Mariska Pienaar

Dr. Mariska Pienaar is a registered Counselling Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA: Reg No. PS0093009). She completed her Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology through the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg) in 2005, followed by completion of her Ph.D (Psychology) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in 2022. Her 12-month clinical internship was followed by five years in research, investigating the neurobehavioural correlates of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) at the University of Cape Town (UCT). During this time, she developed a special interest in the psychosocial and emotional developmental impact of prenatal alcohol exposure. Dr Pienaar also spent two years as a full-time counselling psychologist at Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Student Counselling & Development, where her work included psychotherapy, academic and career counselling, psychometric assessment, and creation and presentation of psychoeducational workshops. In mid-2012, Dr. Pienaar\\\'s long-time aspiration of entering Academia was realised when offered a position as a lecturer in the UWC Department of Psychology. Her work included lecturing at Undergraduate, Honour’s, and Clinical Master’s levels, postgraduate research supervision, clinical supervision of counselling interns and clinical Master’s students, conducting and publishing research, and curriculum development. Her teaching focus areas included Brain & Behaviour, Child Development, Introduction to Psychological Interventions, Advanced Psychological Interventions (BPsych), Psychopathology (Honour’s), Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (Master’s), Health Psychology (Master’s), and more. Her greatest expertise and passion, however, lies in Personality Theory—which she taught throughout her academic career at Third Year, Honour’s and Master’s levels. She has made several meaningful media contributions, including op-eds, published expert opinions, and participated in radio interviews.