A Greek Australian is among this year’s finalists for the Australian Psychologist of the Year award, announced this week, as part of the Allied Health Awards.

Dr Anastasia Hronis, a clinical psychologist and founder of the Australian Institute for Human Wellness, welcomed enthusiastically the news of her nomination in the Individual Professional category.

“Wow! What a lovely surprise to wake up to!.

“I have such a passion for the varied work I get to do within the field of psychology, and to receive this recognition is truly special,” she wrote on a LinkedIn post.

A University of Sydney graduate, Dr Hronis completed her PhD in the area of mental health treatments for children with intellectual disabilities.

Dr Hronis is a practising clinical psychologist in a number of organisations and capacities, including working with Support Act, to promote psychological wellbeing and deliver mental health interventions in the music industry.

She currently holds the role of an Honorary Associate at the University of Sydney, where she has also worked as a guest lecturer and an expert advisor in developing campaigns on the responsible consumption of gambling, funded by the NSW Office of Responsible Gambling.

When not wearing her clinical psychologist hat, Dr Hronis performs as a concert pianist around Australia and the world, including multiple times as a soloist at the Sydney Opera House, with her most notable solo performance being at Carnegie Hall, New York.

She has been awarded her Associate Diploma in Music (AMusA) and Licentiate Diploma in Music (LMusA) in piano.

The Sydney-based organisation she founded in 2019, the Australian Institute for Human Wellness, is dedicated to innovation in mental health and wellbeing, with services offered including group therapy, specialised wellbeing support for performing artists and workplaces, as well as school-based interventions.

“Our work as psychologists is not always easy, but it can be incredibly rewarding and meaningful. For me, this is an extra boost of motivation to keep pushing on,” Dr Hronis said of the finalist nomination.

The Allied Health Awards run every year since 2018.

Nominations for the 2023 awards closed on 1 May and winners will be announced in a Gala expected to be held in October.