Meet Asian Australian Psychologist, Ray Wondal

We know that it's not always easy trying to work out which therapist we might like to work with: Because the decision isn't just about where they're located and when they're available, but there's a bit more of a human, relational element to the decision too.

So here at Shapes and Sounds, we want to help make that process just a little easier.

Every month, we'll be introducing a therapist from the Asian Australian Mental Health Practitioner List to help you gain a bit more insight into who you feel might be a good fit for you or someone that you know.

This month we're excited to connect you with Ray who is a Psychologist offering services in Pymble, NSW. We hope you enjoy connecting with Ray below!

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1. What led you to choosing mental health as a career?

For my fellow Asian Australians out there I'm sure you can agree that our parents had certain expectations of us that we didn't always want. For me, my Dad was the founder of a big tofu business that had been growing exponentially ever since he started it. It was clear that from early on he wanted me to take the reins. As a baby I was raised in a spare meeting room inside the factory, as a young child I would swivel in his big chair, as a teenager I worked there during my school holidays, and as an adult he entrusted me with more responsibilities and knowledge about the business. When it came to choosing a university degree, I chose a double degree of Business and Science, with the plan to work for my Dad after I had graduated.

However, things changed when I chose psychology as my science major and started learning about the way we think and behave. Suddenly, it felt like a big part of me that I had not known before had come alive. The more I learnt, the more I realised that all of us are so complex and have so much depth in our character that sometimes does not get a chance to show itself. Mental health was never talked about in my family, as I'm sure many other Asian Australians have experienced. It was at the time I was nearing the end of my degree that I made the difficult decision to step away from the business and to become a Psychologist. Since then, I became dedicated to this journey of helping others find their voice, express their authentic self and discover parts of themselves that deserve attention and care.

2. What is your unique cultural heritage?

I was born and raised in Sydney but both my parents were born in Indonesia. They emigrated to Sydney when they were in their late 20s and growing up I would go back to Indonesia often, almost once a year up until the end of high school. However, with Dad's business growing, he had to quickly adjust to Western culture and as a result he spoke more English at home, he had less time to travel back to Indonesia and we didn't see our extended Indonesian family as much.

I felt less connected to my Indonesian roots during those years, and I think there are a lot of stories like mine amongst Asian Australians. However, as he has become older and started to take some more time off, we actually went back to Indonesia as a family recently. Seeing how much fun we all had really highlighted the importance of keeping my cultural identity alive. We now eat at more Indonesian restaurants in Sydney, I ask my parents about Indonesian words I don't know the meaning of, and they have opened up more about what their life in Indonesia was like.

3. What are your areas of specialty and what kind of frameworks do you work from?

I have a particular interest in working with people who have experienced long-standing depression and anxiety, complex trauma, grief and loss, confusion around identity, difficult life transitions, existential challenges and family conflict. I work from an approach that is attachment based, relational and experiential. My focus is on shifting unhelpful relationship patterns learnt from an early age to more healthy and functional behaviours. I do this by closely examining the dynamic of our therapeutic relationship as well as using techniques that help you connect to your emotions more deeply.
4. What kind of clients are you best able to support?

I have worked with many people who have immense difficulty navigating the relationships of their lives. It could be things such as finding it hard to communicate and be intimate with partners, it could be this feeling of being stuck and stagnant in friendships, it could be feeling distant and cold from your family. Most importantly, you might be concerned with your own relationship with yourself. If these seem relevant to you, I invite you to undertake this journey of better understanding your relationships.

5. If you could be your own therapist right now, what do you think you would say to yourself?

No matter how hard things get, choose love. Love yourself, love your friends, love your family, love your community. It's scary because to love means to risk getting hurt. Find the courage to overcome your fears and dedicate yourself to this path because how else would you live?

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Connect with Ray via our Asian Australian Mental Health Practitioner List HERE.

Alternatively, if you feel like Ray may be a good fit for someone that you know, be sure to forward this page on to them too. Let us continue to not only support ourselves but all those around us too!

If you require urgent assistance, please do not contact Ray or any of the practitioners on this list. Instead, please call emergency services on 000 or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Shapes and Sounds does not recommend or endorse Ray or any of the practitioners listed on the Asian Australian Mental Health Practitioner List.

Please always consult your GP before making changes to your mental health care plan.