life as an asian psychologist 🇨🇳

Let's talk about it!
📐Check out the amazing Shapes and Sounds: www.justshapes...
📷 Instagram: / thepsychdiaries
🧠 ABOUT Me: Hi, hello, it’s Ro! I’m a Clinical Psychologist from Australia.
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✏️ COMMENT down below, I’d love to hear your thoughts or questions :)
👍 LIKE if you enjoyed the video (it really helps me out)
📝 Please note this video is not a substitute for professional mental health support. For immediate support please contact your local emergency services or Lifeline.

[@Clepticomet]

I can relate to wanting to be different from other asians. When I was younger I tended to stick to asian friend groups. Then getting older I noticed this and started avoided befriending other asians and began isolating myself. I'm also really selfconscious about speaking without any hint of an "asian" accent. This video really resonated with me...

[@melissahead8417]

Hi Ro, thanks for your honesty in this video. I am one of the "mature-aged" people studying psychology after calling time on my previous career. I also grew up in the Sutherland Shire and was one of a handful of non-white kids in my school. I also eventually recognised my own internal racism and am still coming to grow into a mixed-culture identity. Very courageous of you to make this video.

[@jezplaisance]

I love the unfiltered honesty that flows through everything you share on this channel.

[@toshadak3691]

I think this length of about 15 mins per video is a good idea 🎉

[@88yf88]

Thank you for sharing your experience! I’m half Chinese half white and over time I’ve realised just how many nuances there are. People like to group me into boxes but in reality, the history and story is so complex because I am the result of double immigration (my nai nai was Chinese but moved to Vietnam as a child and my ye ye was the product of a Vietnamese mother and Chinese father). They both moved to Australia when my dad was about 5. Then my dad married my mum who is white Australian. That’s so complicated and carries so much intergenerational trauma from the experiences of my dad and grandparents being refugees and immigrants. How am I supposed to even answer people when they ask, “what’s your background?” I’m starting to learn that I don’t have to fit into a box and really, I don’t think anyone does. I volunteer by meeting up with international students to help them practice English and most of them are Chinese. Even though we are from a similar ethnic background and I can pass as Chinese to some, the difference between us is vast. In psychology, we always speak about our parent’s influence on us. But I haven’t heard as much about how it goes to even further generations before that. It’s awesome that’s it’s being recognised more in indigenous health but I think this kind of thinking should also extend to refugees and immigrants. Particularly ones where collectivism is ingrained in the culture and where family structures are close-knit and imperative and trauma runs through generations because of it.

[@thepsychdiaries]

Thank you for sharing! I’m definitely trying to learn more about it so I can help support myself and clients. If you have capacity I would totally recommend joining Shapes and Sounds, I think you’ll find a lot of people with similar stories. So awesome you’re using your skills to help others now too.

[@kiim_eeunhyee]

I am soooooo SOOOOOOO SOOOOO happy to come across you❤ I found my people🥺🥺💕💕✨✨

[@waiwai3317]

Love that you're really thinking and talking about this! I think we still have a long way to go in acknowledging the importance of culture in psychology.
Your point about ABCs differentiating from newer Chinese immigrants is a really interesting one - as a fellow ABC who has lived in neighbourhoods that are predominantly white as well as those with significant Asian populations (acknowledging that there's a lot of diversity even amongst ABCs, and that my experience is not necessarily shared by others), I think this can sometimes be a response to "gatekeeping" by those who are less assimilated. It's like "well, you don't see me as Chinese enough, but actually you're "too" Chinese". A way of carving out a meaningful identity for oneself in the face of rejection from both Chinese and Australian communities.

[@Jenny2.0]

This is beautiful! Thank you for sharing your story ❤

[@damas2388]

Thank you for this unique video as people avoid these topics.
I am Brazilian and I love my country and culture in many ways but not all.
No one should feel they must like all aspects of their culture.
It’s ok not wanting to be “like your culture”, in some aspects. If you relate better to another it’s fine. It doesn’t mean you’re been mean or racist towards your people.

[@谢瑾-w1f]

Hi, Ro, every time I watch your video I was like, is she Chinese, but she speaks such good English. That's just my curiosity. Thanks for sharing so much of your insight, I really can relate what you said and peole need courage to share their deep thoughts. Anyway, I am thinking to study psychology and I am encouraged by you and learning journey quite a lot.

[@groundhogburrow]

Love your video

[@IreneJaguru]

I love your vulnerability. Am a black girl in my first year of my Masters of clinical psychology, and it's interesting thinking about how my culture influences how I show up and is perceived.

[@thepsychdiaries]

Amazing, definitely wish I started exploring more about cultural responsiveness earlier in my training!

[@ZiniaJubil]

Hi Ro! Curious to know if being a psychologist affects how you interact in your own relationships? Do you find yourself being in therapist mode even after work?

[@thepsychdiaries]

Yea it does a sometimes- I go into a bit more detail in one of the recent posts about life as an early career psychologist :)

[@abundance_crystal698]

Hi, thanks for addressing this issue. Many Chinese had mental health issues after the Pandemic. Could you please do one episode to talk about that?
I have always wondered if you are Chinese or ABC. Did you say you are ABC? If you were born in China, could you please share tips on reducing accent? I am a psych student, and there are no Asians in my class :(

[@nami6382]

your story reminded me of my experience of unconscious sexism. i was told by a guy that i was a "cool girl(particular way of expressing manly girl in japanese)" as a compliment. i think there's the stereotype of women being non assertive and submissive behind this particular words. i feel like over stereotyping is everywhere and i understand it makes it easier for people to understand the world but they do overlook important details of the world and people along the way...

[@thepsychdiaries]

For sure! Both a pro and a con of our brain’s ability to make sense of the world using patterns

[@InocencioPatronJr]

you are my favorite girl psychologist...

[@kstdance]

❤

[@aaronsung1989]

Canto!

[@Ohak0928]

Your sounds really tensionable

[@mikbang7432]

What you describe was not always the so-called West either. You're contributing to Stereotypes. Why are diverse Western groups not considered Indigenous? Russia has tribal healers, so does Finland. You're equating the West with Modern Industrial Medicine, a recent phenomenon many Indigenous Westerners also loath. How much do your REALLY understand about the things you say? Frankly you sound more raised on Disney and the pervasive Baby Boomer counter-culture than anything else.

[@Weatherwise78]

I remember that scene in the movie Harold and Kumar go to White Castle 🍔🌽🍕
Where it was said Your a Twinkie Yellow on the outside White in the middle. ❤
Anyways treat all humanity as one family.🎉

[@user-ps7ti8cd6q]

❤