Muradiye Selvi is a psychologist working in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg, one of Australia’s most diverse communities.
The multi-lingual practice she founded 20 years ago is helping migrants and their families through COVID-19.
“Not having the ability to communicate in the mainstream languages is very, very distressing. But during a time like this, when information is so important, it is far more distressing.
“The stress is about language difficulties and not being able to fully understand what's going on in respect to the government,” Ms Selvi told SBS Small Business Secrets.
“And the stress is about not being able to access medical services, during the times of need. So there's a lot of stress. The community is very, very concerned.”
Muradiye Selvi (in a white dress) arrived in Melbourne with her family as a child. Source: Supplied
As a five-year-old child Ms Selvi moved with her family to inner city Melbourne where she grew up among many migrant families.
“We began our life in Abbotsford, here in Melbourne. And later we moved in to the Ministry of Housing block in Richmond.
“And I think we felt so lucky. It was an apartment building. We were amongst many other migrant communities.”
“Whatever we had was given to us, donated to us. My parents didn't speak the [English] language. My father was a baker, but when he came out [from Turkey], he had no job opportunities
Ms Selvi said her decision to help others began as a child watching her mother struggle with isolation.
“Experiencing my mother's own mental health at the young ages of 12, 13, 14, and seeing what unfortunately a barrier language was.
Muradiye aged 3, with her parents. Source: Supplied
“And the minor tranquilizers that were given to migrant woman as with my mother to help them cope with their psychological ill health because they didn't have a language, they did not have therapeutic communication with their psychiatrist or the doctors. It was just through medication.”
Mental health services have experienced a rise in demand as Australians seek help during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the Federal Government has expanded Medicare subsidies for Telehealth to the entire population under a $1.1 billion package.
The funding boost will allow all Australians with a mental health care plan, to consult their health practitioner by phone or video call, such as FaceTime or Skype, meaning they can still access mental health services while quarantining or socially distancing at home.
Selvi Psychological Services has pivoted to online and phone consultations during the pandemic, for those with a mental health plan.
“Before coronavirus, all of our services are face to face. That is the only method by which we provide services unless under very, very specific circumstances.
“But we were very fortunate when the government did announce that there was an opportunity to do telehealth and also provide telephone link ups to our patients.”
Business Victoria has also helped Selvi Psychological Services to grow, through a grant to improve technology.
Selvi Psychological Services won a Multicultural Impact Award in 2019. Source: Supplied
The practice was also honoured with the 2019 Multicultural Impact Award, also backed by Business Victoria
“It was just a humbling experience, to be recognised for that. And I don't think it's my reward. I'm the voice of many, many migrants.
“Many young people will come to this country and, by watching their parents' struggles, try to make something for themselves and to be a value to the wider community.
As President of the Australian Turkish Business Council Ms Selvi reflected on the struggle to gain her professional skills and build her business.
“Growing up as an ethnic child, we didn't have much choice in respect to education.”
Determined to help others, Ms Selvi graduated in psychology from La Trobe University and later Swinburne, before founding her practice in Coburg in 1999.
“And when I found that ethnic communities would embrace a mental health service and a psychologist, and that's when I encouraged other psychologists who were bilingual to use their language skills and to be of support to their communities.”
Psychologist Kenan Rahmanovic fled Sarajevo as a teenager. Source: SBS
Her multi-lingual team includes Kenan Rahmanovic who fled Sarajevo as a teenager with his family soon after war broke out, arriving in Melbourne as a refugee in 1995.
“I speak Bosnian. I speak Russian and I speak Serbian,” Mr Rahmanovic explained.
He said empathy with the migrant experience is crucial in the therapeutic relationship.
“You might be from a similar region or you might be from the same country. So there is that sense of rapport.”
Ms Selvi explained further: “When a patient that walks in knowing that there's no language barrier, knowing that they're going to be understood in their culture, it immediately enables a very, very healthy therapeutic relationship.
“We've always provided voluntary services, as not everybody has the capacity to pay for services. We've got students on bridging visas, we've got people who don't qualify under mental health care plan.
“So [we have] a duty of care and responsibility to the patients.
“We have a wonderful staff here and the psychologists are all mindful about the need to protect themselves and to protect anybody that comes into our services.
“We are open, and available to new clients and existing clients. So we'll keep our offices open, our services open.”
