The Asian Mental Health Podcast
The Asian Mental Health Podcast is brought to you by Asami and Marcus from Shapes and Sounds, the leading voice for Asian mental health and wellbeing in Australia. With their incredible guests, they aim to normalise and destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities.
Episodes
International Student Mental Health: What 20 Student Leaders Reveal About Loneliness, Resilience & Support
🌟 Season 5 of the Asian Mental Health Podcast is a wrap. This finale episode looks back on everything: the Student Changemakers leadership program, the students who made it what it was, the practitioners who showed up for them, and the very big feelings the Shapes and Sounds team has about what the mental health sector still needs to do.Season finales are usually about celebration, and there's
"I'm Crying, But I'm Crying in Melbourne": International Student Loneliness & Life Far From India
What does it really take to move across the world at 18, navigate a new city alone, and build a life from scratch? In this episode, Asami is joined by Divnoor Kaur, a Punjabi-Indian psychology graduate and early childhood diploma student who has been quietly determined to be part of Shapes and Sounds since 2023. It took three years, but we're so grateful that she made it here!The conversation
"You Don't Have to Prove Yourself": Filipino-Chinese Psychology Student on Cultural Pride, Systemic Stigma, and Finding Yourself Far From Home
⚠️ Content warning: This episode includes mentions of eating disorders and depression. Please approach this carefully. If this doesn't feel right for you today, skip ahead or return when you're ready.What happens when your culture is something you only truly discover after leaving it behind? In this episode, Asami sits down with Cait, a Filipino-Chinese undergraduate psychology student, yo
"I Cried for Two Hours Before Coming Out": Malaysian Psychologist Dr. On on Identity, Shame, and Finding Safety in Melbourne
What does it take to move to a new country at 19, navigate culture shock, come out as gay while studying psychology, work through perfectionism and shame, and eventually build your own clinical practice? In this episode, Dr. Zhi Xiang On takes us on that journey with warmth, humour, and remarkable honesty.On moved from Klang, Malaysia to Melbourne to study psychology at 19. What started as curiosi
Finding Help as an International Student: The Gap Between Services and Real Support in Australia
Why is it so hard to find help as an international student in Australia? When services exist but feel impossible to access, when information is scattered across a dozen websites, and when you're not even sure what "good therapy" looks like... where do you even start?In this episode of the Asian Mental Health Podcast, Marcus sits down with Vinca Metta Julicia and Sania Jatin Prabhu, t
"I Just Had to Keep Going": Maneesha Singh on Grief, Visa Pressure and Psychology Practice
⚠️ Content Warning: This episode includes discussions of grief, self-harm, and harassment. Please listen with care. If hearing about these topics doesn't feel right for you today, please skip to another episode or return at another point in time.What happens when you lose a parent just months after arriving in Australia as a 19-year-old international student? How do you keep going when grief,
Hidden Struggles: Loneliness, Trust, and Finding Community in Melbourne as International Students
⚠️ Content Warning: This episode includes discussions of mental health struggles, isolation, and burnout. Please listen with care.What does it really look like to be an international student in Melbourne? Beyond the curated social media posts and "day in the life" videos, what are the hidden struggles that students face every day?In this episode of the Asian Mental Health Podcast, Asami
"Being Well Isn't Just a You Thing": Real Voices From International Students in Melbourne
⚠️ Content Warning: Today's conversation includes mentions of suicide. Please approach this carefully. If hearing about suicide doesn't feel right for you today, please skip to another episode or return at another point in time.Welcome back to Season 5 of the Asian Mental Health Podcast! In this season opener, hosts Asami Koike and Marcus Lai reunite in the studio for the first time since
Emotional Invalidation in Asian Families: Provisional Psychologist Larissa Qiu on BPD, Culture, and Boundaries
🎁 Free Resource: For further growth and learning, download "Working with Invalidation in Asian Families" → HEREWhat happens when love is expressed through sacrifice, but not emotional presence? In this episode of the Asian Mental Health Podcast, Asami sits down with Larissa Qiu, a first-generation Chinese international student, provisional psychologist, and PhD candidate at Monash Univer
International Student Mental Health: Malaysian Counsellor Yi Tong Tew on Identity, Belonging, and Finding Support in Melbourne
⚠️ Content warning: This episode discusses suicide and sexual assault. Please listen with care and use the support services listed below if you need them.🎁 Free mental health information for international students: Download "International students and mental health" → HEREHow do international students navigate identity, mental health, and belonging when studying abroad in Australia? In t
Breaking Intergenerational Cycles: Asian Australian Parenting with Clinical Psychologist Vi Tran
🎁 Free Resource: Download your Breaking cycles, keeping culture: A guide for the Asian community PDF for deeper learning → HEREIn this episode, Asami speaks with Vietnamese Australian clinical psychologist Vi Tran, founder of The Middle Bridge Project, about parenting, identity, and the unspoken ways Asian parents show love. From the "cut fruit" metaphor to redefining what it means to be
Can AI Replace Therapy? What Asian Australians Need to Know About Digital Mental Health
🎁 Free Resource: Download "AI vs Therapy: What's the difference" to deepen your learning → HEREIn this mid-season episode of the Asian Mental Health Podcast, Asami and Marcus share candid stories about therapy. From messy counselling rooms at uni to the awkwardness of "breaking up" with a therapist. Along the way, they explore how to know when therapy is working, whether A
