I'm originally South African, but emigrated to New Zealand in 1997. My interest in children’s behaviour began from a young age. I grew up in a large family and am the second eldest of 6 children. I was a teenager when my youngest brother was born, and subsequently became deeply involved in his upbringing.

In my early career, I spent 25 years working as a primary school teacher, where I developed a strong interest in children’s development, social and emotional well-being. To further my interest and understanding of children’s mental health, I undertook a PhD in behavioral science, and the focus of this study was children’s stress and coping. This gathered a large amount of interest in New Zealand, and it’s one of my proudest achievements to date.

I’m currently a teaching associate at Cambridge University, lecturing two days a week on the ‘Psychotherapeutic Counselling for Children and Adolescents’ program. I also teach at the well-renowned Metanoia Institute.

My other interests are walking, travelling and swimming. I am motivated by new challenges and experiences, and have taken part in the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon (56km), which I've completed twice. I enjoy the repetition and rhythm of swimming and running, and both enable me enter a state of deep thought, taking my concentration away from my daily profession, which can be stressful at times.