Our Team

Poonkulali

Psychologist

I am a psychologist and I work with various age groups, particularly children and adolescents. I have worked in the area of child protection, sexual assault and immigration detention in Government and Non Government sectors and currently in private practice.

I have worked with asylum seekers/refugees in detention centres around Australia during the very challenging refugee/asylum seeker crisis period, and have worked with many families, helping them to transition into their new lives and playing a small role in these positive outcomes has been very rewarding.

I am conscious of the need to support families and young people as they grow into the future, they aspire to create one that is safe, supportive and inclusive. I am excited to be able to bring to Thadam a wide range of experiences and learnings to help our Tamil community strengthen and better understand mental health so it can play a more positive enriching role in our community.

My parents hail from Pungudutivu, a small island composed of a number of villages just west of the Jaffna Peninsula, and like many, I was raised on 3 continents before we called Australia home.

When I am not working, I enjoy trying out vegetarian cuisine at various Sydney foodie spots. I have been known to find the challenges of navigating to those spots difficult from time to time and am most thankful for my Navman.

We have a lot of work to get through together, so please follow us on the journey to better mental health.

Rohini

High School Teacher

I am a high school chemistry teacher with experience spanning over 21 years with the Department of Education. I also engage with the school community in my role as an anti-racism coordinator and a well-being advisor.

I have worked to support the broader community through my role at Lifeline as a crisis support worker and have a strong commitment to eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health in the Tamil community, which I feel very connected to as I was born, brought up, and studied in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and my ancestry is from Karaveddi (Vadamarachy).

There is a growing realisation that improving mental health is essential for improving the lives of our entire community. I have experience offering counselling support to high school students through early intervention strategies and awareness. I honestly believe empowering the youth in our community can be achieved through Thadam’s advocacy.

I continue to be passionate about improving the knowledge of mental health within our community and look forward to working with Thadam to achieve this.   During my time away from work,  I like to enjoy the slower tranquil pace that rural NSW has to offer and experience peace and serenity that can be found.

Dr Maiyoori

General practitioner

I completed my undergraduate and post graduate training in the culturally diverse suburbs of Western Sydney. My interest in mental health began early on in medical school and I have continued to pursue further study in the field during my psychiatry rotation during residency and throughout my general practice career.

Promoting mental health has always been a passion of mine and I have had the privilege of witnessing the remarkable journeys of many people dealing with mental health issues across a wide spectrum of presentations. In my day-to-day practice, I have also seen how mental health is so closely intertwined with physical and overall health. there is a clear opportunity for further promotion of mental health awareness and for breaking down the stigma surrounding it.

My parents grew up in Jaffna, Sri Lanka and moved around quite a bit before eventually migrating to Australia with my older brother. It was here that I was born and raised. I have grown up surrounded by friends and family in the Tamil community and have observed the hard-work, generosity and strong sense of family values present within our society. I hope our work with Thadam can inspire our community to be an even more inclusive and safe space for everyone. Ultimately, I hope we can encourage people from different generations to express their feelings openly and to be equipped with the tools to seek help when required.

In my spare time, I thoroughly enjoy dancing and listening to music. if you ever lose sight of me in a crowd, you will likely find me in my zone on the nearest dance floor!

Father Jegasothy

Reverend

Growing up in the Eastern region of Sri Lanka during the early stages of the civil war, I experienced firsthand the horrors of forced colonisation, state violence, persecution and terror inflicted upon members of the Tamil ethnic group. Admist the violence of my last six years in Sri Lanka, I served as minister at the Methodist Church in Trincomalee and Chenkalady, was a Chairperson of the Human Rights Organisation in Trincomalee district, and called for peace as a member of the Central Committee. I was also heavily involved in the resettlement of internally displaced people and became a spokesperson for Tamils in open forums, making me a target for the armed forces and Sinhalese. After settling in Australia, I worked tireless towards the harmonious integration of different cultures into the local community, helping individuals and families on Temporary Protection Visas settle into their new environments, and assisting asylum seekers on Bridging Visas who didn’t have work permits. With the support of the Uniting Church, I’ve launched a mission that offers love, support and pastoral care to asylum seekers in detention centres, especially those in Villawood, and became well-known as ‘Father’ within the community.

In 2003, I was nominated for the Human Rights Award by Amnesty International and in 2009 received the award of ‘Outstanding Australian’ from STARTTS. The Tamil Uniting Church and refugee community awarded him with the ‘Service with Compassion’ and ‘Highly Commended’ in the NSW Human Rights Category in 2019 Harmony Day.

I have trained and worked in the area of family counselling, Drug, Alcohol & Domestic Violence and now in the Advisory Committee of Men Against Violence MAV of FDV and NSW Ethnic Council.

In retirement, I find I still have many passions, but the one I am looking forward to reconnecting with from a very young age is drawing. I find it very peaceful and it allows me time to reflect on what has been a full and wonderful life with many turns.

Amalan

Software Engineering/Business Student

Vanakkam, my name is Amalan, I am a 3rd year student studying a double degree in Bachelor of Engineering(Software) and Business. I feel very fortunate to be a part of Thadam as we work across different teams to help empower our community to achieve a better understanding of mental health leading to an improved way of life.

Thadam is one of the only organisations that is addressing mental health within the Tamil community and is led by the Tamil community of which I am proud to be a part of. Outside of studying and volunteering, I enjoy improving my physical fitness that helps with my mental toughness when playing competition frisbee, but I find it also helps me in all areas of life. I also enjoy cooking-all of the satisfaction is in the eating!

Thenuka

Pyschology (Honours) Student

My Name is Thenuka and I am a third year Bachelor of Psych (Honours) student currently at UNSW.  Like other members of Thadam I share a desire to help my community understand the benefits of better mental health and am excited for the opportunity to collaborate with like minded members about increasing mental health awareness within the Tamil community.

Mental health plays a major role in determining the quality of one’s life and as studies show poor adhesion to positive mental health can result in a less then happy quality of life.  In our Tamil community we are also very considerate of our cultural and religious beliefs which can ultimately play a role in how we view mental health.  It is through Thadam we aim to reduce stigma, increase discussion and overall knowledge of better mental health to create a better you.

When I am not sitting in lectures I like to try out new, fun recipes such as my world famous vegie pasta with the help of my sister, and recently, especially since the lockdown, I have also been interested in watching crime documentaries on Netflix.

Dr Kobika

General Practitioner

I am working as a General Practitioner in Western Sydney and have a special interest in working with children and in women’s health. During my work, I have noticed a growing need for mental health awareness in our community.

I am passionate about breaking the stigma around mental health in our Tamil community and am honoured to be a part of the Thadam team. I am a part of the social media team in Thadam. I was born in Sri Lanka, grew up in New Zealand and then settled in Australia. In my free time, I like to spend time with my family and friends and enjoy playing with my chocolate Labrador, Archer.