International Student Mental Health: Malaysian Counsellor on Identity, Belonging and Finding Support

⚠️ Content warning: This episode discusses suicide and sexual assault. Please listen with care and use the support services listed below if you need them.

🎁 Free mental health information for international students: Download "International students and mental health" → https://www.justshapesandsounds.com/d...

How do international students navigate identity, mental health, and belonging when studying abroad in Australia? In this episode, we hear from Yi Tong (Ethan) Tew, a Malaysian-born Chinese counsellor, founder of Comfy Counselling, and proud "Gaysian" living in Melbourne.

Yi Tong shares his lived experience of moving to Australia at 17, studying in Melbourne, and later becoming a practising therapist and lived experience worker. His story reflects the challenges many international students and Asian Australians face when accessing culturally competent mental health support in Australia.

Please note that we interviewed Yi Tong using his English name, "Ethan", however since recording this episode, Yi Tong prefers to be referred to by his name, Yi Tong.

🎧 You'll hear about:
✅ Mental health challenges faced by international students in Melbourne
✅ Coming out as LGBTQIA+ to conservative Asian parents
✅ Why Medicare doesn't cover international students and what alternatives exist
✅ Finding culturally responsive counselling as a Malaysian Australian
✅ Reframing emotions as "data points" - a culturally adapted approach to therapy
✅ How Asian Australian mental health practitioners can better support international students

💡 Episode Highlights:
In this conversation, Yi Tong and Asami discuss:
Coming out to conservative parents and what family acceptance looks like over time
The loneliness of studying in Melbourne as an international student without support
Why Medicare doesn't cover most international students, and what mental health options exist instead
Struggles with suicidality, and how therapy with a culturally competent counsellor helped him survive and reconnect
Reframing emotions as "data points" - a culturally responsive approach to self-understanding for Asian Australians
How cultural competency in Australian mental health services can better support international students
His passion for healthy gaming habits as part of his counselling practice in Melbourne

✨ This episode is especially relevant for:
International students in Melbourne seeking mental health support
Asian Australians looking for culturally responsive therapy
LGBTQIA+ individuals from conservative Asian backgrounds
Anyone curious about culturally competent and inclusive counselling practices

🧠 Key Insights from Yi Tong:
"Emotions aren't problems to fix - they're data points telling us something important about our experience."
"Finding a therapist who understood both my Malaysian background and my identity as a gay Asian made all the difference."
"International students face unique mental health challenges, and the system isn't always set up to support us."

👤 About the Guest
Yi Tong Tew is a Malaysian-born Chinese counsellor, founder of Comfy Counselling, and advocate for culturally responsive mental health care. Based in Melbourne, Yi Tong specialises in working with international students, Asian Australians, and LGBTQIA+ communities. He brings a unique approach that integrates cultural understanding with evidence-based therapy, including exploring healthy gaming habits as part of holistic wellbeing.

📱 Instagram:   / comfycounselling  
🔗 Website: https://www.comfycounselling.com/
🔗 Find Yi Tong and other Asian counsellors via the Asian Mental Health Practitioners List

🛠️ Resources mentioned:
Dr K's Youtube account:    / healthygamergg  

🙌 Connect with Shapes and Sounds
Instagram: ⁠  / justshapesandsounds  
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com.company/justshap...
Website: https://justshapesandsounds.com⁠

🆘 Support Services (Australia)
Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support)
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
QLife: 1800 184 527 (3pm–midnight, LGBTQIA+ peer support)
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
Please note Shapes and Sounds is not an emergency service.

If you're outside Australia, please check local crisis hotlines in your country.

💬 If you found this episode meaningful, please share it with a friend, leave us a review, and subscribe so other international students and Asian Australians can find the Asian Mental Health Podcast. Your support helps us reach those who need these conversations most. 💛

Keywords: international student mental health Melbourne, Malaysian counsellor, Asian Australian LGBTQIA+, culturally responsive therapy, international student support Australia, Melbourne counselling, Asian mental health practitioners, cultural competency, Medicare alternatives international students