Structure & Governance

The NZPsS Executive

The NZPsS is governed by and Executive made up of members elected by the membership. The Executive has the overall responsibility of determining the strategic direction, policies and priorities for the Society. The Executive is made up of twelve members including the Executive Director who is an ex officio member.

The NZPsS Rules (PDF) underpin the governance of the NZPsS.

Minutes from Executive Meetings and other information can be found on this page.

NZPsS Executive and Executive Director

The NZPsS Executive is made up of seven elected members and two Directors of Te Tiriti Issues who are appointed by the National Standing Committee on Te Tiriti Issues. The Executive also has a Kaihautū/Kaumatua who supports and advises the Executive on Te Tiriti issues. The Executive Director is an ex officio member of the Executive.

President: Dr Rebecca Wirihana
President-Elect: Iris Fontanilla
Director of Professional Development and Training: Dr. Rebekah Graham
Director of Social Issues: Lisa Stewart
Director of NSCTTI: Dr Hukarere Valentine
Director of NSCTTI: Megan Fitzpatrick
Director of Professional Issues: Nick Farrelly
Director of Scientific Issues: Dr Erin Tahauri
Director of Environmental Issues: Dr. Phillipa(Pip) Pehi
Student Rep: Jacquie Shanks
Tauira Māori: Abigail Cashell
Kaihautu: Assoc.Prof Waikaremoana Waitoki

(NSCTTI - National Standing Committee on Te Tiriti Issues)

Dr Rebecca Wirihana

President

Ko Taranaki me Whakarapa ngā maunga. Ko Waitōtara te awa. Ko Hokianga te moana. Ko Ngā Rauru kī tahi, Ngāti Maniapoto, Tainui, Te Rarawa me Ngāpuhi ngā iwi. Dr Rebecca Wirihana has a passion for exploring Māori methods of healing front trauma and has specialised in kaupapa Māori mental health and addictions services. Dr Wirihana’s research examined Māori leadership, Māori women's journeys of learning te reo and Māori methods of healing from historical trauma on the He Kokonga Whare Research Program with Te Atawhai o te Ao (Independent Māori Research Institute for Environment and Health). More recently, she worked with Te Mana Karereā alongside several of her kaimahi Māori colleagues throughout mental health services in Te Whatu Ora ki Te Tai Tokerau with a focus on advancing tikanga based service delivery and reducing inequity. Dr Wirihana was a Principal Advisor and Kaupapa Māori Trauma-Informed Expert with the Crown Response to the Abuse in Care Inquiry. She is currently in full-time private practice.

Iris Fontanilla

President-elect

Iris is a Registered Psychologist who has been practicing in the public health care sector for two decades. Iris has specialist knowledge and experience in the development and provision of robust Health Psychology Services tailored to meet the needs of those with co-morbid physical health and psychological conditions. Iris is one of the first Aotearoa New Zealand trained Health Psychologists. She completed her Health Psychology Internship at Liaison Psychiatry, Waitematā District Health Board. Iris gained her tertiary qualifications from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland. Iris currently works as the Clinical Lead, Psychology, Consultant Health Psychologist for the Cardiovascular Directorate, Te Whatu Ora Te Toka Tumai Auckland District. She provides clinical supervision for Registered Psychologists, Clinical Psychologists, and Pre-Interns. She holds an Honorary Lecturer position at the Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland where she teaches Health Psychology Interns, Post-graduate nursing and medical students.

Dr Erin Tahauri

Director of Scientific Issues

Dr Erin Tahauri is a consultant clinical psychologist/neuropsychologist in Te Tai Tokerau. She conducts neuropsychological assessments for children and adolescents in care and through the child development services. Prior to her work as a psychologist, she completed her Master of Social Work degree and worked as a clinical social worker in private practice while she continued her doctoral studies. She obtained her Doctorate of Clinical Psychology and her dissertation research focused on fostering identity and self-esteem amongst Hawaii’s adolescents through a modern interpretation of indigenous Hawaiian cultural values and practices. Her work and interests have focused on neuropsychology, therapeutic interventions for the neurodiverse, traumatic brain injury and cognitive rehabilitation, post-partum mood disorder specialisation, family/couple therapeutic intervention, and clinical supervision. Erin and her ohana moved to Aotearoa from Hawaii in 2017 where she has worked in the public health system since.

