In multicultural Australia, are there multilingual psychologists?

Objective Australia is a multicultural country with a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) population, creating a need for bi- and multilingual healthcare services. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency’s (AHPRA) revised Code of Conduct and Professional Competencies for psychologists, placing greater emphasis on cultural safety and responsiveness when working with CALD communities. We aimed to provide a snapshot of language diversity within Australia’s psychologist workforce.Method We conducted an observational, descriptive analysis using publicly available, deidentified AHPRA data on languages spoken by psychologists over 5 years and reviewed publicly accessible psychologist directories for language and/or ethnicity filters.Results The top 10 languages spoken by psychologists in 2021 broadly aligned with Australian Census data. Mandarin was the most commonly spoken language after English. While some psychologist directories include language/ethnicity filters, their utility for users remains uncertain.Conclusion While AHPRA’s updated Code of Conduct and Professional Competencies highlight cultural safety, genuine structural change requires more than policy. There are serious deficiencies in how data regarding psychologists’ culture, ethnicity, and languages spoken are collected and presented. Improving data collection and access can support true culturally responsive psychological services by helping CALD communities connect with practitioners who best meet their needs.