MEET REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST, ANUSHKA PHAL.

Our Asian Australian mental health practitioner list continues to be a highly utilised resource for many Asian Australians seeking therapeutic support, so we're now trying to bring a bit more life to the list through these short interviews.

We know that it's not always easy trying to work out which psychologist we might like to work with. Because the decision is not 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 psychologist 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 Anushka Phal who is a registered psychologist based in Melbourne. If you attended our panel event last month, you would have gained a glimpse of Anushka's vibrant energy and drive for her work. Get to know Anushka more via our interview below!

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1. What made you choose psychology as a career?

Funnily, I was originally studying Business (Accounting & Finance). When I got to the end of my first year I asked myself if this was the career pathway I really wanted to go down. I realised that I really wanted to work with people just not in the context of Business. I had always taken a keen interest in mental health and wanted to come back and study Psychology after my degree, so I took the leap and went for it!

I’ve been grateful for the change ever since, when people ask me what my dream job would be I say that I’m doing it – running my very own Private Practice & working at a High school as a psychologist.

Another contributing factor to becoming a psychologist for me was the gap in Asian Australian mental health services. At first this was something I noticed via experience growing up- a lack of culturally sensitive or understanding mental health workers. When I reached my Masters at University and started researching Culture, Mental Health & Australia, this gap became even more evident. I guess you could say I wanted to become the psychologist that I could not find as an adolescent and type of culturally sensitive psychological services that I think is needed in Australia.

2. What is your unique cultural heritage?

I’m a New Zealand born Fijian Indian.

3. What are your areas of specialty and what kind of frameworks do you work from? (eg. CBT, schema, ACT, etc)

I like to take a person-centred approach with my clients and work collaboratively with them in therapy to achieve the best outcome for them. I primarily use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance Commitment Therapy, although am always learning and expanding my practice.

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

I am currently in the process of completing my Educational & Developmental Psychology Registrars program, so am equipped to work with people across the life span- childhood, adolescence and adulthood. I am able to best support clients with emotional regulation issues (i.e., anxiety, depression, anger management etc), cultural issues (i.e., family conflict, issues relating to clashing values systems, issues relating to biculturalism, cultural identity issues etc), socioemotional issues (i.e. burnout, self-esteem, motivation, lifestyle and skills etc) and trauma (i.e., PTSD, stress disorders, sexual assault, sexual health, domestic violence etc).

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

1.  Self-care means giving yourself permission to pause.
2.  Time truly does heal everything, just take it slow it’ll be okay.  
3.  “Of course, it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” aka just because you can’t physically see mental health issues doesn’t mean they don’t need to be addressed and that you don’t need support. It’s okay to talk.

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Connect with Anushka via our Asian Australian Mental Health Practitioner List HERE. Alternatively, if Anushka's words make you think of anyone in your life, be sure to forward this page on to them too. Let us continue to not only support ourselves but all those around us too!

Lastly, if you require urgent assistance, please do not contact Anushka or any of the psychologists on this list. Instead, please call emergency services on 000 or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.