How to support the Asian community
We're here to support you to feel confident and resourced in addressing the mental health needs of the Asian community in Australia.
Scroll down to learn more!
Shapes and Sounds is the leading and trusted voice for Asian mental health in Australia.
The Asian community makes up 18% of the overall Australian population and our aim at Shapes and Sounds is to ensure that you feel confident and resourced in providing culturally-responsive mental health care to our community.
We've worked with:
We're honoured to have supported a broad range of mental health services to understand the mental health needs of the Asian community in Australia.
We can help you to:
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Gain a deep, nuanced understanding of both the mental health stigma in our communities as well as the varying mental health needs of different Asian communities in Australia.
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Learn new terminology and frameworks to understand presentation styles, enhance engagement, navigate family conversations, and expand outreach.
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Feel confident in applying culturally-responsive strategies when relevant to improve outcomes for Asian clients.
Key questions answered:
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What creates shame and stigma concerning mental health in Asian cultures?
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Subsequently, how does this impact people’s presentations?
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What are the verbal and non-verbal techniques that may be most impactful in supporting the Asian community?
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What are the key cultural considerations that a practitioner could consider when working with the Asian community? Eg. factors such as shame, skilled migration / migration history, acculturation and acculturation gaps.
“Shapes and Sounds led us through an engaging webinar that compelled us to think deeper about the negative stigma that surrounds mental health in Asian communities.
The webinar shared clear strategies about how we, as genetic counsellors, could identify and address stigma to further support our Asian clients and their families.
Coming from an Asian background myself, I found that the webinar was relevant but also deeply inclusive of counsellors of all backgrounds.”
- Michelle, Australasian Society for Genetic Counsellors
Join our next online training, "addressing mental health stigma in Asian communities"Â
- For mental health practitioners of all cultural identities
- CPD certificate provided
- 75 minutes via zoom
- Opportunities for questions and group discussionsÂ
Our next training session will be held in March 2025. Please keep an eye on this page or follow us on LinkedIn to hear of our next intake.
