I have an MA degree in Social Work. I have been in practice as a social worker since 1987, and have been in full time private practice as a therapist working with individuals and couples since 1999. I am an integrative therapist. I draw on several therapeutic traditions including psychodynamic therapy, systems theory and attachment theory in my practice. I believe that people live fruitfully when they are emotionally in tune with themselves and are meaningfully connected to others.
I began my career as a social worker at NICRO, then Child Welfare and then FAMSA from 1991 -1998 where I first began to work with couples. My work in the NPO sector exposed me to many different South African communities, and gave me a rich appreciation of the impact of culture and socio economic circumstances on couple dynamics and family life.
I have immersed myself in contemporary approaches to couples therapy and attachment theory. I underwent training in infant observation to better understand the foundations of human attachment. I have attended courses in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy and lectures on Imago therapy. I am currently engaging with the Encounter Centred Couple Therapy to deepen my ability to help partners connect meaningfully. I am also exploring contemporary understandings of adult sexual intimacy.
I have had extensive experience training professional therapists in couple therapy. I was a guest lecturer on the Rhodes University Clinical and Counselling Psychology Masters programme from 1995 -2011. I have trained police, clergy and community workers in crisis intervention, domestic violence intervention, basic counselling and helping skills. I have presented at several conferences and have written and published in the fields of domestic violence, rape, and HIV counselling.