Practitioner Spotlight: Meet Dr Heshani De Silva, A Thoughtful, Personalised Approach to Clinical Psychology
We're delighted to welcome Dr Heshani De Silva, Clinical Psychologist, to the Ease Wellness community.
Taking the first step towards therapy isn't always easy. Sometimes you know you could benefit from support, but you're unsure where to begin, what to say, or whether what you're experiencing is even something you should seek help for.
For Heshani, creating a space where people feel safe, understood and comfortable being themselves is at the heart of her work.
With a warm, curious and collaborative approach, Heshani supports adults navigating a range of life's challenges, with particular interests in anxiety, trauma and women's mental health. Drawing on evidence-based therapies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Schema Therapy and Psychodynamic Therapy, she tailors her approach to each individual's experiences, needs and goals.
Heshani's interest in psychology is also deeply personal. Having grown up in Australia with Sri Lankan cultural roots, she understands how our family, culture and lived experiences can shape the way we see ourselves and seek support. Her PhD research into family violence among South Asian Australians further strengthened her commitment to understanding the whole person, rather than focusing solely on the challenges they present with.
What we particularly love about Heshani's approach is her belief that therapy isn't about someone else having all the answers. It's about working together, developing a deeper understanding of yourself and finding meaningful ways forward, at a pace that feels right for you.
We're thrilled to have Heshani joining the clinic and bringing her thoughtful, compassionate approach to our local community.
We recently sat down with Heshani to learn more about her background, what inspires her work, what you can expect from a first session and her advice for looking after your mental wellbeing.
Here's your opportunity to get to know Heshani a little better.
Q&A with Heshani
Q: Heshani, can you tell us a little about yourself and your background? I moved to Australia from Sri Lanka when I was two, so I grew up navigating the culture outside my home alongside the cultural roots within it. There was a lot I loved about that experience, but there were challenges too. At times, I needed support and felt that the nuances of what I was going through were not always understood. That stayed with me and became part of what drew me to psychology. I wanted to create the kind of space I had sometimes needed myself.
I went on to complete a PhD in Clinical Psychology alongside my clinical training. My research explored family violence among South Asian Australians, which deepened my interest in how culture, family and our broader experiences shape the way we understand ourselves and seek support.
Both personally and professionally, I have learnt how important it is to stay curious about the whole person in front of me. I don't want to assume I understand someone's experience. I want to take the time to listen and learn.
Q: What is your area of expertise, and what services do you offer at Ease Wellness?
I work with adults experiencing a range of difficulties, with particular interests in anxiety, trauma and women's mental health. . I use a range of different approaches including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Schema Therapy and psychodynamic therapy.
Those approaches give me a broad toolkit, but they don't tell you what therapy with me will feel like. The starting point is always you: what you are bringing into the room, what matters to you and where you would like to go. I don't believe there is one approach that works for everyone, so I draw on different ways of working depending on what makes sense for you and what we are exploring together.
At Ease Wellness, I offer individual therapy tailored to help people understand themselves more deeply, work through what may be keeping them stuck and move towards changes that feel meaningful to them.
Q: What do you love most about the work you do?
I love working with people. No two people are the same, so every day brings a different conversation and a new opportunity to learn. I get to hear how other people experience the world and understand perspectives I might never otherwise encounter. That is a real privilege.
I also love the moments when something begins to click. Someone might recognise a pattern they have felt stuck in, see a situation from a different angle or find a little more compassion for themselves. Being alongside someone as they make those connections is one of the most rewarding parts of my work.
Q: Who do you most love to work with?
Rather than thinking in terms of an ideal client, I tend to think about fit. If you are looking for a psychologist who is warm and curious, and who will walk alongside you rather than race ahead with the answers, we may work well together.
I don't see my role as deciding where you need to go. I want us to work that out together. Sometimes I will take a step back and give you room to find your own way through something. At other times, I will be more direct, offer guidance or gently challenge you. Finding the right balance is part of the work we do together.
Q: What can someone expect in a first session with you?
Every first session is a little different. I will usually spend time getting to know you and the life around whatever has brought you to therapy, rather than focusing only on the problem itself.
We might talk about your relationships, family, work, cultural background, routines, what has been happening recently and what you hope might change. Understanding what your day-to-day life actually looks like helps us think about what could be useful and realistic for you, both in sessions and between them.
