My guiding motto as a therapist is: “life is just too short to be unhappy”. I have been practicing therapy, counselling and assessment for over 20 years and have always found the best way to help clients is to abide by this motto. I offer short-term therapy and long-term, depth work depending on the needs of my clients; I endeavour to work collaboratively with them in order to achieve a more integrated way of being in the world and of being able to translate the insight of therapy into ongoing, meaningful actions and experiences of living.
I believe that every client arrives as an individual and that every therapy started is a thumbprint, a relationship that is built in service of healing; it is something specific to what you and I create and can achieve together for you. Sometimes, short-term interventions are enough and sometimes long-term therapy is needed or wanted. I have been working with people who live with personality disorders, problematic substance/alcohol/sex use, addictions, disorder eating, trauma, relationship problems, personality disorders, depression and illness for some time and believe that there is very little that cannot be worked through in the safe space that a therapeutic relationship creates and offers. I work with adults and adolescents; I also see couples and families. In addition to traditional talk therapy, I also use art and drama in therapy if it works for or is requested by my clients.
I have supervised psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, clinicians in training and therapists both individually and in groups for nearly two decades, having supervised them in various contexts such as schools, hospitals, private practice, student services, and prisons. I have also worked in private practice, schools, psychiatric hospitals, general hospitals, children’s clinics, a specialist personality disorder unit, a specialist eating disorder unit, a forensic treatment unit and various other contexts both as a clinical psychologist and, prior to that, as a speech-language pathologist/therapist and also as an audiologist.
I have published in peer-reviewed journals and presented internationally on topics that have included: sexual addiction, drug/alcohol addiction, therapeutic relationships, deafness studies, research methodology, art therapy, and forms/ways of healing in therapy.
I occasionally use online sessions for people who cannot get to the rooms and for clients who travel frequently. I offer therapy in English and Afrikaans; I also speak Turkish and am able to offer some support for speakers of Turkish.