Questions & Answers

My work is integrative: I draw on several approaches rather than applying one method to everyone, and choose what fits you and what you are facing. The main ones are:

• Person-centred (Rogerian) therapy. Developed by Carl Rogers. The relationship itself is the foundation: empathy, acceptance without judgement, and honesty from me. It rests on the belief that you already have the capacity to find your way forward.
• Humanistic therapy. A broader family of approaches, including person-centred work, that looks at the whole person (your values, choices and potential for growth) rather than only at symptoms.
• Existential therapy. In the tradition of Viktor Frankl, Rollo May and Irvin Yalom. It takes seriously the big questions that often sit underneath our struggles: meaning, freedom and responsibility, isolation, loss and mortality.
• Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT). Developed by Albert Ellis. It helps you notice the rigid beliefs ("I must", "they should", "I can't stand it") that drive painful feelings, and test them against reality.
• Interpersonal work. A focus on your relationships, how you relate to others and how they affect you, and on practising new ways of relating, starting in the therapy room.
• Life guidance and coaching. Practical, goal-directed support when what you need is direction: a decision, a transition, a plan.
• Group work and psychoeducation. From my clinic work: learning alongside others, and understanding what is happening in the mind and body, for example in addiction and recovery.

Mindfulness runs through all of these rather than standing as a separate method: learning to notice what is happening in your body, thoughts and feelings, in the moment, before reacting. I taught mindfulness-based approaches in clinic programmes, and it features in my readings on anxiety and anger.

You can read more on the Approach page.

The first session is mostly about getting to know each other. You tell me what has brought you, in your own words and at your own pace; you don't need to have it all figured out. I will ask some questions about your life and background, and we will talk about what you hope might change. By the end, you should have a sense of whether I am the right person for you, and I will be honest with you if I think someone else would serve you better.

If you can, complete the client intake form beforehand. It saves time we can spend talking instead.

Sessions last fifty minutes, and can be extended to a double session by prior arrangement.

Most people start with weekly sessions. Some come twice a week for a time, depending on what has brought them, what they need, and the time they have available. Some people come for a few sessions around a specific issue; others choose longer-term work. You determine the pace, duration and endpoint of the process, and we review it together as we go.

In everyday speech the words overlap, and most people simply mean someone they can talk to who knows what they are doing.

• A counsellor or therapist (which is what I am) works with you in conversation, over time, on how life is affecting you.
• A psychologist is registered with the HPCSA and can also do formal psychometric assessment and clinical diagnosis.
• A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can diagnose and prescribe medication.

I am a qualified and experienced counsellor and therapist, not a registered psychologist. Where an assessment, diagnosis or medication would serve you best, I will tell you and help you find the right person.

No. Clinical diagnosis is the work of a psychologist or psychiatrist, and only a medical doctor can prescribe medication. If you are also seeing a GP or psychiatrist, counselling can work well alongside that.

Yes. I have been part of multidisciplinary teams at clinics in South Africa and abroad, and I am used to working alongside psychiatrists, psychologists, doctors and rehabilitation teams. With your consent, I can liaise with others involved in your care, or refer you when that is what will help most.

Common reasons people come to see me include anxiety, depression and anger; loneliness; relationship and family struggles; divorce; loss; self-esteem and identity; life transitions and questions of meaning; alcohol, substance use and addiction; physical and emotional abuse; trauma and crisis; and living with a disability.

You don't need a label for what you are going through. If something in your life isn't working, that is reason enough to reach out.

Yes. I see scholars from the age of 16, as well as students, young adults and adults. For anyone under 18, a parent or guardian's approval is needed before we begin. After that introduction, what is said in sessions stays confidential, within the usual limits (see confidentiality below).

I don't offer couples counselling as such. I work with individuals. If you ask for it, and by mutual agreement, I can also see your partner or a family member, or the two of you together, as part of your own work.

I also support family members and loved ones affected by someone's substance use.

Yes. Addiction and dual diagnosis (addiction alongside another mental health condition) are a large part of my experience: as senior counsellor and program manager at Kenilworth Clinic (Akeso) in Cape Town, at Rustenburg Momentum Mental Health Care Clinic, and at Affect2U Trauma and Addictions Clinic in Belgium.

I work with people at every stage: wondering whether they have a problem, preparing for or leaving treatment, and staying well afterwards. Where a medical detox or in-patient programme is needed, I will help you find one.

Yes. When injury, illness or disability makes it difficult to come to the practice, I can come to you: at home, in a trauma unit or general ward, or at a physical rehabilitation centre. Because travel time varies, the fee for these visits is worked out case by case, and I will always confirm it with you before the first visit. More on the Connect page.

English and Afrikaans, as I am fluent in both. I also understand and can communicate in Dutch. My services are open to everyone, regardless of nationality, gender identity, beliefs, faith, ethnicity or culture.

Sessions are R800 (South Africa and the rest of Africa), and $65 for clients in other countries, payable at the session. I am not contracted with medical aid, so payment is for your own account. I can provide an invoice, which may be deductible from your taxable income.

You can pay by card at the session, or by the secure Yoco payment link on the Connect page.

Yes. I see clients by Zoom across South Africa and in countries including the USA, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, the UAE and Kenya. For many people, online sessions work as well as meeting in person, and they save travel time. All you need is a private space and a reliable connection. More on the Connect page.

The practice is on the ground floor of the Eikehoff Building, 28 Church Street, in the historic centre of Stellenbosch, opposite Basic Bistro and next to the Oude Werf Hotel. There is street parking (including disabled bays), but it can be busy during the day, so allow extra time or use one of the parking areas nearby. The Connect page has a map and full parking suggestions.

Please give at least 24 hours' notice if you need to cancel or move a session. Whether a missed session, or one cancelled with less notice, is charged depends on the circumstances.

Yes. What you share in sessions is confidential and governed by the ethical standards of PsySSA and the APA. Records are kept securely and never shared without your consent. The only exception is where I am legally or ethically obliged to act, for example where there is a risk of serious harm to you or someone else. If that ever applies, I will talk it through with you wherever possible.

Send me a message by email, WhatsApp or the form on the Connect page. Please don't leave a voicemail. I am often in sessions during the day, so the best times to reach me are 8 to 9am and 4 to 5pm, and I will reply within 48 weekday hours. Tell me a little about what you are looking for, and we can find a time.

I am not an emergency service, and may not see your message straight away. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, please don't wait:

• SADAG Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0800 567 567 (free, 24 hours)
• Emergency services: 112 from a mobile phone, or 10177 for an ambulance
• Or go to your nearest hospital emergency unit.

If it is urgent but not an emergency, say so in your message and I will reply as promptly as I can.