GREYLING VILJOEN – personal profile

Greyling Viljoen is a clinical psychologist in full-time private psychotherapy and sport psychology practice. His clinical practice is based in South St, Hatfield, Pretoria and his sport psychology practice is based at the High Performance Centre, University of Pretoria.

In his clinical practice he works mainly with adults and adolescents. Greyling has a special interest in mood disorders and initiated a programme for Depression and Anxiety with the Institute of Sport Research at the University of Pretoria (More on physchotherapy services). He has postgraduate degrees in psychology and theology and is currently working on a PhD in psychotherapy at the University of Pretoria. He has extensive experience in facilitation of groups, trauma debriefing, conflict resolution, integration and team building. (More on work experience).

As a sport psychologist he has been contracted to provincial teams and has worked with many top athletes in South Africa, including members of the 2004 Olympic Team. In his practice he has worked with sports men and women in many different types of sports ranging from cricket, golf, athletics, swimming and rowing to equestrian, shooting and taekwondo ( More on sport psychology services ).

As a sportsman himself, he represented his province in five different sports as a junior (tennis, gymnastics, rugby, swimming and canoeing) and, as a senior, was a Springbok Canoeist over a period of 9 years. In addition he was captain and manager of the SA Canoeing team for a number of years. He is a past recipient of a number of awards including the South African Sports Merit Award and the University of Pretoria Sportsman of the Year Award. To this day, Greyling holds the K1 record for the second longest canoe marathon in the world (Murray Marathon in Australia, 1987) (More on sporting achievements).

Greyling is married with one daughter and they have another on the way.

Professional and educational qualifications

• Registered clinical psychologist with the Health and Professions Council of South Africa (since 1993)

• Masters degree in Clinical Psychology (University of Pretoria, 1992)

• Postgraduate diploma in Counselling (UNISA, 1989)

• Postgraduate diploma in Theology (University of Pretoria, 1987)

• BA (Honours) in Psychology (University of Pretoria, 1986)

• BD (Theology) (University of Pretoria, 1985): member of the SRC and received UP Dux award in 1985

• BA (University of Pretoria, 1982)

Work experience

• Full time clinical and sport psychology private practice (2004 – present, part-time: 1996 – 2003)

• Part time lecturer at School for Business Leadership, UNISA (2006)

• Managing Director and co-founder of Team & Leadership Development Centre (Pty) Ltd, 1997 – 2004. The focus of TLDC is to change behaviour to support business process change. TLDC are experts in the utilisation of outdoor activities such as high and low ropes courses for team and management development. Companies such as ABSA, Vodacom, Siemens and Datacentrix make use of the services of TLDC.

• Published book: “Teambuilding: A Manual for Leading Teams”, Drikus Kriek and Greyling Viljoen (currently prescribed at the Unisa Business School). 

• Part-time lecturer in Industrial Psychology at Vista University, 1999 and 2003.

• Founding member and full time consultant of Person-2-Process, 1996 – 1997.  Person-2-Process delivered a consultation service over a broad spectrum of areas within the human resource development field.

• Chief Psychologist of Eastern Transvaal Command, SA Medical Services, 1995 – 1996.

• Project Leader and Acting Section Head of Psychological Strategy, Military Psychological Institute (MPI), 1993 – 1995. During this period, Greyling acted as the chief facilitator for the Nationwide Psychological Integration Programme in the Military. The aim of the programme was to enhance the integration process of the former statutory and non-statutory military forces. He was also the chief hostage negotiator for the SANDF during 1994-1995.

Competitive sport and sport administration

• Manager of South African Canoeing team to World Championship and World Cup in Europe (2006).

• Chair of the Tuks Canoe Club (2005 – present)

• Introduced into Hall of Fame of the University of Pretoria (2003)

• Manager of South African Canoeing team to the World Championship in Holland (1994)

• Captain of SA Canoeing team (1985 – 1989)

• Springbok Canoeist (1981 – 1989)

• South African Defense Force Sportsman of the Year (1988)

• Won the Murray Canoe Marathon, Australia (second longest canoe marathon in the world) (1987): Greyling still holds the record for the fastest K1 time.

• Won the Devizes to Westminster Canoe Marathon, England (1984): Longest one day race in the world: 125 miles. (Also longest officially accredited canoe marathon)

• South African Sports Merit Award (1985)

• University of Pretoria Sportsman of the Year (1983)

• Won Berg River Canoe Marathon (1983): first Transvaal canoeist to have won the Berg.

• Won Sella River Canoe Marathon, Spain (biggest number of entrants in any canoe race in the world) (1983)

• Chair of the University of Pretoria Canoe Club (1982 – 1985)

• Junior provincial colours in gymnastics, tennis, rugby, swimming and canoeing.