Men's rights activist Bettina Arndt is facing an investigation into her media appearances under the title of psychologist, after the health practitioner regulator received a complaint accusing her of falsely representing herself as a member of the profession.

Ms Arndt, who received an Order of Australia on Sunday for her "significant service to the community as a social commentator, and to gender equity through advocacy for men", said she hoped the regulator would clear her of all wrongdoing.

Bettina Arndt has denied falsely representing herself as a psychologist. Credit:Joshua Morris

"I am not currently a practising psychologist. However, that was certainly my professional training when I started my career in the 1970s," she told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. "It’s common practice for well-known people to use labels that include their professional background."

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency said in a statement that it was "looking closely" at allegations detailed in a New Matilda article about Ms Arndt this week, which detailed 179 occasions in which the former sex therapist was described in the media as a "psychologist" or "clinical psychologist".