Dr Hukarere Valentine

Director of NSCTTI

Dr Hukarere Valentine is of Māori descent and born and raised in Heretaunga, Ngati Kahungunu and affiliates to the tribes of Ngāi Tahu, Te Ātiawa, Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau, Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tūhoe, and Ngā Puhi. Hukarere has been a practicing clinical psychologist now for almost 12 years and has worked within the areas of forensics, mental health, student research, clinical and cultural supervision, chronic health conditions and psycho oncology. Currently Hukarere is the Haumaru Tautoko Hauora within the Health conditions and cancer psychology services in the Massey Psychology Clinic Turitea campus. Hukarere is also involved in the Clinical Psychology training program at Massey University, with a specific focus around the incorporation and advancement of a bicultural component within the Clinical Psychology programme. Her research interests specifically centre on the consideration and development of Māori models of psychological practice with a particular passion for wairua (spirituality) and wellbeing. Her Doctorate of Clinical Psychology research thesis was oriented toward this focus.

Nick Farrelly

Director of Professional Issues

Ko Pirongia te māunga o tōku wāhi whakatipu. Ko Waikato te awa o tōku wāhi whakatipu. Tau ana tāku manu ki te whenua o Murihiku, Ōtepoti, Ōtautahi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, me Central Otago ahau. Ko Kai Tahu te mana whenua, te iwi whakaruruhau. Nick has been practicing as a Registered Clinical Psychologist since 2014 and has worked for Ara Poutama/Department of Corrections his entire career. He began his career at Mātāpuna Special Treatment Unit, delivering high intensity offence-focused treatment programmes in a therapeutic community setting. He then took on a Senior Adviser role at Ara Poutama’s National Office, where his mahi involved training staff to deliver group treatment, developing practice guidance, undertaking quality assurance processes, and supporting best-practice among psychologists in the field. He has been on the committee for the Institute of Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology (ICJFP) since 2018, and Chair since 2020. He has also provided guest lectures on forensic risk assessment at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. Nick is currently working as a Senior Psychologist delivering offence-focused risk assessments and interventions remotely.

Dr Rebekah Graham

Director of Professional Development and Training

I haere mai ōku tūpuna i Kōtirana No Kirikiriroa taku papa kainga Ki Waikato-Tainui ahau e noho ana Ko Rebekah Graham taku ingoa Dr Rebekah Graham (Pākehā) is based in the Waikato region of Aotearoa New Zealand. Rebekah is a registered community psychologist, a member of the New Zealand Psychological Society (NZPsS), on the Committee for the Institute of Community Psychologists Aotearoa (IComPA) and contributes into the National Standing Committee for Bicultural Issues (NSCBI). Dr Graham is employed as the National Executive Officer for Parents of Vision Impaired NZ (PVI), a blind consumer group. In this role, Rebekah advocates strongly and consistently for inclusion, accessibility, and support for all, with a focus on parents/whānau of a vision impaired child. Dr Graham was instrumental in setting up the Parent/Family/Whānau network within the Office for Disability Issues. The network has become a key touchstone for government departments and ministries seeking feedback. Rebekah has continued to develop her research and academic work and has negotiated a mutually beneficial research relationship between PVI and Kāpō Māori Aotearoa (KMA). This research highlights the inadequacies of the current disability system in meeting the needs of Māori.

