My Catholic faith has been a guiding force in my life inspiring me to earn my clinical social work degree at a later age once my children were older and attending school.
I feel it was a calling and that I have been guided by the Holy Spirit in directing my professional path.
I believe that the the relationship between client and therapist are of paramount importance for healing. I see each client I meet as unique, exceptional and a beloved child of God. No matter what problem, adversity or trauma they are facing I endeavor to meet them exactly where they are at, in a safe, accepting and non-judgmental therapeutic space.
My Catholic faith assists me to bring our Lord into the healing process with my clients if they are agreeable and when they are ready. This enables our sessions to have a depth of insight, growth and healing that is only possible through the lens of our Catholic faith, scripture teachings and prayer.
Each client has their own unique journey and life story and it is a privilege for me to walk this path with them. Depending on their situation I use different models, theories and techniques in combination with our Catholic ethos to bring to light the problem and gain insight and awareness with a Christ centered perspective.
I began my social work profession 22 years ago in South Africa and have worked with many different client groups and in different settings over the years. I ran a successful private practice in Johannesburg for ten years before immigrating to the USA, working with adult, adolescent and child clients as well as doing family and couple work. I have also worked extensively with clients from diverse ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds as well as those from marginalized groups. This has assisted me in building creativity and flexibility within my therapeutic repertoire of skills. I have developed an eclectic approach using theory and techniques from psychodynamic, family systems theory, Narrative therapy, CBT, Gestalt play therapy, mindfulness, EMDR and Internal Family Systems. I bring dedication and passion to my work and adapt my treatment modalities according to the client's age and/or stage of development, the context of the situation and the problem.
My future aim is to run groups for newly licensed therapists focusing on integrating their academic knowledge and skills set into their therapeutic sessions with clients. I also offer peer consultation privately and in a group setting with focus on case studies and the psychodynamic interplay with clients in terms of transference/countertransference to assist therapists in self exploration and awareness and gaining more clarity in their work with clients.
