Ms Jenna Mayhew graduated from Charles Sturt University with a Master of Clinical Psychology in the Charles Sturt School of Psychology in 2022. Since then,her 20-year career has taken her across the globe from Sydney to the United Kingdom and now Mexico City, where she founded Hola Therapy, a cross-cultural psychology practice.

It is through Hola Therapy Jenna has created an environment where diversity and inclusion shape every interaction.

“I have assembled a diverse group of talented therapists from around the globe; together we have created a work culture that thrives on difference, where diversity is not merely tolerated but sought out, celebrated and cherished,” Jenna said.

“I have actively fostered this positive dynamic, due in no small part to the inclusive and diverse ethos emphasised during my studies at Charles Sturt.”

This attitude led to Jenna being the Charles Sturt Distinguished Alumni of the Year for Professional Excellence, an award which recognises outstanding leaders in their industry or profession who have made or are making a significant and positive impact on their communities, their industry or the world.

For Jenna, this positive impact has largely been within the social services sector.

Beginning her career in clinical and advocacy spaces in Sydney, she moved to the United Kingdom in 2012, where she founded written word therapy service Write as Rain.

She also spent time in Mexico offering individual therapy to English speakers, heading home in 2015 to work with Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia and Headspace.

Following the birth of her second child, Jenna returned to Mexico in 2019. Speaking little Spanish at the time, she established Hola Therapy to offer psychology services to the city’s English-speaking population.

The trajectory of Jenna’s career is one she didn’t see coming.

“When I was young, I was a maths enthusiast, so I always thought I’d study to become an accountant or statistician,” she said.

“However, in my last year of schooling I realised my passion lay far more with social issues, specifically gender equality.”

This led Jenna to study social sciences, which gave her a wide range of subject options around gender equality. And it was through her undergraduate degree where she completed two psychology courses, she found her true passion.

“For me, psychology is a beautiful fusion of the social advocacy passion that fuelled me and STEM subjects I naturally gravitate towards. I’ve never looked back.”

As Founder and Principal Psychologist, she now leads therapists from Australia, the United States, the Philippines, Venezuela and Mexico in delivering ethical, evidence-based and progressive intercultural psychology.

Today, her team has provided over 800 clients from around the world access to quality therapy, often in a mix of Spanish and English.

In addition to this, Hola Therapy works with various not-for-profits and foreign governments. For example, providing Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselling to corporations in the Americas, and working with English-speaking veterans under the Foreign Medical support programs once they leave their home country.

Many are in bicultural or bilingual relationships or families, seeking help to navigate cultural nuances and the challenges and isolation of migration.

“We provide services to people who would be otherwise unable to access therapy in their native language,” Jenna said.

“The perspective we bring is unique, as many of our therapists and clients have a shared experience of immigration and cross-cultural relationships.”

Hola Therapy promotes tolerance, respect and celebration in all aspects of life, where Jenna has created a safe space for LGBTQ+ and non-traditional relationships, which can be difficult to find in Mexico.

She also provides clinical, financial and fundraising support to Misión México Foundation, a charity that supports vulnerable children and immigrants from Latin America.

Under Jenna’s professional excellence and vision, demand for Hola Therapy’s services continues to grow.

Constantly evolving her offering, Hola Therapy plans to provide psychology services to high school students in Mexico City, and conduct research on relocation, immigration, cross-cultural living and cross-cultural relationships.

Jenna is also in the process of writing a book exploring the inherent conflict experienced in cross-cultural lives, from bigger moments such as immigrating through to smaller elements in daily lives like making cross-cultural connections with peers. The book is due to be published in 2025.