Living with Chronic Pain as an Asian Australian: One Session That Changed Everything
🎁 Free Resource Download your free Cultural considerations in chronic pain guide → HERE. In this episode, Asami swaps roles to become the guest, opening up about years of living with debilitating chronic pain, the cultural values that shaped her response to it, and the surprising one-session breakthrough that changed everything. Whether you're an Asian Australian navigating your own health cha
"My Parents Didn't Birth Their Retirement Plan": Vietnamese Australian Psychologist Helen Tang on Anxiety and Family
🎁 Free Resource: Download our guide How to Talk About Mental Health with Your Asian Parents HERE.What do you do if you can't find the right words to talk about your mental health with your parents? Vietnamese Australian psychologist Helen Tang shares her journey with anxiety, medication, and learning how to care for herself while staying connected to her family - offering hope for other Asian
Understanding Internalised Racism: How Asian Australians Can Heal Identity Shame with Counsellor Jackie Ha
🎁Free resource: Download your guide Navigating Internalised Racism HERE.✨ How does internalised racism shape the way we see ourselves, and how can we begin to heal? In this episode, Asami speaks with Asian Australian counsellor Jackie about identity, shame, and the subtle ways racism becomes internalised within Asian Australian communities. From distancing ourselves from culture to finding laughte
Why therapeutic rapport matters more than you think: Finding the right psychologist for Asian Australians
💡Download the free therapeutic rapport guide that accompanies this episode HERE.What makes therapy work? Is it the technique, the therapist's training, or something else? In this opening episode of Season 4, Asami and Marcus explore the underrated but essential ingredient in therapy: therapeutic rapport. Especially for Asian Australians seeking culturally responsive mental health support.From
Bonus episode: Mindfulness through craft (Uncut)
As promised, here is the unabridged version of the documentary that Oscar made during his travel through Japan. He dives deeper into the Eastern philosophies behind Fukumitsu’s calligraphy practice and discovers a fascinating link between art, language, nature and mental wellbeing.The transcript is available here.Help us destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities by downloading
How art therapy works: 'A bridge between the inner and outer'
Asami and Marcus invite their beloved teammate Stef Kam onto the show to discuss their work as an art therapist and an artist. Stef explains how creating art in art therapy plays a role in helping people to deal with feelings and emotions that words cannot express. And don't worry, our third host Oscar reunites with the group at the end to wrap up the season.The transcript is available here.Help u
Oscar in Japan: Mindfulness through Japanese craft
In a very special travel documentary episode, Oscar explores the intersection of work, honing a craft and mental health in Japanese craft. The team discuss the way Japanese culture, crafts and "Zen" are romanticised and appropriated by the Western gaze.The transcript is available here.Help us destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities by downloading this episode on you
What coming out to my Brown conservative parents taught me about advocacy
Dom Thattil, influencer and advocate for BIPOC and queer communities, drops into the studio for a chat with Asami about balancing safety with visibility, his relationship with his family and the inner work we need to do to keep ourselves mentally healthy.The transcript is available here.Help us destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities by downloading this episode on your favour
Navigating gossip, bigotry and self-criticism
The Shapes and Sounds team share workplace survival stories, how would you deal with these situations? Asami investigates an insulting rumour, Oscar confronts his racist manager and Marcus duels his harshest critic–himself.The transcript is available here.Help us destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities by downloading this episode on your favourite app and sharing it with your
How to deal with your toxic boss
Asami sits down with clinical psychologist and relationships expert Sanduni Silva. They discuss the emotional baggage we carry into the workplace and how to effectively communicate while staying true to your values. Listen to learn how to navigate workplace challenges and maintain your sense of self.The transcript is available here.Help destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities
ADHD and autism: an Asian perspective
A Shapes and Sounds community member shares her inspiring story of living and working with ADHD and autism.The transcript is available here.Help destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities by downloading this episode on your favourite app and sharing it with your friends and family.We’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas about Asian mental health. Find us online at @justshapes
The non-linear path from education to employment
Marcus and Asami are joined by Rachel Lim, psychologist and clinical lead from Headspace Syndal. With a strong passion for youth mental health, Rachel tells us about the evolution of her own career goals and how a false start at uni actually led her to doing the work she wanted to do.The transcript is available here.Help destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities by downloading
The Silent Hustle: Work and Mental Health
The Asian Mental Health is back! To kick things off, Asami, Marcus and Oscar define the theme they’ve chosen for our third season and talk about the impact that work has on our mental health. The transcript is available here.Help destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities by downloading this episode on your favourite app and sharing it with your friends and family.We’d love to h
How I chose my creative career.
