My name is Melissa. I am a Counselling Psychologist in private practice, based in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. My practice is in Durbanville, behind the Durbanville Mediclinic. I love what I do!
 
I believe that life is a precious gift, but that it can be really tough at times. Most of the time we can deal with our problems ourselves, but sometimes we feel overwhelmed by life and its challenges. During times like these, we need someone who is objective and non-judgemental to support and guide us and to help us not only overcome, but also grow because of these challenges.
 
I am fluent in Afrikaans and English and help adults deal with day-to-day concerns such as stress, anxiety, loss, self-doubt and depression. My goal is to create a non-judgemental space for my patients to explore the emotions, thoughts and behaviours that are not in line with the healthy, happy life they want for themselves and their loved-ones.
 
I have a Master degree in Counselling Psychology from the University of the Free State and I’m registered as Counselling Psychologist (Independent Practice) with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). I completed my studies in 1999 and have been living my passion for people ever since. My background includes private practice; corporate training; and business coaching.

Apart from creating a safe, non-judgemental environment for my patients to share and reflect on their current challenges, I prefer to work from a cognitive-behavioural paradigm. This means that I guide my patients to identify, address and overcome unhelpful ways of thinking and behaving. It is, however, true that every patient is unique and that the same approach does not work for everyone. For that reason, I also use a wide variety of complementary techniques to assist my patients in acquiring the knowledge, skills and tools they need.