Hello Nishie

What led you to choose a career in psychology and mental health?
Like so many young people at the time (over 16 years ago, yikes), psychology was emerging in things I was drawn to, like cinema and social media. Concurrently, I was taking subjects in school focused on society and culture. This was the motivating recipe, paired with a deep fascination with people, their stories, behaviours, emotional intelligence, and female serial killers.
Psychology was also unknown territory. I didn't know anyone personally who was a psychologist; this made the discipline mysterious and somewhat exciting. I liked the idea of being the 'first'. I often joked with my family that I would never be the first doctor, dentist or dipshit, but I could be the first psychologist.

What's your cultural background and what makes it stand out ?
Although my family has resided in Australia since the 60s, I connect strongly with my Indian and South African roots.
I don't think of it as what makes me stand out; instead, my cultural background is what makes me 'stand in'. In with South Asian Australians, migrant families, people of colour, complex family dynamics, mental health literacy (or lack thereof), gender expectations, cultural discrimination, roti in lunch boxes and all the other nuances in between and beyond.

What sort of Individual challenges can you best support?
I enjoy working with people who are open to learning about themselves, even when uncomfortable.
My approach is holistic, ground-up, and rippled with research-based findings to provide validation and expert analysis in a warm and non-confrontational way.

What are your areas of expertise and is there anything else you want to branch out into?
Here is some background you didn't ask for: Like almost all early-career psychologists, I was keen on forensic psychology until I realised the jobs were for low-paying jails and not for the FBI. This forces me to look more broadly right from the beginning. I practised as a general psychologist before moving into clinical psychology to hone my acute pathology knowledge and assessment skills. Although I still see most clients in general counselling, my clinical skill set gives me another level of preparedness and depth of knowledge. I also have 10+ years of experience in occupational psychology. This rounded experience of counselling and clinical and occupational psychology gives me a strong foundation to support the modern client.

My clientele challenges vary, but here are some of the top areas I work with;

• Workplace Stress, Injury and Rehabilitation

• Life transitions

• Interpersonal and Relationship issues

• Depression, Anxiety, OCD, ADHD

• Trauma and Complex trauma

• Women's Mental Health

• Psychoeducation

I would love to continue expanding my presentation skills in mental health awareness workshops. I'm passionate about mental health literacy, especially in communities and workplaces.

If you had an afternoon to yourself, how would you spend it ?
I wouldn't be practicing what I preach if I didn't say that afternoons to myself are a luxury I schedule regularly. You'll find me strolling around gardens sniffing flowers with a grisly podcast playing through my headphones.