Sue Randall

I work in the field of wellness coaching and trauma release exercise (TRE). I am based in Johannesburg, South Africa. I consult in person and online.

My scope of practice does not include treating or diagnosing mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. I am a counsellor who offers a paid service to provide non-judgemental emotional support.

People who benefit from my services include those who are lonely and isolated or bereaved. I have had some deep bereavements and bring my personal experience and academic training together in my counselling. This includes the loss of pets.

People from dysfunctional families and those facing unwanted life transitions and circumstances often also benefit from wellness coaching. It can be hard to prioritise our wellness when we are just trying to cope with our daily life.

In addition, as a disabled person, I support people with chronic illness and have a special interest in non-addictive pain management.

I also offer emotional support for terminally ill people and their families. My perspective aligns with diverse faiths, including Buddhism and Hinduism as well as the Judeo-Christian traditions.

Scope of practice

I do not help people who have (or think they might have) mental health issues. A clinical psychologist or psychiatrist should be consulted. I can refer clients to medical practitioners or psychologists.

My focus is on wellness counselling, which includes teaching mindfulness and meditation. I help clients break down their challenges into manageable goals. I am familiar with trauma and recovery and may include these issues in the counselling process as needed. I am also a registered Trauma Release Exercise (TRE) provider.

I am not a registered healthcare practitioner, which means medical aids do not cover my fees. However, I am registered with the ASCHP as a specialist wellness counsellor, which means you may be able to claim for my fees in your tax returns as a health-related expense not covered by medical aids.

My education

My undergraduate degrees were in psychology and English. My master’s degree (Wits, 2006) was in research psychology. I studied the measurement of resilience as an aspect of the personality. In 2018, I qualified as a TRE provider, and three years later I completed a certificate course in trauma counselling.

In addition to my training in Dr Berceli’s TRE methodology, I draw from the work of Liz Koch, Peter Levine, Bessel van der Kolk, Stephen Porges and other experts in trauma recovery.

Buddhist influences

I follow some Buddhist practices and philosophy. I lived and worked at a Buddhist retreat centre for six years (2003-2009) and completed my master’s dissertation during that time. My work therefore spans both Eastern traditions and Western knowledge. Buddhist practices have contributed greatly to psychology. Brain studies by Bessel van der Kolk and his team showed that the brain centres that are developed by practices like meditation or breath awareness are strongly involved in trauma recovery and self-regulation.

My healing work also draws from the chakra system, a part of the Vedic tradition. The chakras are said to be energy centres that connect the spiritual aspect of the human mind to our bodies. The chakra system is a metaphysical concept. However, there are often main nerve connections and endocrine glands at the relevant places in our bodies.