Meet Asian Australian Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Sherwynna Lee

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 Sherwynna who is a Clinical Psychologist offering services in Coorparoo, QLD and Telehealth Australia-wide. We hope you enjoy connecting with Sherwynna below!

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

I knew I wanted to be a psychologist since I was in school. I used to be the friend that everyone would come to for support -- it quickly became clear that this is what I wanted to do as a career. Naturally, I am curious about how humans think and the underlying motivations behind our actions -- and how personal, economic, cultural, political and systemic factors influence these. I have a lived experience of anxiety and perfectionism. This gives me a greater insight into the experiences of my clients and supervisees. Techniques and frameworks aside, I believe the most important component is to connect as humans first.

2. What is your unique cultural heritage?

I was born in a little city called Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia. Ethnically I am Malaysian Chinese, often identifying closely with the phrase “belonging in two worlds and none at the same time”. I relocated to Brisbane in the early 2000s and now call this little city my home.

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

With my experience across public mental health and private practice over the years, I would say that I have quite a broad level of experience and competence working with a range of mental health diagnoses and concerns. I have also trained in numerous therapeutic frameworks such as cognitive and behavioural therapies, acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, emotion focused therapies, family and systemic therapies, and attachment focused therapies such as schema therapy. I am quite integrative as I can find most of these frameworks to be quite complementary of each other and I prioritise personalizing it to the person that I am working with.

4. What kind of clients are you best able to support?

I work with adults over the age of 18 years with a variety of conditions and challenges. My favourite clients to work with are those who are curious and motivated to learn more about themselves. As mentioned before, my experience has been quite varied so I able to support clients with most mood and anxiety disorders, emotional dysregulation, interpersonal challenges, identity and self-esteem concerns, trauma and adjustment, stress and life transitions and many more.

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

It's okay to go slow. So slow down, take a breath and then take a few more.

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

Alternatively, if you feel like Sherwynna 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 Sherwynna 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 Sherwynna 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.