Evangelene Wong
Contact
Location: Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Information
Consultant Clinical Psychologist | Te Marae Ora Ministry of Health
Areas of expertise:
Mental health
Psychology
Indigenous practices
Neuroscience
Available for:
Collaborative projects | Panelist/Speakerships | Advisory committees |
“When you realise there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”
Evangelene likes this quote as, to her, this quote sums up sustainable living and was of challenging mindset and cultures that center on consumerism, and unending development. She considers that it has significant meaning now in the current world - that is characterized by extreme inequality and climate change.
About
Evangelene is a practicing consultant clinical Psychologist in the Cook Islands, developing mental health services with over 19 years experience. Her background spans forensic mental health, child and adolescent mental health, neuropsychopharmacology and addictions. She has a particular interest and passion in the clinical-cultural interface, and use of indigenous methodologies in exploring mental health perspectives. She advocates strongly for the importance of Pacific participation and representation in mainstream health approaches. She has also been instrumental in implementing initiatives to improve mental health service provision in the Pa Enua.
Academic Qualifications
2008 | Doctorate of Philosophy in Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington
2006 | Postgraduate Diploma of Clinical Psychology (with Distinction), Victoria University of Wellington
2002 | Bachelor of Science (Psychology) with Honours
2002 | Bachelor of Arts (Religious Studies)
Professional Memberships & Affiliations
Pacific Mental Health and Climate Change Expert Advisory Group, 2021 - 2024
Te ‘ākirāta mārama Advisory Group, Cook Islands Mental Health 2020 - 2024
Cook Islands Voyaging Society, 2020 - 2024
Recent Events, Publications & Appearances
2024
‘Disaster mental health’ - WHO disasters response team training, KUKIMAT, SAMAT
‘Mental health service development and evolving epistemologies in the Cook Islands’ - Australasian Psychiatry special edition in-press
‘Baseline assessment of mental health in Cook Island adolescents: a baseline survey’ – Int. Journal Environmental Research and Public Health in-press
2023
‘Pirates in our Ocean’ – United Nations Permanent Forum Indigenous Issues, WHO Event.
‘Te ‘Ākirāta Mārama Mental Health in the Cook Islands’ - PIURN Conference
‘Psychology in the Cook Islands’, Pacifica Medical association
‘The island in my mind - developing mental health services’ Creating Futures 2023
2022
‘Mental health in the Cook Islands - COVID 19’, Pacific Medical Conference, Wellington, NZ
Chair of the Western Pacific WHO Regional Mental Health Meeting
‘Mana Moana- Pacific Mental health frameworks’, Cook Islands Research Conference, Rarotonga
2021
‘Understanding psychology in legal context in the pacific’. New Zealand Psychological Society Conference
‘COVID-19 -as an opportunity for service development in the Cook Islands’, Creating Futures International Online Conference
‘Imagining wellbeing’ , NSDA2020+ Scenario Sketching
‘Mental wellbeing 18 months later’ Community mental health series delivered to over 100 community groups and organisations 2020
‘HIV counselling’, WHO HIV Workshop
Professional development series for NGO and non-clinical workers - bimonthly training
‘Mana Moana Iri ' iri kāpua’ 2021, Cook Islands Research Association Forum
‘Mana Moana – Cook Island research methodology’, University of South Pacific
2020
‘Anxiety and stress during COVID’ – TMO sponsored wellbeing series delivered to over 2000 attendants
‘Psychological first aide during COVID’ – TMO sponsored
‘COVID 19 – impact on Mental health in the Cook Islands’
NZ Psychological Society National Conference
2019
‘Cook Islands Mental Health’ – Cook Islands Health Conference
‘Mental heath in the pacific – Indigenous conceptualisations’
NZ Psychological Society national conference‘Cook Islands Mental Health’ – University of South Pacific Research Forum
‘Cook Islands Mental Health’ - Pacific Health Conference, Niue