Migrants in Australia often experience not only practical challenges, but also significant emotional and cultural transitions that affect identity, family roles, and sense of belonging. Migration may involve loss of professional status, separation from extended family, and pressure to adapt to new social and cultural expectations, which can influence help-seeking behaviours and communication in counselling.
As binational and multicultural counsellors working in Australia, Coralie and Tevas draw on their professional and lived experiences to illuminate how cultural values shape how clients experience distress, make decisions, and engage in therapy. They have also observed that mental health professionals may sometimes find it challenging to fully recognise how migration and multicultural experiences influence clients' emotional and relational worlds.
In this presentation, Coralie and Tevas share practical insights and culturally responsive reflections to support attendees in developing confidence and critical awareness when working with multicultural clients.
Migrants in Australia often experience complex cultural transitions that affect their identity, family relationships, communication styles, and willingness to seek counselling support.
Coralie and Tevas will provide some background about specific topics and challenges for migrants and multicultural individuals to highlight some key points to take into consideration when supporting clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. They will also share case studies and clinical insights they have gained through working with migrants and other multicultural clients in Australia to share how they approach their work.
Learning outcomes:
- Recognise cultural and migration influences on counselling engagement.
- Apply culturally responsive counselling strategies.
- Reflect on personal cultural assumptions and therapeutic stance.
Who is this event for?
This presentation is designed for counsellors and mental health professionals who work, or are interested in working, with clients in multicultural settings.
Event Details
Date: Wednesday 1 July 2026
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm (AEST)
Location: Online via Zoom
Please check your time zone to avoid disappointment
Recording provided to all registrants
Presenter: Coralie Ponsinet
Coralie became a counsellor after her own lived experiences of mental and physical health struggles. Born in rural France, where mental health was non-existent, Coralie began her adult life as a high-achieving corporate professional who believed the only approach to life's problems was to "get on with it", until she realised this didn't actually work. As a feminist therapist, Coralie approaches therapy not solely focusing on "mental health issues" but helping to review how people's context (social, cultural, environmental) has played a role in their presenting thoughts, feelings, behaviours and beliefs about their sense of self and their place in the world.
* Please note that presenter bios are prepared by the presenters and are shared as provided without modification. They reflect each presenter's own professional journey and perspective.
Presenter: Tevas Lau
Tevas is a Hong Kong-trained counsellor who obtained a Master of Counselling in 2006 and is currently practising in Australia, supporting Chinese migrants, families, and individuals through cross-cultural transitions. He is the founder of Inclusive Counselling with the vision of empowering lives through counselling and promoting accessible, welcoming, and effective counselling for people of all backgrounds. His clinical approach integrates the Satir Model and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), focusing on family relationships, cultural identity, and emotional wellbeing. He is dedicated to culturally sensitive practice, exploring the influence of Confucian values and bridging Eastern cultural understanding with Western therapeutic approaches.
* Please note that presenter bios are prepared by the presenters and are shared as provided without modification. They reflect each presenter's own professional journey and perspective.
CPD
Attending this webinar counts as 2 hours of Category A CPD (Continuing Professional Development). Watching a recording of this webinar, which will be provided to registrants, can be used towards 2 hours of Category B CPD.
You must attend 75% of a webinar to receive a CPD certificate for Category A CPD.
Ticket Prices
PACFA Members: $35.00 + GST ($38.50)
Student Members: $25.00 + GST ($27.50)
Non-Members: $50.00 + GST ($55.00)
What to Expect After You Register
Once registered, your personal Zoom link will be dispatched directly to you via email from Zoom within 1 hour of registration and 1 hour prior to the event. Please keep an eye on your inbox for an email from Zoom ([email protected]). All future correspondence pertaining to this event, including event recordings, will be communicated through the PACFA email address ([email protected]). To ensure a seamless experience, we recommend adding both email addresses to your safe sender list to prevent missed communications.
Alternatively, you can find the Zoom link if you log into your account under the "My events" tab.
Event Cancellations
Customers seeking to cancel their registration more than 5 working days (for courses) and 48 hours (for webinars) prior to the event date may request a credit to be applied to their account. Cancellations must be made in writing to [email protected]. Cancellations made with less notice than this are non-refundable or exchangeable. Credits are valid for up to a year from the purchase date. This policy is at PACFA's discretion and may change.