Dr. Phillipa(Pip) Pehi

Director of Environmental Issues:

Phillipa is both Māori (Ngāpuhi, Ngāruahinerangi and Waitaha ki Hokianga) and Pākehā. She has been a member of the Society since 1999, first as a student while in her studies at the University of Otago. Phillipa has been a member of the Environmental Issues special interest group since its inception. She has also been a member of the National Standing Committee on Te Tiriti Issues (NSCTTI), formerly the National Standing Committee on Bicultural Issues (NSCBI) since her graduation in 2003 with her clinical psychology diploma and PhD in social psychology. Phillipa has practiced as a clinical psychologist for the past 25 years in many areas in many capacities, however her passion for the last ten years has been youth and whanau, particularly with respect to indigenous and intergenerational health and healing. Her deep commitment to Te Taiao, the natural world (which encompasses people) is lifelong and a deeply wairua-led one. She is currently at Waipapa Taumata Rau/University of Auckland completing her second post-doctoral fellowship. This Ngā Motu Whakahī postdoc focuses on ‘Hikoi for Healing’; an examination of her own personal journey of transformation and healing through hikoi, as well as the experiences of other people.

Meghan website.jpg Megan Fitzpatrick
Director of NSCTTI

Megan Fitzpatrick (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine), Megan is a registered Educational Psychologist. She began her career working in Learning Support for the Ministry of Education, predominantly with ākonga and whānau Māori in both Māori and English medium. She currently holds a national role as Kaitohutohu Ārahi in the Ministry’s National Service Support and Guidance roopu. Megan’s passion and mahi is to contribute to better outcomes for all mokopuna and whānau Māori, and in raising cultural awareness and improving practitioner preparation before engaging with whānau Māori, as part of the solution.

Lisa Stewart

Director of Social Issues

Veronica Pitt

Executive Director

Veronica joined the Society as its Executive Director in 2020 and is responsible for the management of the organisation. She attended the University of Canterbury, followed by the University of Wyoming for her Bachelors of Commerce and Arts, and Master of Arts degrees. Her career to date has been in the not-for-profit sector, working with Family violence prevention agencies in the Horowhenua and then moving through various governance and management roles with Playcentre Aotearoa.

Abigail Cashell
Tauira Māori Student representative

Jacquie Shanks

NZPsS Student Representative

Alongside my psychology studies, I have been committed to learning Te Reo Māori for many years and during 2023 I volunteered at a school in full immersion Māori classes as a way to further strengthen my spoken reo. I have experience as a Massey University Student Representative and am comfortable relaying feedback between parties in order to highlight challenges and seek resolution. I appreciate that psychology students have seats at the table of the NZPsS Executive and I love to have the opportunity to be that representative to continue highlighting what is working and what may benefit from changes for the pathway of the future psychologists of Aotearoa.

National Office

The NZPsS is managed by an Executive Director who supports the Executive in its work and is an ex officio member of the Executive. National Office staff’s work centres around supporting the NZPsS to provide services and benefits to members and information to the public.

Branches and Institutes

Members and student subscribers can join professional institutes and can participate in the activities of local branches.

National Standing Committee on Te Tiriti Issues (NSCTTI)

The Society has established a National Standing Committee on Te Tiriti Issues (NSCTTI) (formerly the National Standing Committee on Bicultural Issues, NSCBI) to advise on appropriate cultural development. In addition the NSCTTI contributes to the functioning of the Society, through regular contributions to publications, advice to the Executive and providing advice and expertise in relation to workshops on cultural justice and biculturalism. The NSCTTI provides advice and direction to the Executive in relation to the Society’s Te Tiriti commitment.

National Office

The National Office is the gateway for members to access services and resources and the National Office team provide support and assistance to NZPsS members and the Executive.

Veronica Pitt
Executive Director

Helen Weststrate
Membership

Heike Albrecht
Professional
Development

Sisilia new for web 100x120.jpg

Sisilia Joseph
Finance

Strategic Plan

Click to view the Society’s strategic plan and here as a visual version.

Past Presidents of the NZPsS

Click here to view the list of past NZPsS Presidents

Rules of the Society

The Rules of the Society (PDF) guide the governance and activities of the NZPsS. NZPsS Institutes are also governed by a set of Rules.

Annual General Meeting

The NZPsS AGM is held at the NZPsS Annual Conference in August/September each year. Members of the NZPsS who are, Full Members, Life Members, Associate Fellows and Fellows may vote on items of business conducted at the AGM.