Me, the Human
Anxiety Specialist for Asians
Hi, I'm Harry Au (he/him).
As a 1.5 generation immigrant who came to Canada as a kid, my identity has always been beautifully complicated.
I went through my own journey to rediscover all my true selves, and built an integrated mega-self – full of joy, love, fear, and every other feeling inbetween.
But let's be real, that journey never ends, at least not for us innovative dreamers. In our work together, I hope to support you to do the same.
My passion is help Asians such as yourself continuously embrace the unique life that you want to live.
Harry Au (he/him) - MA, MSW, RSW
As people, we're complex.
Here are some aspects of mine.
I am often told I’m not Canadian enough, and also told I’m not Chinese enough. But I'm just here being me.
Some people assume I'm a model minority. But it's only cause they haven't seen me being fierce AF yet.
I want more time to chill and rest in my life. But I also often feel that I should be doing more.
I used to think life HAD to be hard...
I thought that feeling angry, guilt, and shame was normal. That being exhausted was normal.
Every now and then, that pain was punctured with momentary happiness. But those moments were fleeting. It got to a point where I felt that life was just a cycle of pain and misery.
And here’s where I’m going to use a cheesy analogy…when I was at my lowest, I had no where else to go. And like a phoenix, rising from its ashes, I was reborn. And for the first time in my life, I felt free.
And unlike all my previous achievements and accolades…I fnally asked myself what I wanted. For the first time, I was TRULY listening to ME. Not what others expected from me.
I stopped following cultural rules and family rules that didn't fuel healthy relationships. I no longer conformed to mainstream norms of "success." Nor was I blindly following social justice rules. And to my surprise, my relationship with everyone became...better.
As I changed as a person, it became a chain reaction that changed everything. At first, it was painful. SCARY. I had to look at myself dead in the eye, and confront every part of myself. Nothing quite prepares you for your inner revolution towards self-love and self-acceptance.
And then, things began to fall into place.
As I changed, I began to have healthier relationships, with myself and with others. I learned from my past, but also learned to let things go.
More and more, I felt joy and ease.
Things began clicking. I realized how much control I can truly have over my life, when I trust myself to lead. I reflected on what I wanted in my life. And I built my own processes to go after those goals.
There will always be forces larger than us, trying to keep us down – racism, xenophobia, patriarchy, intergenerational trauma. And in my early quest to fight these forces, I neglected the one thing that would take me to the promised land. I neglected my inner child. My truest desires.
In my journey, I finally learned to listen and love all parts of me. And I finally integrated all these parts of me into a mega-self – and truly love and accept all of who I am.
And my passion is to help you through your own journey, to embrace your unique mega-self, and live with a creativity you never thought possible.
"Harry has the ability to speak the truth, look for nuanced solutions, listen without judgment, and above all – believe in happiness for his clients."
n. gitanjali lena (they/them)
Life Doesn't Have To Be This Hard
Let’s finally unknot all the things that you have held on to for so long. Let’s work together to map out the freedom that you’re seeking. And let's build trust in yourself to take the lead.
I’ll be here to support you during the lows, celebrate with you during the highs, and laugh with you at how ridiculous our world can be sometimes. Let’s discover who you truly are.