Fiona Pienaar, PhD
Dr. Fiona Pienaar is a Clinical Advisor for Whakarongorau Aotearoa (NZ); and Senior Clinical Advisor for Mental Health Innovations (MHI), a UK-based charity using data to develop innovative digital mental health products. MHI runs Shout, a digital text platform, on which thousands of trained volunteers, supervised by clinicians, support the UK population when they are struggling with their mental health. Fiona is an accomplished public (and digital) speaker and interacts confidently with the media.
Fiona has a PhD in Behavioural Science from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, a Med in Counselling, a Professional Certificate in Coaching (Henley Business School, England) and various other counselling, teaching and special needs qualifications.
Fiona has a background of over 30 years of teaching and counselling in schools, counsellor/psychotherapist education in higher education institutes, educational and mental health resource development, academic and clinical supervision, private practice and mental health consultation, coaching, research, media interaction and writing.
Fiona has taught on the post graduate Counselling and Psychotherapy programmes at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and the University of Cambridge, England. Her career has developed across South Africa, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Fiona Pienaar is a clinical consultant and chair of the Professional Practice Advisory Group for Lifeline Aotearoa/Presbyterian Support North. She is a clinical advisor with Whakarongorau Aotearoa New Zealand Telehealth Services and a senior clinical advisor with Mental Health Innovations/Shout. Dr. Pienaar receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Fiona Pienaar is a member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists, the Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, and the Royal Society of Medicine.
