About Me
My name is Mateusz Biernat. I am a clinical psychologist, therapist, educator, and advocate for the rights of individuals with lived experience of mental health crises. For over 15 years, I have been building bridges between science, practice, and personal experience — believing that recovery is not only a medical process, but above all a social and relational one.
As president of the Human Foundation and a member of the Human Rights Committee of Mental Health Europe, I represent Poland internationally — including at the European Parliament and conferences organized by the European Commission. I am also a member of the Polish Mental Health Council at the Ministry of Health, and a co-creator and implementer of initiatives such as Mapa Wsparcia, Empowerment College, Open Dialogues, and peer support groups.
I have collaborated with universities, psychiatric hospitals, ministries, public institutions, and NGOs in Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, Romania, and Germany. I’ve been involved in legislative reforms, educational programs, public campaigns, and scientific research. I’ve also reviewed for journals such as Lancet Psychiatry and eClinical Medicine, and led hundreds of workshops, lectures, and therapeutic processes.
My goal is to amplify the voices of those who have long been ignored — through education, dialogue, and shared responsibility. I operate at the intersection of psychology, social policy, and activism. Because mental health is our shared concern.
Clinical psychologist, educator, therapist, and advocate. For over 15 years, I have supported people in mental health crises and worked to reform the mental health care system.
Collaboration
I collaborate with institutions that understand that mental health support doesn’t end with diagnosis — it starts with relationship, attentiveness, and systemic change.
I have experience in designing and implementing:
- ✅ models of deinstitutionalization and community psychiatry
- ✅ peer support systems and adult education (Empowerment College, Ex-In)
- ✅ social, therapeutic, and educational projects (e.g., Human Foundation, Leonardo, Mental Health Ukraine)
- ✅ training programs for professionals and people with lived experience
- ✅ psychoeducational and diagnostic tools
- ✅ advocacy and public campaigns
- ✅ public speaking, lectures, and strategic consulting
I have worked with:
- – NGOs (Human Foundation, Leonardo, BIS, Mimo Wszystko)
- – hospitals (e.g., J. Babiński Hospital)
- – universities (SWPS University, Pedagogical University of Kraków — where I supported students in mental health crises)
- – government institutions (Ministry of Health, Ombudsman Office, Ministry of Family and Social Policy)
- – international organizations (Mental Health Europe, European Commission, Erasmus+)
🌍 If your initiative:
- – addresses mental health,
- – supports people in crisis,
- – aims for systemic change,
- – or simply needs a voice grounded in lived experience —
👉 Write to me.
- Individual sessions (Open Dialogue)
- Trainings and workshops
- Public speaking, consultations
Professional and Social Experience
- Human Foundation (since 2015): współzałożyciel, trener, lider projektów wspierających osoby po kryzysach psychicznych.
- Trainings and workshops: prowadzenie zajęć dla młodzieży, nauczycieli, terapeutów i osób z doświadczeniem kryzysów.
- Open Dialogue: współpraca z praktykami i ekspertami w Polsce i Europie.
- Peer Support and eCPR: promowanie podejść opartych na równości i relacji.
- Public appearances: Mental Health Europe, Dialog w Kryzysie, Fundacja Batorego.
- Publications and articles: współautor raportów, tekstów o stygmatyzacji i edukacji odzyskującej.
- Cooperation with institutions: m.in. Szpital Babińskiego, UP Kraków, Fundacja Leonardo, samorządy.
Media
(Selected video and podcast appearances:
Contact
If you are interested in working together, have a question or would like to invite me for a collaboration or appearance, feel free to write directly.
