ABOUT ME

I started my career as an occupational therapist and worked as an OT for six years in South Africa, the UK and Germany. Later I followed my passion and qualified as a clinical psychologist. Since then I have been in private practice, first in Pretoria and since 2015 in Stellenbosch. In 2020 I joined the Neurodiversity Centre (NDC) fulltime as a senior consultant psychologist and supervisor at the Stellenbosch branch, addressing neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric concerns.

As a psychotherapist I feel very honoured to work with people from diverse backgrounds, who trust me with their pain, hurt, disappointments, but also their small steps to acceptenece, recovery and big triumphs. No problem is too small or too big to bring to therapy. I am so greateful to learn from every patient or client on their journey – I can really say that I love my job! Working within a multidisciplinary team (MDT) of highly skilled and trustworthy colleagues, to whom I can refer clients if they will benefit from other input, another therapist, or if I am fully booked is what I missed as a clinician in private practice and what makes working within the NDC so rewarding.

Having trained in many different modalities over more than 30 years, I adapt the therapeutic process to each person’s specific need. Drawing on many years of clinical experience with different cognitive, psychodynamic, systemic and somatic approaches, my main aim is to understand the lived experience of each individual and find solutions for difficulties that life throws at all of us.

I believe in addressing every dificulty with kindness and compassion, and offer therapy in a private and comfortable space in a beautiful old house in the centre of town. There are two fluffy and very soft cats, who may grace you with their presence.

Sometimes there are no ‘solutions’ other than sitting with what is. I am committed to be fully present when you experience unbearable loneliness, grief, and pain. No masking or, pretending is needed, and oppressive positivity is banned.

Working in a university town where I was a student myself, I am acutely aware of the challanges faced by many students, ranging from loneliness, academic and social pressure, lack of motivation, relationship issues, burnout, depression and high levels of anxiety. Nobody should suffer in silence. I am working closesly with the univesity’s Disabilty Unit (DU) in support of students who need special accomodation during their studies (tutors, academic support, learning strategies, special arrangements for tests and exams, etc.).

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

B Occupational Therapy – University of Stellenbosch
BA Hons (Psychology) – University of Pretoria
MA Clinical Psychology – University of Pretoria

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

Somatic Experiencing Practicioner (SEP)™ • www.traumahealing.org
Systems and Family Constellations facilitator, trainer and supervisor • www.familyconstellations.co.za
Accredited DISCO user (Diagnostic Interview for Social and Developmenal Disorders) • www.neurodiversitycentre.co.za • www.autism.org.uk
Neurolinguistic Programming NLP Practitioner (specialising in working with trauma)
Tomatis Consultant (Level 1) (not practicing, but can provide informationa and refer on, if incidcated)
Ongoing training in working with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Sensory Integration Theory (I worked in this field as an OT with children with neurodevelopmental conditions)

Special Interests

Autism and all related concerns
Ego State Therapy
Systemic and Inner Parts Constellations
Trauma (acute/ developmental/ complex/ intergenerational)