Valentina Sepúlveda
“Find yourself, develop self-awareness and have hope!”
Valentina Sepúlveda
Occupation: Parent Educator at Mindful Centre
State of Residency: Victoria, Melbourne (Naarm)
Favourite place in Australia: Jarvis Bay, my first Australian camping experience, wow!
Upon arrival: Surprised by the paradox of how social, open and friendly Australians are with people from other countries, and how socially marginalized are First Nations People here
Photo by Kiki
Edited by Cristina Abela & socials by Monica Espinosa.
Valentina is a Chilean migrant woman living in Naarm, East Brunswick with her husband and daughter. She is an International Medical Graduate, Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner with focus on Mental Health, a Holistic Therapist and Parent Educator. She is passionate about building community, and creating positive, inclusive and safe spaces for multicultural connection and expression. She is mother of an almost 3 years old and part time Mental Health Practitioner and parent educator, also finalising her counseling studies. She is committed to offering tangible support to families as they navigate the complexities of parenting in a society that often feels disconnected and not prioritising caregiver work. She currently co-designs a parenting program pilot project and delivers parent groups at Mindful Centre (Melbourne University).
TELL US YOUR STORY
Andrew and Val enjoying Cambodia “Siem Rreap” the summer of 2016
I embarked on an Australian journey after residing in Ecuador with my Australian partner Andrew. Our paths first crossed in Barcelona in 2013, igniting a connection that transcended borders and led us to jump to Melbourne as the next destination to keep learning and growing. As I acclimatised to my new surroundings in 2016, I cherished the opportunity to immerse myself in his safe world, which provided a nurturing environment for my initial transition. This period of settling in allowed me to establish a sense of belonging, safety and stability, laying the foundation for the next chapters.
As reality set in after an acculturation period, we both struggled to find suitable employment. We needed to find a more affordable place to stay, so we went to Southeast Asia to save money for 3 months. Upon returning, we started afresh, securing jobs and a place to live. Since then, I haven't looked back; I love Melbourne!
Back home I worked as a community doctor, with an interest in children's mental health and holistic health, with post graduate studies in children's and adolescent mental health. I've always been drawn to learning from others non- western cultures, perspectives and philosophies. I am not a conventional medical doctor and always knew that isn't my path, so I trained myself as a complementary medicine therapist, psychoeducator, Yoga teacher and mindfulness among many other modalities. I decided to have my Chilean medical degree recognised in Australia, a costly and challenging endeavor. During this time, I worked as a therapist with the Latin community, babysitter, waitress and cleaner to support myself. After three years of study in 2018 I became an international medical graduates (IMGs) and began working in hospitals for a couple of years, which I realised it wasn't a sustainable lifestyle for me. At that time I could only secure a position in a busy metropolitan hospital, where I faced significant challenges due to the demanding fast pace public health culture, night shifts, long hours and lack of supervision, which took a toll on my emotional wellbeing.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to step away from the hospital and focus instead on myself and an authentic professional career. I pursued further education in Lifestyle Medicine and a Counseling diploma. Moreover, I always wanted to have time to get involved in my community so I took on a volunteer leadership role to co-design and develop a community garden with my council. Then came the most important and special role in my life, as 2020 I became pregnant.
I have volunteered with many organizations: Royal Children’s Hospital, Breast Screen Center, Nillumbik Council. At the moment, I am volunteering my time in facilitating a Spanish Playgroup based in Brunswick for parents that want to maintain our Spanish language in their homes. We are a big community of parents that value our cultural Latin identity, and want to keep connecting through our children with our precious language. I feel my biggest contribution is to always have my door open to offer emotional support to people from all backgrounds, with therapy or as a friend, providing a safe space when they have been in crisis or needed some help here in Australia. For example, I offered emotional support with complementary psychotherapy and also free educational workshops in times of Covid.
As priorities shifted after becoming a first time mother, I sought a different professional interest in developmental health. I am now involved in beautiful pilot parenting project through Melbourne University, a emotion-focused and attachment-based parenting program, in a role focused on culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families supporting parents to better connect emotionally with their kids, promote the development of emotional competence and prevent behavioural issues through evidence-based emotion coaching interventions, enhancing their psychosocial wellbeing, reducing cultural and social barriers, and supporting with challenges within their unique contexts and cultures.
