Welcome

I am a registered Clinical Psychologist and Jungian Analyst with 28 years of experience in private practice, specialising in individual psychotherapy with adults.

Psychotherapy involves a working partnership between therapist and client that aims to contain and strengthen the conscious mind, help the client reach greater insight and understanding, resulting in an improved sense of wellbeing, empowerment and freedom of choice.

I look forward to connecting with you and supporting you along your journey towards healing.

Therapeutic Approach

I follow an integrative approach; I think about and engage with each client as a unique individual, drawing on different theoretical frameworks. These incorporate person-centered, psychodynamic, developmental, mentalisation, attachment, and cognitive-behavioural theories. I have a special interest in twentieth-century psychiatrist Dr Carl Jung’s approach to psychotherapy, including working with the analysis of dreams.

“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”

― Carl Gustav Jung

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”

― Carl Gustav Jung

“Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.”

― Carl Gustav Jung

“Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people.”

― Carl Gustav Jung

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”

― Carl Gustav Jung

“People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls.”

― Carl Gustav Jung

“There’s no coming to consciousness without pain.”

― Carl Gustav Jung
“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”
― Carl Gustav Jung

What is Jungian Therapy?

To me, the ultimate aim is to become yourself, the person you were born to be. The decision to seek therapy often stems from a painful impasse, an interpersonal conflict, loss, or other debilitating event or symptom. Jung recognised the connection between mind and body and believed that our psychological and physical symptoms could be viewed as a call from some part of us that “wants to be known”. Jungian or Analytical psychotherapy is not only focused on symptom relief but also on becoming more familiar with previously unknown aspects of yourself. Through psychological growth and maturation, we can find meaning and the ability to live more fully and authentically.  

As Jung observed, the individual is driven to find a sense of peace and acceptance of themselves as whole and not feel that they are lacking in something; the deeper goal of Jungian analysis is what he called “individuation.” In other words, it is ok to be me. When individuals reach midlife, they often experience a crisis as their approach to life no longer sustains them. During the initial decades of adult life, the focus is on achieving primary goals relating to work and family. Once these have been achieved, the mind has the space to shift focus and seek out more meaning and fulfilment in life. An awareness starts to surface, inviting questions such as what is life all about, and how do I find meaning and fulfilment? Individuation describes the lifelong inner process through which a person becomes their true self by accepting themselves, flaws and all, searching for psychological wholeness, and integrating and balancing as many aspects of their personality as possible.

Jungian therapy includes the concept that there are many parts of the psyche of which we are unaware. We know the ego, which is a driving force of personality, but this is only one aspect. The other unconscious elements of our character significantly influence our feelings and behaviour. Awareness of these different parts of the psyche and living in harmony with them constitutes a large part of Jungian therapy.

Self-awareness can be raised by looking at dreams, memories, projections, life events, relationships, somatization, and emotions. Jung postulated the existence of the personal and collective unconscious. The analyst and client work together to understand the impact of personal history and experiences and examine the transpersonal viewpoint of symbols found in myths, fairy tales, the arts, and religion. This sheds light on the unconscious, what is most important and the parts of ourselves we do not always prioritise, awareness of which can lead to becoming a more conscious and fulfilled human being. Finally, Jung viewed religiousness as beneficial to society. While an increasing number of people are disillusioned with conventional religious institutions, analytical psychology provides the opportunity to develop a personal spirituality that is not reliant on any dogma or doctrine.

Intergenerational Trauma

I am deeply concerned about the intergenerational trauma caused by South Africa’s troubled history of colonialism and Apartheid, as well as the ongoing psychological damage and suffering brought on by socio-economic issues, inequality, crime and racism. I am committed to doing everything within my power, in my practice, and through my involvement in the South African Association of Jungian Analysts (SAAJA) to help heal past and present mental damage and work towards an equal non-racist society in South Africa.

I undertake to provide individualised, person-centred care for all clients regardless of their race, ethnicity, nationality, class, religion, belief, sex, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity.