Warami, my name is Teasha Poblet, I am a proud Dharug woman born on Dharug land in South Western Sydney.   I am currently in my second and final year of Mast Clinical Psychology at the Australian Catholic University.  For the last three years I have worked in Aboriginal identified roles within child protection.   First in a role as early intervention caseworker working alongside Aboriginal families to address the challenges they were facing.  I most recently worked as a Provisional Psychologist providing evidence-based trauma therapies to children in Out of Home Care.

I chose to study psychology and pursue specifically clinical psychology because I had recognised the deep need for this in my community.  I have seen a lack of access to culturally safe and responsive mental health care for Aboriginal people.   There is undoubtedly a shortage of Aboriginal mental health clinicians.   The vast majority of Aboriginal people seeking mental health support will come through public health systems, which is why I am hoping to pursue a career in the public health space as a Clinical Psychology Registrar when I graduate.

While most of the work I do impacts on an individual level, I also want to take opportunities to contribute on wider scales.   I hope to contribute wider improvements to Aboriginal health through advocacy, research and mentorship of other Aboriginal mental health clinicians.   I would also like to become involved in curriculum development of psychology courses at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level to equip all training psychologist with understandings of Indigenous ways of knowing, doing and being.    I hope this can better equip the future workforce of psychologists with culturally responsive lenses to provide better mental health care for Aboriginal consumers.