I am a registered counselling psychologist (HPCSA and BHF) who completed my masters training at University of Kwazulu Natal. I have more than thirty years of professional experience in the field of which eighteen years were focused on supervising, training, developing and moulding intern psychologists into the profession. In my role as a supervisor I was exposed to a variety of therapeutic approaches and related techniques, which has provided me with experience and exposure to both the more traditional approaches as well as more recent developments within the field of psychotherapy. I have also completed training in a revolutionary technique called Brain Working Recursive Therapy (BWRT). It is designed to assist the patients or clients in eliminating their emotional reactions to negative and unpleasant memories upon which the brain creates new neural pathways and patterns for future use. The results are almost immediate. I also work from an integrative therapeutic approach, based principally on psychodynamic and existential theory. This means that I seek to understand a person’s perspective in terms of unconscious motives and past experiences. These contribute to the meaning of their present world as well as their unique personality styles. I agree with Yalom’s statement in his book, The Gift of Therapy: “Look out of the others’ window. Try to see the world as your patient sees it.”

In addition, it is important for me to be mindful about my clients’ experiences in the present moment, and to assist clients in the process of meaning-making. As a South African psychologist, I work across all kinds of diversities, including religion, race, gender, disabilities and so forth. I can assist adults, adolescents, individuals, couples and families with the following challenges: anxiety, depression, traumatic experiences, relationship/couples therapy, addictions, bereavement/grief and adult survivors of childhood abuse. I also provide supervision to psychologists.

I strive to create a safe space for my clients in which they will feel comfortable and free to share their challenges in life. As a therapist I am aware of the self-conscious and uncomfortable feelings clients experience when sharing their personal stories and feelings with a stranger. Having said this I want to reassure my clients that my work with them is to understand and see their world through their windows. I treat their information and feelings without judgement but with utmost respect and confidentiality.

I am a registered community-based counselling psychologist (HPCSA, BHF, PsySSA), with experience in multiple contexts in which I have worked with diverse groups of people. I am highly passionate about the wellbeing of an individual, and the factors that dictate this.

I have carried out my work in university, clinical, school and wider community-based contexts, engaging on an individual level, as well as with the broader systems that envelope a person’s life. Each person is a part of a multifaceted system; their partner and family, school/work environment, social relationships and community and cultural settings. Understanding the role that each of these parts may play in one’s life, and the impact that it has on a person, can help to facilitate the desired, and/or necessary, change in a person’s life. I aim to work collaboratively with my clients, to assist in facilitating a deeper understanding of themselves in this complex environment, thereby, empowering them to make choices to function in helpful, healthy and fulfilling ways.

I completed my undergraduate and Honours degree in Psychology at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), after which I moved to WITS to become a part of the MACC programme (Masters in Community-Based Counselling Psychology). I stayed on at the University to undertake an internship programme at the Counselling and Careers Development Unit. Here I carried out group and individual psychotherapy, psychological assessment and psychoeducation for school and university students. I then continued to work for the University’s Psychology department, with a focus on research. The recurring issue of addiction and it’s far reaching effects on individuals, families and friends initiated an interest in working within this field, and I went on to work at Houghton House rehabilitation centre from 2017 to 2019. Following this, I transitioned to the school environment, where I have been working with children, families and school staff at St David’s Marist school since early 2019.

I employ an integrated approach in my work, framed primarily by Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), Systemic, and psychodynamic therapy. Each person’s experiences, values, belief systems and perceptions differ, therefore, therapeutic modalities are suited to the client and to what is brought into the confidential space. I work with adolescents, adults, couples and families. I am an advocate for holistic approaches to wellbeing; these encompassing a focus on emotional, mental, physical and spiritual health. A struggle in one area can create difficulties in the others for an individual, which in turn can impact the people around them – at home, at school and socially. A well-rounded perspective is thus valuable when change and growth are desired. Underlined by person-centered therapy, my work prioritises the belief in a client’s potential for self-awareness and the ability to resolve personal difficulties. A collaborative process allows the client to become an active participant in therapy, thereby, being the primary driver of valuable change. I aim to create a therapeutic space where the client’s agency, authenticity and personal experience are prioritised.

I would like to share with you a little bit about myself, my training and the core values that I hold dear to me as a practicing psychologist. I am a Counselling Psychologist registered with the HPCSA and BHF, and I completed my Masters training at the University of the Witwatersrand. During my training I offered therapy and assessments to children, teenagers, university students, adults, couples and families. It was an inspiring time for me as I put into practice the theoretical knowledge I had gathered at university, and during my time volunteering at the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), Hospice, Headway, and the Roodepoort Police Station.

Prior to my Masters training, I was trained in Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) and Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) techniques in Cape Town whilst conducting therapy with a young child with Autism. I also converted my Honour’s Degree into a BPsych degree during this time through a registered internship at the South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP) and Hospice. My experiences during my training as a counsellor and psychologist ignited within me a passion to find creative ways to help others heal, find inner strength, joy and peace, and help others reach their potential.

Once I registered as a Counselling Psychologist, I started working in Private Practice. I thoroughly enjoy working with children, teenagers, adults, couples and families as they seek to resolve whatever difficulties they are facing in their Life’s journey. I have worked with many different kinds of trauma, grief, loss, anxiety, phobias, depression, stress and burnout, infidelity, marital issues, couple infertility, addiction, anger management, conflict in relationships, existential and spiritual difficulties, and many other difficulties of identity and adjustment. I am especially passionate about doing play therapy with children and guiding parents as they work through parenting and behavioural difficulties with their children. I also offer scholastic assessments to help to determine school readiness, identify academic and emotional issues, and assist with subject and career choice. I enjoy doing career assessments with adults as well as they seek to find their most fulfilling career path. I have also worked within schools and companies to provide trauma debriefing, training, and assessments.

My approach to therapy is one that is consciously kind, gentle, compassionate, patient and ethical. At my core, I value the innate sovereignty, worth, dignity and potential of every person. My goal is to co-create a treatment plan with every person I see based on their goals, unique difficulties and circumstances, their personality, strengths, and weaknesses. I use an integrated approach that is flexible enough to change as the situation demands, as I am experienced in cognitive-behavioural, psychodynamic, client-centred, solution-focused, existential and systemic approaches to therapy. My goal is to help you put into words what you are going through, to become comfortable and feel safe with me, to express your innermost thoughts and feelings, and to facilitate and collaborate with you as we find solutions to the difficulties you are experiencing. Every person deserves to live a life filled with passion, direction, love, joy, peace, healing, belonging, growth and abundance in all its forms.