Clinical psychologist Lwanele Khasu has dedicated her life to helping people navigate the journey of healing. The wife, mother of two, author, podcaster and founder of Oasis Mental Wellness Hub serves as a guide on the path to understanding self and finding clarity.

Psychology – a passion birthed from personal pain
Born and raised in Lusikisiki, Khasu is the last born of six children. Unfortunately, she lost both of her parents when she was just 11 years old.

“That was quite a crushing for me because I was young. I didn’t know what was happening and I had never lost anyone major in my life. I had to navigate through grief and loss. It was really hard to adjust,” she expressed.

In seeking to make sense of her feelings and her new reality, Khasu remembers telling one of her siblings that she felt as though she had just come back from holiday.

“They didn’t understand what I was saying and they probably thought I must’ve lost it. I realised later in life that I probably was going through a depressive episode. When I was saying I’m coming back from a holiday, I think my mind was now adjusting to my new reality. When I had suppressed emotions and didn’t know what to do with them, my mind was kind of on holiday.”

Her days of processing her emotions and seeking to make sense of life came with a deep longing for someone who could help bring sense and understanding.

“I think in that moment, a seed was sown. I said I’m going to do whatever I can to make sure that I help people with the same feeling.”

When choosing subjects in high school, Khasu already had her desired career in mind. She was relentless and steadfast in her goal of becoming a qualified psychologist.

“When I finally became a psychologist, no one in my life was surprised. I’ve always wanted to be able to help people understand those crushing feelings; the ones that make them feel like they’re emotionally on holiday when actually they’re not.”

Khasu seeks to provide an array of mental wellness services which help people to understand themselves better and navigate the journey of healing. She also strives to de-stimgatise mental health. Oasis Mental Wellness Hub is one of the avenues through which she does this.

“I wanted it to be a place where people can access a network of services, not just therapy. For example, some people are not ready for therapy. What intervention can they have?”

The clinical psychologist is also the founder of an eLearning self-help digital platform known as Luminate Mind. Through informative videos and worksheets, people are equipped to heal different areas of their lives.

“It is at the convenience of your time, your own pace and also place,” she added.

Learning to Heal and Finding Clarity
Khasu is also the host of a mental wellness podcast known as Learn to Heal. Making healing accessible, she thoroughly dissects various topics including high-functioning anxiety, boundaries and navigating disappointment.

“I was very intentional in calling it ‘Learn to Heal’ because as people, we need to learn that we can actually get healed. I don’t want healing to feel far-fetched.”

Additionally, she is the author of a wellness journal titled ‘Finding Clarity’ which is a 7-step guide to managing anxiety. Journaling is a great way to connect to self, recognise your triggers and learn ways to better control them.

Currently pursuing her PhD, the idea of a journal came to her while she was meant to be focusing on her dissertation. Thus, she fondly calls it her ‘procrastination project’.

“I suddenly got all these brilliant ideas that I knew I couldn’t do because I am committed to something else. But I decided to pursue this one,” she shared.

The journal is an informative and in-depth guide which is designed to help people understand themselves and their thought patterns.

“I focus specifically on clarity because anxiety fogs you. It makes your mind blurry. You either cannot think or you’re overthinking. I also added more information, making it in-depth because although anxiety is cognitive, it is also emotional,” she shared.

Navigating the journey of healing and mental health
When all is said and done, getting started on the journey of healing can be quite intimidating for a number of reasons. One of them is because conversations around mental health often come with psychological terms which are not always easy for the layman to fully grasp. However, Khasu believes the importance of vocabulary does not outweigh the understanding of actual feelings. As we learn to heal, she recommends the knowing of self, as well as being able to identify our thoughts and feelings.

“What’s important is you understanding yourself. Anxiety is mostly linked to fear and uncertainty about the future. Depression is more about reflection and grieving things that happened in the past. A question around your sense of self is then around your self-identity and existence,” she clarified.

Furthermore, Khasu encouraged having an objective person who would be realistic and serve as a voice of reason. After all, life is not a solitary venture.

“It can be a psychologist, friend or someone who helps you think through whether you’re thinking clearly. Sometimes we’re very hard on ourselves. We don’t celebrate our wins and we have high expectations. You need that objective mind to help you make sense of things.”