For our season 2 finale, Oscar and Marcus interrogate our technical producer Yeo about his copyright beef with Kanye West (!) and find out how community, cooking and creativity all play a part in keeping him mentally healthy.
The transcript is available here.
Help us destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities by downloading this episode and sharing it with your friends and famil
When your job impacts your mental health.
Marcus and Asami gain invaluable insight from Beverley Wang (ABC’s National Culture Correspondent and host of Stop Everything! and Life Matters) as she talks about the benefits of sleeping well, not replying in the heat of the moment and her general approach to self-care when under pressure.
The transcript is available here.
🌱Help us to destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities
Running: a business vs a marathon.
Our fearless leader Asami finally takes the hot seat and tells all about the link between physical and mental wellness, building a good relationship with your limits, and how she persevered with Shapes and Sounds through financial hardship and uncertainty.
The transcript is available here.
Help us destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities by downloading this episode sharing it
The things we can't control.
Asami describes the alarming findings of the latest youth mental health research, Marcus explains how the pandemic has changed the brains of young people, and Oscar contemplates the effects of social media on our identities and values.
The transcript is available here.
All the support services mentioned in this episode can be found here.
Help destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian comm
What helps men to open up?
Jagesh Panchal, founder of Shakti Mental Health, speaks about comfortable spaces for conversations between men about their mental health, the diversity within Asian and South Asian culture and how compartmentalising your thoughts can actually help you through difficult moments.
The transcript is available here.
Help us to destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities by downloading
The importance of self-reflection.
We nudge Oscar into the hot-seat and try to convince him that he’s creative. As our co-host and community engagement lead, he explains why bathing, constant learning and social connection are necessary for his well-being.
The transcript is available here.
Help destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities by downloading this episode on your favourite app and sharing it with your fr
How to trust your future self.
Our co-host and resident psychology student Marcus shares ideas on combating stressful workload paralysis while leading an academically-driven lifestyle, and why pulling an all-nighter is never a good choice.
The transcript is available here.
Help destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities by downloading this episode on your favourite app and sharing it with your friends and fam
The reality of stigma.
To kick off our second season, the Shapes and Sounds team discuss the harmful misconceptions and serious consequences of poor mental health in Asian communities and how simple conversations can make a difference.
Content warning: this episode contains discussion of suicide.
The transcript is available here.
Help destigmatise mental health conversations in Asian communities by downloading this ep
Do I have intergenerational trauma?
👋Welcome back to the Asian Mental Health podcast!
In our season 1 finale, we’re joined by Anushka Phal. Through her lived experience as a third-culture kid and her expertise as a psychologist at Umeed Psychology, Anushka takes us on a deep dive into intergenerational trauma in Asian families.
You can read the transcript here.
As we’re brand new, we’d love for you to help us in three ways:
Dow
Masculinity, media and mental health.
👋Welcome back to the Asian Mental Health podcast!
In episode 7, we’re joined by Bimba Chavan. Using her expertise as a counsellor at Unhyphen Psychology and headspace, Bimba shares a therapist's perspective on the challenges that shape the experiences of Asian men and how self-validation can lead to positive outcomes.
You can read the transcript here.
As we’re brand new, we’d love for you to
How to stop comparing yourself to others.
👋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.
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In episode 6, we’re joined by Dr Belle Lim who’s a diversity and inclusion
Balancing Asian values and mental health.
"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 he
It's okay, you are not your parents.
👋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
What actually happens in your first therapy session.
👋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 to tell your Asian parents you love them.
👋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 fee
What's Asian Mental Health?
👋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 bet
Trailer: The Asian Mental Health Podcast
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 P
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