by PsySSA-Web Support | Oct 20, 2025
Juan A Nel (he/him) holds a doctorate, is a registered clinical and research psychologist, and full professor of Psychology at the University of South Africa (UNISA). As a National Research Foundation (NRF) B-rated researcher, and an elected member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), he is internationally recognised in LGBTQIA+ mental health and wellbeing, hate victimisation, and victim empowerment and support, more generally. A former president of the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) (2014–2015), Juan is a member of its Council, founder member of the executive committee of the PsySSA Sexuality and Gender Division (SGD), and representative of PsySSA on (inter)national structures towards furthering its profile as a learned society. In this regard, most noteworthy are his roles as leader of the research sub-committee of the South African Hate Crimes Working Group; co-representative on the International Psychology Network for LGBTI Issues (IPsyNet); and leader of the PsySSA SGD African LGBTQIA+ Human Rights Project towards promoting wellbeing and human rights for LGBTQIA+ persons in Africa.
by PsySSA-Web Support | Oct 20, 2025
Sharon Kleintjes, BSoc Sci, MA(Clinical Psychology), MPhil (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry), DPhil (University of Cape Town), is a registered clinical psychologist working in public mental health research and services in South Africa since 1991. She worked in substance abuse education and training for the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (WCP) during the 1980s, as a clinical psychologist within public health settings during the early 1990s, and as the provincial programme manager for mental health and substance abuse in the Western Cape Department of Health (WC DOH) from 1997-2004. She worked as a research manager at the Human Science Research Council (2004-2006) and a public mental health researcher within the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health (DPMH) at UCT (2006-2010). She convened the inception year of the UCT Postgraduate Diploma in Addictions Care and was co-head of the Division of Addiction within the DPMH (2011-2012). She has been jointly appointed to the Western Cape DOH and the DPMH at UCT as Head of Psychology at Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital (2012-2018) and currently as the Vera Grover Chair and Professor of Intellectual Disability in DPMH at UCT since 2018 . Her research interests include recovery –oriented public mental health policy and service development for people with psychosocial disability and intellectual disability, and the participation of people with psychosocial and intellectual disability in public health decision-making affecting their wellbeing and recovery.
by PsySSA-Web Support | Oct 20, 2025
by PsySSA-Web Support | Oct 20, 2025
by PsySSA-Web Support | Oct 20, 2025
