Bionovi

A New Path for Mental Health

At Bionovi, we believe in a fresh approach to mental health care that is grounded in what works, informed by deep experience, and guided by a sense of meaning.

We do not just aim to manage symptoms. We aim to restore connection to self, to others, to nature, and to purpose.

What Bionovi Means

“Bionovi” is born from two powerful roots:

  • Bio – from the Greek bios, meaning life; and

  • Novi – Latin and Slavic for new, fresh, or renewed

Together, Bionovi points toward new life, a symbol of possibility, resilience, and growth even in hard times.

Our approach recognizes that mental wellbeing is woven into our biology, our relationships, our surroundings, and our stories. We draw on ideas such as Planetary Health, One Health, and Ecohealth to honour the interplay between human wellbeing and environmental, social, and systemic factors.

Meet the Founders

James Tannenbaum

James is an occupational therapist whose career in mental health spans back to 2001. He has worked across private practice, hospitals, NGOs, and consulting, gathering a broad and grounded perspective on how mental health systems succeed and where they fall short.

His own experiences with mental health challenges as a teenager, alongside a family background in care, shaped his belief that true healing goes beyond symptom control.

James’s philosophy centers on restoring connection to self, others, nature, and meaning. He designs interventions and systems that are:

  • Person centred and grounded in individual values and identity

  • Evidence based, integrating clinical research and best practices

  • Trauma informed, emphasising safety, agency, and relational trust

  • Recovery oriented, focusing on strengths, choice, and real world impact

  • Integrative, drawing on biological, emotional, social, and ecological dimensions

His methods include individual and group therapy, recovery support for complex and trauma informed cases, psychoeducation, wellbeing programs, and consultation and training. He also explores new frontiers such as nature based interventions, somatic work, and ethical integration of psychedelic modalities.

James’s vision for Bionovi is to shift mental health care toward systems and services that are coherent, human, and generative. He works with individuals, families, professionals, organisations, and communities that value integrity, collaboration, and innovation in how we care for mental wellbeing.

Liz Tannenbaum

Liz is a qualified project and events manager with nearly 20 years of experience delivering high quality programs and member events for professional services sectors. She has built tailored and contextualised workplace learning and development solutions for leading organisations including Westpac, Woolworths, Specsavers, ASIC, the Office of the Auditor General, and RSM.

She has also partnered with numerous training providers and CPD organisations such as AccountingCPD, ICAEW, and RMIT.

Beyond her professional expertise, Liz brings lived experience in mental health. She has learned and applied many coping strategies through her own journey, and she carries that personal wisdom into her work. Her dual role as organisational lead and lived experience advocate ensures Bionovi’s services remain grounded, empathetic, and practically aligned.

Together, James and Liz draw from both the professional and personal realms to lead Bionovi. Their combined strengths in clinical depth, program experience, system thinking, and firsthand insight shape a mental health practice that is both rigorous and human.

What We Offer

We deliver flexible, trauma informed, evidence based mental health services that reflect both clinical depth and lived experience.

Our offerings include:

  • Individual and group therapy

  • Recovery oriented support for complex mental health and trauma

  • Psychoeducation and wellbeing programs

  • Professional consultation, training, and capability building

  • Program design, service innovation, and system development

We also explore emerging and integrative modalities such as nature based work, body awareness through somatic approaches, and careful psychedelic integration. All services are anchored by ethics, respect, and clinical foundations.

Why This Matters

Mental health care must evolve. Many people feel disconnected from services that are impersonal, overly clinical, or fragmented.

We created Bionovi because people deserve more than labels. They deserve understanding, clarity, tools, and paths to reconnect with life meaningfully.

How We Work

We combine the science of occupational therapy, health promotion principles, and decades of frontline mental health experience.

Our approach is:

  • Person centred: driven by your values, goals, identity

  • Evidence based: informed by research and practice

  • Integrative: encompassing physical, emotional, social, ecological dimensions

  • Trauma informed: building safety, trust, and choice

  • Recovery oriented: emphasising agency, hope, meaning

Who We Work With

We work with adults, families, professionals, and organisations - particularly those who value integrity, collaboration, and innovation in care.
We also welcome partnerships with:

  • Clinicians and mental health teams

  • Community organisations and advocacy groups

My Story

James

I grew up surrounded by mental health care both in my family and in my own life. With parents who worked in the field, and my own experiences of mental health challenges as a teen, I learned early on how important it is to have support, skills, and compassion.

I began working in mental health in 2001 while completing my first degree in Health Promotion. Later, I returned to study Occupational Therapy and graduated from Curtin in 2013.

Since then, I’ve worked across diverse settings including private practice, hospitals, NGOs, and held consulting roles. I bring a practical, humanistic approach to complex problems. I love my work as an OT because it allows me to meet people where they are and walk alongside them through change.

Bionovi is the culmination of my personal and professional interests in mental health.

Bionovi Values

Compassion. Service. Authenticity. Reliability.

These are not just words. We believe compassion is essential, service is our posture, authenticity is necessary, and reliability means building real trust.

We avoid distractions, quick fixes, and superficial trends. For us, the first step is finding a practitioner you feel safe with. The next is focussing on what truly matters without getting lost in noise.

As a team of registered health professionals in Australia, we hold ourselves accountable to clients, to professional standards, and to our peers.

Let’s Connect

If you would like to know more, work with us, or bring Bionovi into your organisation, we would love to hear from you.