Dr Brigitte Viljoen

Background and Experience

Brigitte is a registered psychotherapist and has a practice in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. She has experience working with a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, family dynamics and trauma. Brigitte sees adults (individuals and couples) and families for long-term and short-term Psychotherapy. 

Brigitte has worked with clients in both agency and private practice. In her role as a psychotherapist she has experience in working with clients suffering from depression, grief, anger, loss, anxiety, worry, post-traumatic stress disorder, and those with a history of trauma and abuse, amongst other things.  Brigitte also has experience working with “every day” issues such as stress, relationship problems, work challenges, communication difficulties and working with parents in relation to challenges they have had with their children. 

• Brigitte also has a special interest in the impact of human development and people's social media use (and other online issues) and how this might impact on their attachments and ways of relating, as well as, people's use of AI chatbots, social robots and/or digital avatars and the ethics around this topic.

• Brigitte also lectures at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) in the Graduate Diploma Programme for Psychotherapy and is a Paper Lead.

• Brigitte serves on the Public Issues Committee for the Association of Psychotherapists in Aotearoa New Zealand (APANZ), which covers a broad range of issues (including the topic of Artificial Intelligence and it’s application and impact in people’s mental health).

Qualifications and Professional Memberships

• Doctor of Philosophy

• Masters in Psychotherapy

• Diploma in Counselling Skills & Theories

• Bachelor of Arts - Honours (Psychology)

• Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy

Brigitte is registered with The Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand

Brigitte is also a full member of the Association of Psychotherapists in Aotearoa New Zealand (APANZ)