William Gang Wang (He/Him)
ABN 15 826 192 775 (Oasis Mental Wellbeing Counselling)
AASW Registration No. 495041
Qualification: Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AASW)
Master of Social Work – Monash University
Master of Business Administration – University of Melbourne
Bachelor of Arts – Southwest Jiao Tong University, China
Language: English and Chinese (Mandarin)
Works with: Individuals age 18+, Couples
Fees: $215 for 50 minutes and $322.5 for 80 minutes
After 5pm and public holiday session $235/50 min and $352.5/80 min
Medicare rebate $89.5 for each session
Availability: 10am-6pm Mon South Yarra, 10am-6pm Mon-Sat Telehealth
Therapeutic Modalities/Professional Training:
TEAM-CBT
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Schema Therapy
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Motivational Interviewing
Existential Counselling
Trauma-Informed Practice
Forensic Risk Assessment and Management
About William
William is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker with experience across forensic mental health, hospital psychiatric services, community mental health, and private practice. He works with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, relationship difficulties, life transitions, identity concerns, and complex emotional challenges.
His professional experience has taken him from acute psychiatric units and community recovery programs to correctional mental health settings, where he has supported individuals facing some of life's most significant struggles and transitions. These experiences have given him a deep appreciation for both the vulnerability and resilience that people bring to therapy.
Prior to working in mental health, he had 20 years of career in finance, providing him with strategic, analytical, and systems-thinking skills that are transferable to complex case formulation and therapeutic outcomes.
William believes that healing is rarely about simply eliminating symptoms. More often, it involves understanding ourselves more deeply, developing new ways of relating to difficult emotions, and creating a life that feels meaningful and aligned with our values.
Fluent in both English and Mandarin, William provides culturally responsive support to clients from diverse backgrounds and life experiences.
Therapeutic Approach
William's approach to therapy is grounded in the belief that meaningful change occurs when people feel genuinely understood while also being supported to examine the patterns that may be keeping them stuck.
He strives to create a therapeutic space that is warm, collaborative, respectful, and non-judgemental. At the same time, he believes therapy should be purposeful and transformative. Depending on a client's needs, this may involve developing practical coping strategies, exploring long-standing emotional patterns, processing difficult experiences, or examining deeper questions about identity, relationships, and life direction.
Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, William tailors therapy to each individual's goals, strengths, and circumstances. He aims to balance compassion with honest reflection, helping clients gain insight while building the skills and confidence needed to create lasting change.
Many clients appreciate William's ability to combine emotional depth with practical clarity, creating a space where both personal growth and tangible progress can occur.
Science, Meaning and Spirituality
William believes that effective therapy requires both scientific rigour and an appreciation for the deeper questions that shape human experience.
His clinical work is informed by evidence-based therapies including TEAM-CBT, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Schema Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, and trauma-informed approaches. These approaches provide practical tools for addressing symptoms such as anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, trauma, addiction, and relationship difficulties.
At the same time, William recognises that many people come to therapy not only because they are suffering, but because they are searching for a deeper understanding of themselves and their lives. When suffering, loss, or major life transitions strip away the usual distractions, the big questions often surface: Why is this happening? What is my life for? Is there purpose in this pain? How do I find peace when nothing feels certain?
William is comfortable and skilled in navigating these questions. Alongside contemporary psychology, he draws inspiration from existential philosophy, contemplative practice, and broader reflections on meaning, identity, freedom, responsibility, forgiveness, and self-compassion. He is also informed by Eastern philosophies such as Taoism and Buddhism, which speak to impermanence, acceptance, and the nature of suffering.
He understands that for some clients, healing is not just psychological but spiritual — a reconnection to something larger than the self. For others, it is about finding quiet and stillness amidst chaos. For many, it is simply about learning to be with uncertainty without falling apart.
Whether a client identifies as spiritual, religious, agnostic, or none of the above, William meets them where they are. For clients who wish to explore these themes, therapy can become a space not only for symptom relief, but also for personal growth, transformation, and a deeper connection to what matters most.
