Rate My Professor Valerie Tan

Dr. Valerie Tan serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Psychological Medicine within the University of Otago's Faculty of Medicine. Born in Malaysia, she completed her education in New Zealand at the University of Otago, earning her PhD and Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology (PGDipClPs) with an academic background in neuroscience and psychology. As a registered clinical psychologist, she works at Te Whatu Ora, New Zealand's public health service, and maintains a private practice alongside her academic role.

Dr. Tan's research investigates the psychological and physiological factors influencing psychotropic medication use, including psychedelic-assisted therapy, prescribing practices shaped by clinical, interpersonal, and contextual influences, and deprescribing processes from a biopsychosocial perspective. She explores how beliefs, expectations, and therapeutic relationships affect patient experiences and recovery, as well as emerging treatments like psilocybin integration with brief interventions to improve psychological flexibility and treatment responsiveness. Key publications include 'Pharmacopsychology of Prescribing: An Introduction to the PoP Model' (Mental Illness, 2026, with Marleen van Oeveren); 'Lost in Translation: Toward Clinically Effective Translational Research' (Translational Psychiatry, 2025, with R. D. Ward); 'Pushing an Irrational Button: Asian Psychologists Making Sense of Racialization in Psychology Training in Aotearoa/New Zealand' (Asian American Journal of Psychology, 2025, with K. K. H. Tan); and a systematic review on group-based emotion regulation interventions for autistic children (OTJR, 2025, with S. H. Jasni, F. Graham, and E. Bell). In 2024, she received the Department of Psychological Medicine Teaching Award as part of the Psychology Team.

In teaching, Dr. Tan convenes block modules for second- and third-year medical students, supports the registrar programme, and supervises Masters and PhD students such as Cherrie Fox, Holly Read, and Bruno Unger. She is a full member of the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists and serves as Kaihautū Tuarua (Deputy Chairperson) of the New Zealand Psychologists Board, appointed in 2022. Her commitments include advancing cultural safety, equitable healthcare access, and developing a socially responsive mental health workforce.