About Kyle

Kyle MacDonald BA; MHSc (Hons.)

Registered Psychotherapist

Member, Association of Psychotherapists Aotearoa NewZealand (APANZ)

Kyle is an AUT-trained psychotherapist with over 25 years of clinical experience across public and private mental health settings. He’s passionate about expanding access to psychotherapy and addiction treatment, and about educating the public around mental health and emotional wellbeing — with as little jargon as possible.From 2016 to 2023, Kyle wrote a weekly mental health column for the New Zealand Herald, and currently co-hosts the award-winning mental health radio show The Nutters Club on NewstalkZB.

In 2023, Kyle published his first book, Shit Happens: Lessons for Dealing with Life’s Ups and Downs, with Upstart Press. Drawing on his experience as a psychotherapist, the book offers practical, accessible ways to understand and manage the difficult emotions and experiences that are an inevitable part of life.

He’s also long been a vocal advocate for improving mental health and addiction services in Aotearoa. In 2009, he was a media spokesperson for a group opposing the National Government’s changes to ACC’s Sensitive Claims scheme — which funds counselling for survivors of sexual violence.

As part of that campaign, he organised one of the first online petitions presented in Parliament (by Labour MP Lynne Pillay), helping force a ministerial inquiry and ultimately contributing to the redesign of the scheme in collaboration with ACC by 2014.

In 2016, Kyle co-led the People’s Mental Health Review with Mike King and ActionStation, which directly led to He Ara Oranga: The Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction, initiated by the Labour-led Government in 2017.

In 2019, he stood as a Green-endorsed City Vision candidate for the Auckland District Health Board, and in the 2020 General Election he ran as the Green Party candidate for Epsom, placing 14th on the party list.

Kyle regularly provides expert commentary on radio and TV, speaking on topics related to psychotherapy, mental health, and emotional wellbeing.

He has served on the Psychotherapy Board of Aotearoa New Zealand (PBANZ), previously served four years on the NZAP (now APANZ) Council, and was awarded NZAP’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018 for his contributions to promoting psychotherapy in Aotearoa.

He established in 2010, and is co-director of, the Robert Street Clinic in Ellerslie, and lives in Mt Eden with his partner and two daughters. He has also served on the Balmoral School Board of Trustees, including four years as Presiding Member — and is an unapologetically enthusiastic (some say insufferable) e-bike convert.