A New Treatment Paradigm for Mental Illness: Medicine-Assisted Therapies

Tania de Jong AM is one of Australia’s most successful female entrepreneurs, performers and innovators having developed 6 businesses and 3 charities over 3 decades. Tania works across the public, private, creative and social sectors. She founded Creativity Australia, Creative Universe, MTA Entertainment & Events and The Song Room and works with disadvantaged communities nationally through Creativity Australia’s ‘With One Voice’ choir social inclusion programs.

She has co-founded Mind Medicine Australia with her husband Peter Hunt AM. Mind Medicine Australia exists to help alleviate the suffering caused by mental illness in Australia through expanding the treatment options available to medical practitioners and their patients. MMA is establishing safe and effective psychedelic-assisted treatments to treat a range of mental illnesses.

Tania presents keynote speeches and leadership programs and performs internationally as a soloist and with her group Pot-Pourri. She has released twelve albums including new solo releases The Breezes at Dawn have Secrets to Tell and Solitary Harmony.

Tania’s TED Talk How Singing Together Changes The Brain has been viewed over 110,000 times and sparked international interest.

She is Founder and Executive Producer of Creative Innovation Global winning national and international awards. Creative Universe and Creative Innovation Global were ranked among the top 20 event organizers and agencies from around the world as part of the newly released Eventex All-Stars Index.

Tania has founded a co-working space called Dimension5 in Melbourne to drive social innovation and collaboration.

Tania’s awards include Ernst and Young Australian Social Entrepreneur of the Year. She was inducted into the AGSE Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame at Swinburne University and named Brainlink Woman of Achievement.  Tania was recently named in the 100 Women of Influence, the 100 Australian Most Influential Entrepreneurs and named as one of the 100 most influential people in psychedelics globally in 2021. She was also honoured with the Award for Meritorious Service to the Community in the Victorian Multicultural Awards for Excellence.

She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in June 2008 for service to the Arts as a performer and entrepreneur and through the establishment and development of music and arts enrichment programs for schools and communities.

Tania has a Bachelor of Law (Honours) from the University of Melbourne and is a graduate of Victorian College of the Arts in opera, music theatre and voice.

Tania’s grandmother invented the foldable umbrella in Vienna in 1929 so it’s not surprising innovation is in her blood. Her mission is to change the world, one voice at a time!

Twitter: @TaniadeJong   Websites: www.taniadejong.com  www.creativeuniverse.com.au www.mindmedicineaustralia.org  www.creativityaustralia.org.au