Building a Unified, Relevant, and Responsive Psychology
In his first episode as PsySSA President, Prof Jace Pillay opens the 2025 From the President’s Desk series with a powerful reflection on the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children. Tune in to hear his vision, insights and call to action to work toward a society free from violence.
Join Prof Ronelle Carolissen, in her final podcast as PsySSA President, as she reflects on a year of growth, challenge, and transformation, and looks ahead to the 29th Annual Psychology Congress
In this episode, we speak to Mandy Rodrigues, a clinical psychologist in private practice and chairperson of the counselling arm of the SASREG Board. In this podcast, Mandy shares insights into the impact of infertility, the stigma surrounding it, and the importance of ethics in the field of fertility.
In the second episode of PsySSA’s President’s Podcast, Professor Ronelle Carolissen reflects on the Society’s achievements at the midpoint of 2025. Membership has grown by 13.67%, with strong uptake in professional benefits like indemnity insurance and CPD opportunities. The PsyCPD platform continues to thrive, while the public directory now features 600 practitioner profiles. Preparations for Congress 2025 in Durban (14–16 October) are underway, with high engagement across oral, poster, and symposium submissions.
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In this episode, we speak to Meghan Mosalisa, an emerging psychology researcher, an executive member of the Health Psychology Division of the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA), and a researcher at the South African Medical Research Council. In this podcast, Meghan provides insight into her research on the quality of life of women living with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and the challenges that they experience. She also briefly discusses the stereotypes, stigma, gender bias and social impact attached to the diagnosis of PMDD.
In this episode, we speak to Kyle Jackson, a lecturer within the Department of Psychology at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). In this podcast, Kyle discusses how high-risk pregnancy affects the mental health and wellbeing of fathers. In addition, he discusses the important role of fathers in this context and the barriers that they experience. Lastly, Kyle shares insight into how fathers can be assisted by healthcare professionals during this challenging period and the importance of providing fathers with opportunities to share their experiences and receive support.
In this episode, we speak to Dr Daniella Watson, a Health Psychologist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at King’s College London (UK) who has an honorary affiliation to the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Dr Watson speaks on how behaviour change models, theories, and techniques embedded within behaviour change interventions can improve both maternal and child health. Dr Watson also offers a lens into the realities of pregnant women’s low stunting, wasting, and underweight births, and offers suggestions of sustainable and contextually appropriate measures to reduce gestational complications by improving micro-nutrient uptake in Sub-Saharan communities.
In this episode, we speak to Dr Bronwyne Coetzee, a psychology researcher and senior lecturer at Stellenbosch University, who provides a clear overview of health psychology.