A Unique Perspective
Before entering the mental health profession, William spent nearly two decades working in finance as an investment analyst, portfolio manager, and executive leader.
While professionally successful, he eventually felt drawn toward a different path - one focused on understanding human behaviour, emotional wellbeing, and personal transformation. His own experience of changing careers later in life gave him first hand insight into the uncertainty, vulnerability, and courage that often accompany major life transitions.
This background continues to inform his work today. Many professionals, executives, business owners, and high-achieving individuals seek therapy because, despite outward success, they find themselves struggling with stress, burnout, relationship difficulties, anxiety, or a growing sense that something important is missing.
William understands both the rewards and pressures that can accompany ambition and achievement. He enjoys helping clients explore not only how to function more effectively, but also how to live in a way that feels meaningful, authentic, and sustainable.
Parenting, Relationships and Life Experience
In addition to his professional experience, William brings the perspective of someone who has navigated many of life's significant roles and transitions himself. As a father of two adult children, he has experienced the evolving challenges and rewards that accompany parenting across different stages of life.
He understands that many adults find themselves balancing multiple responsibilities simultaneously - raising children, maintaining relationships, supporting ageing parents, managing careers, and trying to preserve a sense of self amidst competing demands.
This lived experience allows William to connect naturally with clients facing questions about parenting, marriage, family relationships, work-life balance, and the changing priorities that often emerge throughout adulthood and midlife.
Whether clients are navigating relationship difficulties, parenting challenges, an empty nest transition, or broader questions about identity and purpose, William brings both professional expertise and personal understanding to these conversations.
"Every stage of life asks something different of us. Therapy can provide a space to reflect on who we are becoming, while remaining connected to what matters most."
Working with Complex and Mandated Clients
One of William's areas of specialised expertise is working with clients whose circumstances are often considered complex, high-risk, or difficult to engage.
Drawing on his experience in forensic mental health, William works with individuals involved with the justice system, including those attending treatment voluntarily or as part of court, correctional, or statutory requirements.
He has experience supporting clients presenting with:
Family violence concerns
Anger and aggression
Substance use difficulties
Relationship conflict
Trauma and complex histories
Offending behaviour
Emotional regulation difficulties
William understands that many mandated clients initially approach therapy with uncertainty, frustration, shame, or reluctance. Rather than adopting a judgemental stance, he focuses on building respectful therapeutic relationships that support accountability, insight, emotional growth, and meaningful behavioural change.
He is currently the primary clinician within the practice accepting court-mandated and statutory referrals, including clients involved with family violence intervention pathways and the justice system.
Cultural Lens
As a bilingual therapist fluent in both English and Mandarin, William understands that culture shapes far more than language alone. It influences how we express emotions, relate to family, define success, seek help, and make sense of suffering.
Many people find themselves navigating competing expectations between individual needs and family responsibilities, personal aspirations and cultural values, or different cultural identities. For migrants, international students, and people living between cultures, there can also be questions of belonging, identity, and intergenerational differences.
William strives to create a culturally responsive therapeutic space where these experiences can be explored with curiosity, respect, and nuance. Rather than viewing culture as a background factor, he sees it as an important part of understanding each person's story, strengths, challenges, and pathways toward healing.
Areas of Interest
William works with adults experiencing:
Anxiety, Depression and Panic Attacks
Stress, Burnout, Emotional Wellbeing
Trauma, Complex Trauma, PTSD
Attachment difficulties and childhood emotional wounds
Self-esteem and self-worth concerns
Relationships and family communication challenges
Trust and intimacy concerns
Parenting challenges
Separation and relationship transitions
Life Transitions, professional challenges and career transitions
Questions of meaning and purpose, spiritual and existential concerns
Grief, loss, and impermanence
Addiction and behavioural change
Court-mandated treatment and family violence intervention work
Anger and aggression, offending behaviour