RANZCP homepage
Diana Kopua
Profile
Dr Diana Kopua
Psychiatrist
Dr. Diana Kopua is a pioneering psychiatrist and an advocate for indigenous mental health, based in Gisborne, New Zealand. With over 30 years of experience in the field, Dr. Kopua has dedicated her career to amplifying the voices of Māori communities and promoting culturally grounded approaches to mental health.
Transitioning from her role as a psychiatric community nurse, Dr. Kopua has developed a transformative framework known as Mahi a Atua, which integrates Māori creation stories, or pūrākau, into mental health practices.
This innovative approach emphasises the significance of storytelling and cultural narratives in understanding human distress, offering a fresh perspective that challenges conventional psychiatric classifications. As an independent psychiatrist and Director of a training provider,
Dr. Kopua collaborates with her husband, art and culture expert Mark Kopua to establish a whare wānanga aimed at educating communities about indigenous alternatives to Western diagnoses and pharmacological treatments. Through her work, she champions the idea that art and creativity play a vital role in healing and understanding, inviting individuals to express their experiences through cultural practices.
Dr. Diana Kopua is a pioneering psychiatrist and an advocate for indigenous mental health, based in Gisborne, New Zealand. With over 30 years of experience in the field, Dr. Kopua has dedicated her career to amplifying the voices of Māori communities and promoting culturally grounded approaches to mental health.
Transitioning from her role as a psychiatric community nurse, Dr. Kopua has developed a transformative framework known as Mahi a Atua, which integrates Māori creation stories, or pūrākau, into mental health practices.
This innovative approach emphasises the significance of storytelling and cultural narratives in understanding human distress, offering a fresh perspective that challenges conventional psychiatric classifications. As an independent psychiatrist and Director of a training provider,
Dr. Kopua collaborates with her husband, art and culture expert Mark Kopua to establish a whare wānanga aimed at educating communities about indigenous alternatives to Western diagnoses and pharmacological treatments. Through her work, she champions the idea that art and creativity play a vital role in healing and understanding, inviting individuals to express their experiences through cultural practices.
