👋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, 

1. “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?”


2. “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.