CHALLENGES
Language Barrier - I wasn't fluent in English in the early days, so it was a big challenge, especially while studying medicine in English. But I didn't give up. I worked hard, read a lot, and had some great chats that helped me get better. With time, I got the hang of it. Every conversation became a chance to improve, and I learned that connecting with people goes beyond just words.
Northern hospital night shift selfie - winter 2018
Connection - Connecting with others was tough initially as it was tricky not being fluent in English, but I figured it's all about understanding each other, no matter what language you speak. It was a journey, but I eventually found my way, thanks to my determination and the support of those around me. The importance of community and warmth in Latino culture greatly contributed to my adaptation. The emphasis on building relationships and supporting one another made it easier to connect with people here, despite the initial language barrier. Additionally, the value of resilience, common in Latino cultures, helped me navigate the challenges of settling into a new country and pursuing my goals.
Mothering as a migrant - It has been a conflicted experience!. Identity issues arise as I feel there are 2 mothers inside me (the Chilean and the Australian mum), as I became a mother here, I learnt a lot from my peers' mothers and also the style of parenting around me. Constantly I am trying to take the best of both and create a fusion. I don't want to lose my cultural heritage in this experience - but of course, translating in Spanish to my daughter takes a lot of energy! Moreover, becoming a first time mother in COVID times was not easy. My whole family is in Chile and they could not enter Australia for a while. That feeling of loss and grief of not being able to recreate those precious moments of a newborn with my family and the unconditional support that you crave in those first months of parenting still hurts and for sure I want to live that one day!
CONTRASTS AND SIMILARITIES
Class system - Big contrast for me was how different the class system operates here, with a considerable middle class that offers equality, opportunities to many and a diverse range of people - a totally different cultural view of class system from my country. Also, intertwined with multiculturalism, with a rich tapestry of ethnicities and cultures coexisting harmoniously. In contrast, Chile has a more homogeneous culture, with a predominant focus on its Spanish/European heritage and very evident discrimination and notorious class system.
Attitude towards time - In Chile is different, punctuality is often more flexible, with events and gatherings starting later than scheduled. Here, there is a stronger emphasis on punctuality and adherence to schedules. This reflects broader cultural attitudes towards time management and efficiency that now makes sense to me!
Societal norms - Latin culture tends to prioritise close-knit social circles and strong family ties. Here, while family is important, there is also a greater emphasis on individualism and independence. I feel comfortable with those ideas if your close family or people back home are not the best influence for you to flourish and you feel obligated to maintain those ties to maintain harmony in the family.
Valentina celebrating Alma’s first birthday and her first year as a mother.
PIECE OF ADVICE
Do it! - If you are thinking about it, it's because your heart is asking you to take a risk and grow. You won’t regret it, you won’t be the same after living in another country, even though things do not work out as you wish. You will be forced to change what is not helpful and discover new areas of yourself. If you take the opportunity and surrender with the right environment you will only flourish.
Find yourself and develop self-awareness! - Observe what has been working and what does not help to not make the same mistakes. Unlearn everything you feel is holding you back; and believe in yourself! It takes a lot of courage, but you don’t have to do it alone, find your people that inspired you and lift you up to grow. Finally, have hope and have fun please!
You are not alone - There is support and help available around you in your language from people that you can trust. Your struggle is real and I can see that well, we are here with you to hold you through the struggle, we trust you. Learn to ask for help and have a network of people that you can reach out to when you need support, social connection or a safe person to share your struggle.
IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS…
Valentina envisions herself in a brighter, compassionate and fairer world. She wants to continue doing her part in cultivating a more cohesive society; striving to bridge gaps between the community and mental health system, taking further steps to provide a real and authentic service in the Mental Health space. She wants to create a future where communities and families thrive and children are cared for and nurtured to reach their full potential.
She sees herself practicing being grateful for the things she has, with an expanded family and a dog. Working everyday, slowing towards her own genuine purpose and enjoying her life in her second Land.
If you want to follow her journey reach out to her on
Instagram > @valcaramba LinkedIN > Valentina Sepulveda Paquien
Hope you enjoyed reading this inspiring story.
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With love and gratitude - Latin Stories Australia team