April Organisational newsletter: Creative arts therapy workshops.

April: Creative arts therapy workshops.

Hello!

A recent paper by Luu et al. (2023), found that interventions including creative arts therapies appeared to produce better psychological outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse children and young people, compared to interventions like psychological first aid sessions.

This reinforces what many of us already know, that self-expression through art, music, and movement creates safety and connection in ways words alone often can't.

As a registered music therapist, I can add that those impacted by negative stigma or multiple barriers to accessing mental health services, find it far easier to engage in creative arts therapies because the intervention is inherently strengths-based and connects with people's interests.

This is why we offer free, group creative arts therapy workshops to international students from Asia in partnership with the Victorian Department of Health and La Trobe University.

If you're connected with international students in Victoria, please see our Creative Community Care program HERE and reach out to us if you have any students that you would like to refer to the program.

The program is open to all current international students from Asia, 18 years or above so please reply to this email if we can share more details about Creative Community Care.

Cheers,
Asami

🌱 Important dates and festivals this month

Did you know that many Asian countries celebrate New Years in April? These include...

• April 13-15th: Songkran. Thai New Year. 

• April 13-16th: Thingyan. Burmese New Year. 

• April 13-16th: Pii Mai. Lao New Year. 

• April 14-16: Choul Chnam Thmey. Cambodian/Khmer New Year.

• April 14th: Aluth Avurudda. Sinhalese New Year. 

• April 14th: Puthandu. Tamil New Year.

• April 14th: Navavarsha. Nepalese New Year.

  April 14th: Maithil New Year. This is a new year celebration celebrated by the Maithils and Tharu people of India and Nepal.

• April 15th: Pohela Boishakh. Bengali New Year.

Some other important cultural festival and dates this month include: 

April 4th: QingMing Festival. Also known as Tomb sweeping day, Qingming is the day for the Chinese community to visit and clean their ancestor's tombs as way of paying respect to them. 

April 7th: Hung Vuong Festival. A national Vietnamese holiday celebrating the contributions of the Hung dynasty to Vietnam.

April 8th: Hana Matsuri. Japanese celebration of Buddha's birthday, which typically features vast flower displays at temples, and the viewing of cherry blossoms throughout the country. 

April 12th: Hanuman Jayanti. A celebration of the birth of the Hindu God Hanuman. 

April 14th: Vaisakhi. Also known as Baisakhi, this is an ancient harvest festival that marks the beginning of the harvest season and solar year. 

April 18-21: Easter Holidays. Easter is a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, symbolising hope and new beginnings. Many Asian countries also have large Christian populations - Did you know that 30% of the Korean community identify as Christian, making Christianity the largest religious community in Korea? 

April 25th: ANZAC day. This is the anniversary celebrating the contributions and sacrifices of all Australian and New Zealand individuals who have served for the country in times of war. It is also a time to recognise the diverse backgrounds of those involved, highlighting the participation of non-white veterans, like those from the Vietnamese and Chinese community.

How will your organisation be marking these important dates this month? Feel free to reach out to us if you'd like some ideas!

Check out other community events here! 

🦉 Research perspectives to strengthen your culturally-responsive practice:

This paper by Hussain et al. (2023) found that being of CALD background was associated with later parental Age of Concerns for autism (i.e., later speculation of potential autistic traits in their children). Additionally, the study found that CALD status was also a significant predictor of higher scores on Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors - a key symptom within autism.

These findings highlight the sociocultural factors that may contribute to the diagnosis timeline of autism, and demonstrate the importance of early intervention programs that are targeted towards specific CALD-community needs. 

What does this mean for clinicians and the community? 

This research emphasizes the importance of clinicians being aware of sociocultural factors (e.g., family structure, income etc.) that may affect autism diagnosis, especially for those from CALD backgrounds. It calls for tailored diagnostic approaches, early screening, and collaboration with families and communities. The study also stresses the need for culturally sensitive awareness programs, accessible services, family support, and the importance of early intervention. 

Reflective prompt: What are some ways which culture may influence the autism diagnosis process (e.g., stigma, culturally-contingent notions of 'expected development' etc.)? What are some key considerations you may bear in mind when assessing for neurodivergence in CALD clients? 

You're welcome to reach out to us by replying to this email, if you'd like some perspective on this.

💡Build your team's cultural-competency in 2025.

In addition to our online public trainings, we can work closely with your organisation to address your team's questions and needs.

In 2024, organisations like headspace Syndal and The Australasian Genetic Counsellors Society saw improved team understanding and new strategies for delivering better services to Asian clients.

This option is extremely suitable for organisations based in areas with a high Asian population.

Ready to learn more? Download our info and pricing pack today to find out how we can help your team make a real impact.

🔎 Connect with our new therapists.

Our Asian Australian mental health practitioner list introduces you to private practitioners who are skilled in supporting the Asian community's mental health needs.

Our private practitioners are available for referrals. Please contact them directly via their profile.

✨Thank you for reading up to this point!

We rely heavily on your generous support to provide ongoing and free mental health resources to Asian communities in Australia.

Support Shapes and Sounds HERE.

Creative Community Care!

Do you work with international students from Asia, currently studying in Victoria?

If so, you may be able to refer them to our Creative Arts Therapy workshops, which will run until April 29th. Sessions hosted in partnership with La Trobe University and the Victorian Department of Health.

🐌 And last but not least:

Recently on Linkedin,

We shared our practitioner interview with Art Psychotherapist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Simone Shu Yin Chan. Click here to read our full interview with her!