Why is it so hard to find help as an international student in Australia? When services exist but feel impossible to access, when information is scattered across a dozen websites, and when you're not even sure what "good therapy" looks like... where do you even start?
In this episode of the Asian Mental Health Podcast, Marcus sits down with Vinca Metta Julicia and Sania Jatin Prabhu, two international students and Student Changemakers participants, for an honest conversation about what it's really like trying to navigate mental health services in Melbourne.
Vinca, from Indonesia, has studied architecture in Taiwan and urban design in Melbourne. Sania, originally from India with time in South Africa, is pursuing her Master of AI at Monash. Together, they break down the barriers international students face: the one-month wait times for uni counseling, the confusion about costs and confidentiality, the fear that seeking help might affect your visa, and the overwhelming reality that no single place exists to guide you through it all.
But this episode isn't just about what's broken. It's also about what helps:
- ClassPass and bouldering for moving your body,
- BumbleBFF for finding community,
- The Couch for free meals and connection,
- and the small acts of resilience that keep students going when the system fails them.
🎧 You'll hear about:
✅ Why international students struggle to access mental health services in Australia
✅ The reality of university counseling: long wait times and mismatched support
✅ The fear that accessing mental health services might affect your visa
✅ What international students actually need: a single navigation point and welcoming spaces
✅ How to build community through movement, online platforms, and university events
👤 About the Guests
Vinca Metta Julicia is an Indonesian international student who recently completed her Master of Urban Design in Melbourne after studying architecture in Taiwan. Her journey as an international student across multiple countries has shaped her understanding of resilience, belonging, and people-centered design. Vinca is passionate about creating environments where individuals feel safe, connected, and supported, which links closely to mental wellbeing. She participated in the Student Changemakers peer leadership program in Semester 1, 2026.
Sania Jatin Prabhu is an Indian international student pursuing her Master of Artificial Intelligence at Monash University in Melbourne. She has moved countries three times: from India to South Africa at age two, back to India for high school and university, and now to Melbourne, where she's navigating student life completely alone without family nearby. Each move has felt progressively harder, and she joined Student Changemakers hoping to provide the kind of support she wished she'd had. Sania has been in Melbourne for nine months and is passionate about helping other international students find their footing.
🛠️ Resources Mentioned: Find them all linked in the full show notes here!
🙌 Connect with Shapes and Sounds
✨ If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and review the Asian Mental Health Podcast on your favourite podcast app. It really helps other international students find these conversations. Share this episode with your friends, especially if you know or are an international student, because word of mouth helps destigmatise mental health in Asian communities.
💛The Asian Mental Health Podcast is a production from Shapes and Sounds, made on the stolen lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. This show is hosted by Asami Koike and Marcus Lai and produced by Yeo Choong. This season is brought to you by Embrace Multicultural Mental Health (The Embrace Project). All thoughts and ideas you hear are independently ours and our guests.The Embrace Project is part of Mental Health Australia. For more information about the Embrace Project, visit here.
