Our sessions will be

  • Personalized

    There is no one-size-fits-all approach to counselling. Your sessions will be shaped around your individual needs, goals and circumstances.

    Depending on what you bring, we may explore areas such as relationships, life transitions, stress, anxiety, self-doubt, emotional patterns, boundaries, communication and wellbeing. We may also use psychological or personality-based tools where they offer useful insight into your strengths, values, patterns and ways of relating to yourself and others.

    Where appropriate, we can also explore the different parts of your inner experience through an IFS-informed approach, developing greater curiosity and compassion towards yourself and strengthening your ability to respond from a more grounded place.

  • Exploratory

    Our first sessions are an opportunity to slow down and understand what is happening in your life right now. We’ll explore your experiences, relationships, challenges, strengths and what you would like to change or understand more deeply.

    Together, we’ll identify the themes, patterns, needs and emotions that may be emerging, while developing a clearer sense of what you would like to work towards.

  • Integrative

    I draw from a range of complementary, evidence-informed approaches rather than relying on a single model. Depending on your needs, this may include person-centred counselling, IFS-informed work, mindfulness, emotional awareness, attachment-informed perspectives, self-compassion, values-based work and other practical tools.

    We may also bring greater awareness to the body and nervous system through practices such as interoceptive awareness, grounding, breathwork and mindful attention.

    The aim is not simply to gain insight into yourself, but to help you experience meaningful change, developing new ways of understanding yourself, relating to others, responding to challenges and moving through life with greater awareness, choice and self-trust.

Counselling empowers people to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.

“Not the world, not what’s outside of us, but what we hold inside traps us. We may not be responsible for the world that created our minds, but we can take responsibility for the mind with which we create our world.” - Gabor Maté,.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a Wellness Counsellor?

A: A Wellness Counsellor is a trained professional who provides counselling and emotional support around areas such as life transitions, relationships, stress, anxiety, self-understanding and general emotional wellbeing.

I am registered as a Specialist Wellness Counsellor with the ASCHP (Association for Supportive Counsellors and Holistic Practitioners). I also hold professional registration with the HPCSA as a Psychometrist, reflecting my background and training in psychology and psychological assessment.

My counselling work is guided by a strict professional and ethical code, including respect for confidentiality, professional boundaries, informed consent and the wellbeing of the client. As part of maintaining professional registration, practitioners are also expected to engage in ongoing professional development and continued learning.

My approach is integrative and person-centred, drawing on my training and experience in psychology, wellness counselling, IFS-informed practice and other evidence-informed therapeutic approaches.

Q: I have never been to counselling or therapy before. What can I expect from the first session?

A: Your first session is an opportunity for me to understand what has brought you to counselling, what you are experiencing and what you would like support with. We can explore your concerns, your goals and what kind of counselling approach may be helpful for you.

It is completely normal to feel a little nervous if you have never been to counselling before. I aim to create a warm, non-judgemental space where you can speak openly and at your own pace.

I am not there to tell you what to do or to judge your choices. You are the expert on your own experience. My role is to listen with empathy, help you make sense of what you are experiencing, develop greater self-awareness and support you in finding ways forward that feel authentic and meaningful to you.

Q: Can I claim counselling sessions from my medical aid?

A: Counselling provided through my practice is offered under my ASCHP registration as a Specialist Wellness Counsellor, rather than under my HPCSA registration as a Psychometrist. For this reason, counselling sessions are not billed as HPCSA psychological services and are generally not claimable from medical aid in the same way as services provided by psychologists or other medical-aid-recognised healthcare professionals.

I recommend checking directly with your medical aid if you would like to establish whether your particular plan offers any benefit that may apply to counselling or wellness services.

Sessions are payable directly to me, and I will provide you with an invoice for your records.

Q: How do you maintain professional standards?

A: I take professional ethics, confidentiality and ongoing development seriously. My counselling practice is conducted within the professional and ethical framework applicable to my ASCHP registration, and I maintain my professional development through continued training and learning.

I also hold registration with the HPCSA as a Psychometrist, which is a separate professional registration with its own ethical and professional requirements. Both professional contexts require practitioners to maintain appropriate standards of conduct and ongoing professional development.

INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEMS AS A MODALITY

Internal Family Systems (IFS) offers a compassionate way of understanding inner conflict. Rather than seeing difficult emotions, reactions or behaviours as flaws within us, IFS understands them as different parts of our inner experience, often shaped by learning, attachment, past experiences and our attempts to protect ourselves.

This perspective has interesting connections with established psychological concepts such as emotion regulation, attachment, implicit learning, self-compassion and psychological flexibility. One particularly relevant concept is decentering, the ability to observe an internal experience without becoming completely identified with it.

There is a meaningful difference between “I am anxious” and “Something in me is feeling anxious.” The second creates a little psychological space. Instead of being completely immersed in the reaction, we can become curious about what is happening, what may have triggered it, what the response is trying to protect us from, and what we might actually need.

