast! For this episode, we’re joined by Nathan Lee who’s the co-founder of Stint, an online community and job platform dedicated to helping international students build long-term careers in Australia. As a second-generation Asian Australian with family from Malaysia and Timor Leste, Nathan helped us to answer this question which was submitted to us by a Shapes and Sounds community member: “My parents don't really know why they do things the way they do, so I don't really understand what's part of the culture and what's just my family. What are some ways we can work out what comes from the culture and what comes from just my parents (and their parents)?” You’ll also hear about: 💡How Nathan learned about, resisted and maintained connection with his ancestral cultures 💡Some of the barriers and challenges that many Asian young people face when trying to decide their career paths - should you think about stability or pursuing your interests? 💡How Nathan learned to understand his parents’ perspectives more, and strategies you could adopt too 💡Why Nathan, a domestic student, decided to create a startup that supports over 3,200 international students in Australia! You can read the transcript ⁠here⁠. And, connect with Nathan on LinkedIn or at Stint If you’re an international student from Asia based in Melbourne, you might be interested in our Creative Community Care series where our art and music therapists will help you relax, focus and express your emotions! Find out more here. ~ As we’re brand new, we’d love for you to help us in three ways: Download this episode so you can refer back to it when you need! Join us in our mission of destigmatising mental health conversations in Asian communities by sharing this episode with your friends and family Connect with us on instagram ⁠@justshapesandsounds⁠ 🌱You can learn more about Shapes and Sounds at our website: ⁠justshapesandsounds.com⁠ ~ This podcast is proudly supported by the Victorian Department of Health via the Diverse Communities Program however all the thoughts and ideas you hear are independently ours and our guests.  This podcast talks about mental health and answers questions directly from our community. However, all information provided is shared as general information only and does not replace individualised mental health care. Please always consult with your trusted GP when making changes to your mental health care plan.  Lastly, as we’re discussing mental health, some of the conversations might be difficult or painful to listen to. If so, we encourage you to press pause on the episode and if it feels right, return to it at another point in time. 🤗PS. Keen to submit a question for future episodes of the Asian Mental Health podcast? Share your question with us here.

👋Hello and welcome back to the Asian Mental Health podcast! In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Ahona Guha who is a clinical and forensic psychologist, trauma expert and author based in Melbourne, to outline exactly what happens in therapy and what you can expect from going to see a psychologist. This episode answers two questions submitted to us from the Shapes and Sounds community that asked,  “how do I know if a therapist is the right choice for me? I have been to a therapist before and whilst it was good, I'm not sure if there are other therapies that I could have tried, or if someone else would have been more effective. Is there something I should ask for?” “There are lots of different mental health providers in Australia - such as mental health social workers, psychologists, counsellors, art therapists, etc. How would you recommend which type of provider is suitable for me?” You’ll also learn: 💡The first 3 questions that psychologists commonly ask their new clients⁠ 💡What all those modalities you hear about (eg. CBT, ACT, Schema), actually mean and look like when you go to therapy... are they even different?!⁠ 💡What exactly is trauma, and how to identify presentations of trauma within you⁠ 💡An actual explanation of the difference between psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, registered psychologists, counsellors⁠… from a psychologist themselves You can read the transcript for this episode ⁠here⁠. Check out Ahona's website here. - As we’re brand new to podcasting, we’d love for you to help us in three ways: Download this episode so you can refer back to it when you need! Join us in our mission of destigmatising mental health conversations in Asian communities by sharing this episode with your friends and family Connect with us on instagram ⁠@justshapesandsounds⁠ 🌱You can learn more about Shapes and Sounds at our website: ⁠justshapesandsounds.com⁠ - This podcast is proudly supported by the Victorian Department of Health via the Diverse Communities Program however all the thoughts and ideas you hear are independently ours and our guests.  This podcast talks about mental health and answers questions directly from our community. However, all information provided is shared as general information only and does not replace individualised mental health care. Please always consult with your trusted GP when making changes to your mental health care plan.  Lastly, as we’re discussing mental health, some of the conversations might be difficult or painful to listen to. If so, we encourage you to press pause on the episode and if it feels right, return to it at another point in time. - PS. Keen to have your question answered in future episodes of the Asian Mental Health podcast? Share your question with us here.

👋Welcome back to the Asian Mental Health podcast! For this episode, we’re joined by Natcha Limpianunchai who's a registered psychologist and ex-international student based in Melbourne, to discuss all things love, affection and care, within Asian families. This episode answers a question submitted to us from the Shapes and Sounds community that in essence asks, how can we show love to, and feel loved by our Asian parents especially when words of affection may not be their love language? You’ll also learn: How Natcha stayed connected with her family overseas during those dark lockdown years via music and creativity⁠ Recognising and appreciating care and affection external to Western ideals⁠ Strategies from a psychologist (a little uncomfortable but nonetheless effective) to implement changes to the ways in which you might communicate with your family⁠ You can read the transcript for this episode here. As we’re brand new, we’d love for you to help us in three ways: Download this episode so you can refer back to these tips and strategies when you need! Join us in our mission of destigmatising mental health conversations in Asian communities by sharing this episode with your friends and family! Connect with us on instagram @justshapesandsounds 🌱Learn more about Shapes and Sounds over on our website: justshapesandsounds.com PS. Keen to submit a question for future episodes of the Asian Mental Health podcast? Share your question with us here.

👋Hello and welcome to the very first episode of the Asian Mental Health podcast! This is an introductory episode to help you get to know your hosts, Asami, Marcus and Oscar from Shapes and Sounds; the leading voice for Asian mental health in Australia. Throughout this episode, you’ll get to know who we are and what brings us to working in mental health. You'll learn about: The difference between the terms, mental health and mental illness and how these terms aren't interchangeable The broad and diverse continent that is, “Asia” and how Asians are the global majority What culturally-responsive mental health is and why it’s important to people of Asian identities How psychology is a Western framework and what that means for mental health research and practice You can read the transcript here. As we’re brand new, we’d love for you to help us in three ways: Download this episode so you can refer back to it when you need! Join us in our mission of destigmatising mental health conversations in Asian communities by sharing this episode with your friends and family Connect with us on instagram @justshapesandsounds 🌱You can learn more about Shapes and Sounds at our website: justshapesandsounds.com

It’s easy to think that you’re all alone in your struggles, especially if you come from an Asian family where often, conversations about mental health really don’t occur that much. But as a therapist, let me just say that you’re definitely not alone and many of the concerns that you might have are shared by others just like you too.  You’ll get to hear this first hand via the Asian Mental Health Podcast, which is a Q&A podcast hosted by Asami, Marcus and Oscar and we’re from Shapes and Sounds which is the leading voice for Asian mental health and wellbeing. Throughout the season, we’re joined by Asian therapists, community leaders and advocates and with your support too, we’re on a mission to normalise and destigmatise mental health in Asian communities, one conversation at a time.  Say hello: website: justshapesandsounds.com instagram: @justshapesandsounds