I am an ASCHP-registered wellness counsellor in Johannesburg, South Africa. I consult online.

My specialty is trauma recovery and stress management.

I offer support for people who are dealing with major life adjustments and transitions or grief, including losing a pet.

I help my clients learn methods for managing stress and becoming less reactive to triggers and flashpoints in their lives.

Holistic wellness counselling

Many of my clients are women who experienced abuse or neglect in childhood and went on to develop conditions such as chronic pain and fatigue or fibromyalgia. It’s not easy to reverse these issues, because the developing brain was physically affected by trauma. I had this experience myself in childhood and adolescence.

However, it is always possible to improve, as the brain is able to create new pathways and connections. In some cases, medical treatment is necessary to manage symptoms, at least for a while as we work with neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity means the brain’s ability to adapt, regardless of our age.

I offer support and gentle insight while my clients work on making the changes they need. This may include new coping skills and habits or strategies, such as mindfulness and somatic exercises.

Some clients have only one session with me, while others have more. It can be hard to prioritise our wellness when we are frantically trying to cope with a demanding life or an unexpected change or loss. Having regular sessions can help you focus on your self-care until it becomes a pattern and a habit.

Creating positive self-care habits is crucial for good mental health and a well-regulated nervous system. This inner work also has a positive effect on the immune system. Microglia, which are immune cells in the brain, control both the destruction and the regrowth of synapses, which are connections between nerve cells. This is a crucial aspect in neuroplasticity. According to Donna Jackson Nakazawa, the way microglia behave largely determines our brain (mental) health.

There is a lot we can do to determine how the microglia in our brains behave. As a wellness counsellor, I help my clients understand how to get these tiny cells to operate in a positive rather than negative way. When they are in positive mode, they rebuild synapses and nourish nerve cells. When they are in negative mode, they destroy synapses and nerve cells.

The behaviour of microglia is not affected as much by the thoughts we think – such as positive thinking – as by how we ourselves behave, both during the day and in our sleeping habits. That’s why self-care and a well-regulated nervous system are so important.

Mental health also has a lot to do with our physical health. Muscle mass and strength are crucial for brain health and graceful aging. Check out YouTube for many interesting videos on this topic.

Endorphins, which are hormones that act as natural painkillers, are another crucial link between our body and brain.

If you change one of these systems, there can be a balancing effect on other systems. Our nervous system, immune system, and endocrine system are all interlinked. Wellness counsellors take a holistic approach when supporting their clients to become healthier in both mind and body. The kind of work I do focuses on the nervous system, but it can have benefits for the other two systems. I help my clients understand how these linkages occur. This knowledge can motivate us to make necessary lifestyle changes.

For information on my availability and fees, please visit Headroom.co.za. You can also book a session with me there.

My education

My BA degree was in psychology and English, followed by an Honours degree in psychology. My MA (Wits, 2006) was in research psychology. I studied resilience as an aspect of the personality.

In 2018, I qualified as a TRE provider. In 2022, I obtained a certificate in trauma counselling.

Registration

As a specialist wellness counsellor, I provide an educational and supportive service. You may be able to claim my fees against tax. My ASCHP registration number is SWC25/17359. Medical aids do not cover my fees.

Pain and illness

I also provide support for people who are chronically or terminally ill. I have a special interest in pain management and am neurodiversity friendly. I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which was diagnosed only when I was 53 despite being a genetic condition. I’ve walked this path and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.

Spiritual orientation

We are all on Earth for a limited time and all have unique challenges and gifts. How important is it for you to see the bigger picture?

Many people find that taking a step back, mentally, from a crisis or confrontation helps with regulating the nervous system. In this regard, counselling is not just “head stuff” but is centred in the heart and the body. If you feel your heart miss a beat or constrict (and not in a good way), step back for a moment.

If you find your heart constricting and reacting too easily or often, counselling could help. In a safe counselling space, you can reflect on whether there might be an underlying reason for feeling this way. Perhaps you have developed a habit of reacting to stress. The kind of counselling I offer helps people become more in control of their stress and relaxation responses.

My orientation is compatible with faiths in the Judeo-Christian and Eastern traditions. Why is this important? For most people, our beliefs guide how we find meaning in life events. Our beliefs can either support our wellness or damage it.

It is important for counsellors to work with clients in ways that respect compatible or similar belief systems. My approach is client-centred, which means I meet each client in terms of their own beliefs. Sometimes, those beliefs may need to be carefully evaluated to see whether they are helping or harming.

Often people do not want to think about their own beliefs like this. But once they see the facts of their situation more clearly, it may become a logical choice and can lead to a healthy revision of old ideas that no longer serve a good purpose. Through this process, we mature throughout our lives.

Atheists may find my belief system incompatible with theirs. However, learning to meditate or be mindful does not require a particular spiritual orientation. These practices are helpful for managing stress and recovering from trauma for anyone at all. “Mindful” just means becoming aware of and attuned to our own body and thought processes as well as our environment.

Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE)

I am a registered TRE provider but do not currently offer this service. To find a provider in your area, please visit TRE for Africa and enter your search details.

Buddhist influences

I lived and worked at a Buddhist retreat centre for six years and completed my master’s degree in that period. My approach includes both Eastern practices and Western knowledge. Many Buddhist practices are good for stress management and can be used by people of any faith or spiritual orientation (including atheists and agnostics). “Mindfulness” – which orginally came from Buddhism – refers to working with your own mind and awareness.

Disclaimer

I do not offer crisis intervention or psychotherapy and I do not diagnose conditions. If you have or think you might have a mental health disorder, please seek help from a professional registered with the HPCSA. Wellness counsellors help people who are dealing with challenges but do not have a mental health problem. Within the scope of my practice, I sometimes use screening tests to help assess whether a client could benefit from seeing a therapist.