This space between the trigger and the response can create greater emotional regulation and behavioural choice. We may begin to recognise that an intense reaction does not necessarily require an immediate action, and that an old protective response does not always reflect what is happening in the present.

In this sense, IFS is not about getting rid of parts of ourselves or forcing difficult emotions to disappear. It is about changing our relationship with the patterns that developed to protect us. When we approach these responses with curiosity rather than criticism, we can begin to understand their purpose while developing more flexibility in how we respond.

The goal is not to silence the parts of us that struggle. It is to develop enough internal safety and awareness that we no longer have to be completely governed by them.

Perhaps one of the most meaningful aspects of this work is that it allows us to hold two truths at once: our reactions make sense in the context of our history, and we can still learn new ways of responding in the present.

That is where insight can begin to become change.

IFS is an emerging evidence-informed therapeutic approach with a growing body of research. Early clinical trials have shown promising results, particularly in areas such as depression, trauma-related symptoms and self-compassion, although further large-scale research is needed.

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INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEMS - FAQ’S

What is IFS?
IFS, or Internal Family Systems therapy, is often referred to as Self-Leadership. This description perfectly captures the essence of IFS because the goal is for your true self to take the lead, rather than being governed by different parts of your mind. If you're curious to learn more, I encourage you to check out this insightful article or listen to my podcast and read my detailed piece on Internal Family Systems.

What is IFS used to treat?
IFS is a versatile therapy approach designed to help with a wide range of mental health challenges. It equips you with tools to regulate emotions and sharpen problem-solving skills, positively impacting many aspects of your life—your relationships, career, and overall emotional well-being. Originally developed to treat trauma and abuse, IFS is also highly effective in addressing addictions, anxiety, body image issues, compulsive behaviors, mood disorders like depression or bipolar disorder, and phobias. Whether you're working through specific concerns like career or relationship decisions or recurring patterns, IFS can help you create meaningful change.

Will IFS therapy focus on my family?
Though the word "family" is in the name, IFS therapy focuses on your internal world rather than your family members. The goal is to help you lead your own thoughts, feelings, and beliefs with greater clarity and confidence. While the therapy is not directly about your family, many clients find that the insights gained through IFS naturally improve how they relate to family dynamics and other important communities in their lives, be it work, school, or social circles.

How does IFS relate to my symptoms or condition?
Through IFS, we explore your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, which act as individual parts of your internal system. Like members of a family, some parts cooperate, while others may clash, causing emotional distress. By working with these parts, we can address patterns of thought and behavior that may have been hard to understand before, leading to long-lasting and transformative change.

What is Self-Leadership?
Self-Leadership is the process of guiding and nurturing the different parts of your internal system with compassion and wisdom. With IFS therapy, you learn to lead these parts in a way that is calm, clear, and confident. Whether you're already connected to your inner system or just starting this journey, IFS offers a powerful path to deeper self-understanding and personal growth.

What therapies are similar to IFS?
IFS is a unique therapeutic approach, but it shares some similarities with Gestalt Therapy. Each approach has its strengths, but IFS offers a distinct method of working with the mind's internal parts.

How will IFS help my relationship?
Research shows that one key to improving relationships is learning to regulate your own emotions. The core principle of IFS is about creating personal change from within, rather than waiting for someone else to change. By becoming more emotionally balanced, you’ll naturally improve communication and set a positive example for your partner, which can greatly enhance your relationship.

What if I'm not comfortable talking about myself or my emotions?
It's completely normal to feel uncomfortable or hesitant to share personal thoughts and emotions. IFS is designed to gently reduce feelings of shame and self-criticism from the very start. We’ll begin by getting to know your "protectors," the parts of you that may feel hesitant or afraid to open up. These protectors are valuable, and we approach them with care and respect, allowing you to gradually feel more comfortable as therapy progresses.

What if I feel awkward or uncomfortable about therapy?
Feeling awkward or unsure about therapy is perfectly natural. Even as a counsellor, I experience moments of discomfort when addressing certain issues in my own life. In IFS, we don’t try to push away these feelings; instead, we work with them. Your discomfort is often a sign of your protectors stepping in, and by working with them rather than against them, you’ll start to feel more at ease over time. We move at your pace, making sure your needs and comfort levels are always respected.

How does Self-Leadership help with leadership and management?
IFS can have a wonderful ripple effect for those in leadership or management roles. As you develop the ability to balance and lead your internal parts, you’ll likely experience increased confidence, clarity, and creativity in how you lead others, making you a more effective and compassionate leader.

How long does IFS therapy take?
Every person's journey with therapy is unique. IFS requires some time to build trust between you and me as your counsellor. I typically recommend giving the process one to two months to assess how it's working for you. Some clients feel a positive shift after just one session, while for others, it may take three or four sessions to fully understand and engage with the IFS model. We’ll continually check in with each other to ensure that the modality is meeting your needs, and I always welcome any questions or concerns you may have along the way.

If you'd like to prepare yourself even more, you can read Introduction to IFS Therapy by Dr. Richard Schwartz, though it's by no means required. We're here to guide you every step of the way.