There is no pressure to cover everything at once. If there is one important thing you need to unpack that day, we can start there and return to the bigger picture later. You also don't need to arrive knowing exactly what is wrong or what you want to work on. We can begin figuring that out together.
Q: Why do you feel a holistic approach to health is so important?
Nothing in our lives really happens in isolation. Our mental health is connected to our physical health, relationships, work, family, culture, environment and everything else happening around us. A change in one part of life can have a surprisingly big effect on another.
For me, working holistically means taking the time to understand those different parts of someone's life and how they fit together. It doesn't mean trying to work on everything at once or assuming every difficulty has the same solution. It simply means keeping sight of the wider picture as we make sense of what is happening and decide where to begin.
Q: What does being part of Ease Wellness mean to you?
I really value being part of a space where clinicians are committed to personalising the support they offer and practising in a way that feels genuine to them. When people can work in a way that reflects who they are, I think they are better able to show up with warmth and authenticity. That is important to me.
Ease Wellness also brings together practitioners with a wonderful range of perspectives, skills and areas of interest. I am excited to work alongside people who approach wellbeing in different ways, with each of us bringing our own strengths to the community. Most of all, I am looking forward to getting to know the other practitioners and becoming part of the wider local community.
Q: What inspires you most in your personal life?
The clients I work with genuinely inspire me. In my personal life, I draw a lot from the people around me and from opportunities to keep learning and experiencing new things.
I love being active, especially running and playing soccer, and I have recently started getting more into strength training. I balance that with reading and crocheting, particularly when I need something that encourages me to slow down. I also love being in nature, with one very important caveat: I do not love insects.
More than anything, I value time with the people I love and the ordinary experiences that make life feel full. I am naturally curious, so I enjoy learning about people, places and things I know very little about.
Heshani's Six Pieces of Wellness Wisdom
1. Get curious about yourself, rather than judging yourself
When you hear yourself thinking, “Why am I like this?” or “I should be better at this by now,” see if you can replace judgment with curiosity. You might ask, “I wonder why this is showing up for me?” or “What could be sitting underneath this?”
Understanding ourselves tends to create far more room for change than judging ourselves does.
2. Look at the whole picture
Sometimes we focus so closely on the thing that is bothering us that we lose sight of everything happening around it. Relationships, work, sleep, physical health, culture, routines and environment can all shape how we feel.
You don't need to fix everything. It can simply help to take a step back and ask, “What else is going on in my life right now?”
3. Make space for yourself
Many of us spend so much time responding to what everyone else needs that there is not much room left for us. Work needs something, family needs something, friends need something…and our own needs quietly move to the bottom of the list.
Making space for yourself doesn't have to mean a whole day at a spa. It might be 20 minutes for a walk, sitting somewhere quietly, doing something you enjoy or simply not being available to anyone else for a little while.
4. Notice whose voice is in your head
We all carry ideas about who we should be and how we should live. They may come from family, culture, relationships, workplaces or society, and some become so familiar that we stop noticing them.
Every now and then, ask yourself: “Do I actually believe this, or is it something I have learnt?” Then consider, “Is this expectation helping me live the life I want?”
5. Let people be part of your healing
We often treat wellbeing as something we should manage on our own, but connection matters. Talk to someone you trust. Let someone know when you are struggling. Spend time with people who help you feel like yourself.
You don't always need someone to solve the problem. Sometimes being able to say, “This is what is happening for me,” and have someone genuinely listen can make things feel a little less heavy.
6. You don't have to wait until you're struggling to look after yourself
We tend to think of support as something to seek only once life has become difficult, but looking after your mental health can also be preventative.
You can check in with yourself when things are going well, learn your early warning signs, notice what helps you feel grounded and strengthen the relationships that support you. Small changes made earlier can help you respond before you feel completely depleted.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Whether you're navigating anxiety, working through past experiences, feeling overwhelmed or simply wanting to better understand yourself, you don't have to figure everything out on your own.
Heshani offers a warm, compassionate and non-judgemental space where you can explore what's going on, feel genuinely heard and work towards meaningful change at your own pace.
You don't need to have all the answers before reaching out. Sometimes, starting the conversation is enough.
Heshani is now welcoming new clients at Ease Wellness in Hurlstone Park.
Book an appointment with Heshani and take the first step towards feeling more supported.
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