Sri Lankan roots to a career route in psychology | Talking #TeamCWPT blog

We're still celebrating South Asian Heritage Month, and our diverse workforce that makes up #TeamCWPT. This week, we caught up with Ann, Assistant Psychologist, who spoke about how her Sri Lankan roots set her up for a career in psychology.

My name is Ann Jesurasa, and I am an Assistant Psychologist in the Mental Health Treatment Requirement Service. I am Sri Lankan, a second-generation immigrant, and an aspiring psychologist. 

My pursuit for a career in psychology started off accidentally when I was 16 years old whilst picking my A Levels. At the time I thought 'psychology sounds kind of interesting'. Little did I know, as lessons went on, I started to learn more about who I am and how my experiences contribute to my perspectives of this world. I started to develop a deeper understanding of the human mind and behaviour, and how beautifully complex and unique each one of us are. 

On reflection, it is very clear to me now how my Sri Lankan roots and the values I grew up with aligned me to this profession. Growing up in a Tamil speaking household, with strong values of compassion and respect, I developed into an introspective and deeply empathetic person. Growing up, my mum would always say, be kind, generous and thoughtful and your inner beauty will radiate and help others. These values and teachings strengthened my passion for working with people and supporting them with their mental health and wellbeing. 

As a practitioner who is both Sri Lankan and British, I also have a deeper understanding of how being misunderstood and invalidated can impact our quality of life. I am therefore attentive to the cultural and systemic factors that can cause distress. I actively work towards providing a person-centred approach to all the people we serve. 

I am very proud of where I come from and how I carry the stories of my ancestors and families through my name, skin colour and cultural practices. I hope my presence encourages more people to express themselves and be proud of where they come from.