| We charge medical aid rates. The cost of therapy is usually fully covered by your medical aid. |
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| I offer therapeutic services to people from all walks of life, aiming to develop a space for people to develop and grow, whilst becoming empowered. It’s important for me to provide my clients with an opportunity to express themselves freely without feeling judged. Therapy services are extended to include individuals (all ages), couples, and families, where trust and respect is paramount. Adolescents and children are a special interest of mine, where play therapy enables the younger child to communicate in a non-invasive manner in order to address emotional and behavioural problems. Parental guidance, communication and conflict resolution, relationship difficulties, and personal growth are other areas of interest. Sexual abuse, as well as substance abuse and addiction as it relates to drugs and alcohol can be devastating, and different methods of therapeutic intervention are employed in order to assist all of those involved. Psychometric services are offered, which includes career assessment, educational assessment, and school-readiness assessment. See below for more information about the various services... |
| THERAPY with Leatia Call 011 888 1110 or email sino@jmdpsych.com to book an appointment |
| Psycho-educational assessment: In order to enable the development of a child within the scholastic realm, it is necessary to determine the best possible placement. Many children find it difficult to concentrate optimally, and may present with a variety of learning difficulties. Psycho-educational assessments aid the decision making progress regarding school placement, as some children might need more specialised attention within smaller classrooms. Individualised attention might prove to be beneficial, with various forms of therapy being incorporated. Children are faced with diverse struggles, which might call for occupational, speech and language, as well as remedial therapy. The assessment provides indicators as to the necessity of the aforementioned, and the parents and/or legal guardians are provided with guidance in this regard. Succeeding the assessment, a thorough feedback session is conducted in order to aid the parents in their understanding of their child’s level of functioning. A written report is optional, and is provided for the parents’ perusal in their own time. This is considered to be beneficial, as the amount of information discussed is more often than not overwhelming. Recommendations are made regarding future actions and/or placements to better suit the child’s individual needs. The assessment battery includes an IQ assessment, as well as emotional measures. All aspects of functioning is taken into consideration, which includes birth details, developmental concerns, diagnosis (if any), medication, family circumstances, scholastic functioning, and therapy that the child has been attending (including occupational, speech and language, and play therapy). The aim is to improve the child’s quality of life by taking all aspects into consideration, and liaising with significant role players. Children: Children often struggle with the same difficulties as adults, though their expression thereof may differ vastly. Effective coping strategies have not yet been set in place, possibly leaving the child with feelings of frustration and helplessness. Children communicate through play, as this non-threatening method enables them to deal with a variety of internal struggles and experiences. Children frequently resort to acting out in an attempt to deal with these experiences, and may become aggressive, depressed, anxious and withdrawn, to name but a few. By means of specialised techniques, play therapy aims to tap into the child’s world, and communicate on their level. Each child has a unique process, and differs in their presentation of their experiences. Thus, each session is focused on the individual child and their distinctive struggles. It is considered crucial to involve parents and/ or significant role players, in order to best assist the child. In order to contribute to the child’s progress, certain implementations within the familial systems might be necessary. The child’s interests are considered to be of paramount importance, and should be the governing principle of therapy at all times. Adolescents: For parents Adolescence is a phase of transition, coupled with the struggle between autonomy and dependence. A process of individuation ensues, which can be a difficult time for the adolescent and their families, possibly resulting in problematic communication. This process is of great importance, and enables the adolescent to function in the world as an independent person. They often feel misunderstood, and tend to seek refuge with like-minded peers. Thus, the level of closeness now moves away from his or her familial system, and moves toward social interactions and the establishment of meaningful relationships within this realm. The teenager may now be confronted with peer pressure, and decision making may be strongly influenced by their friends’ opinions. Exploration and individualised expression is essential during this period, though the chosen strategy to do so might prove to be detrimental. This momentous developmental phase is often associated with dramatic changes, and the facilitation thereof might prove to be beneficial for all significant role players. Adolescents: For teenager As a teenager you are faced with so many struggles. There are numerous challenges that you are confronted with, such as family issues, relationships problems, drugs, alcohol, sexuality, school, and future career options, to name but a few. You might feel misunderstood, as if only your friends can possibly understand what you are going through. Peer pressure is a harsh reality, and very difficult to deal with. Social acceptance is your main priority, as this determines your sense of belonging, and might influence you to do things you wouldn’t normally do. You might be experiencing a variety of emotions, and may be having thoughts that you feel unable to share with others. Circumstances at home may change, and it might feel as though your parents don’t understand you at all. The gap between you and your family might seem overwhelming, as nothing you say seems to make sense to them. You may be in need of a space where you can be yourself, where you can say what you think and feel without being judged. Substance abuse There are many factors that contribute to not only the development of addiction, but also the maintenance thereof. It affects all areas of one’s life, and can become a person’s single most important obsession. This is very hard for families, spouses and parents to understand, and loved ones also suffer together with the person struggling to deal with the addiction. It can provide them with a sense of escape, and living without it seems impossible. Therapy focuses on self-discovery, and understanding the emotional and mental function of substance abuse. Sessions can either be on an individual basis, or can include couples and families in order to create a holistic understanding within the client as to the family’s function within and around addiction. Group sessions aim to provide clients with a space where they can express themselves without judgment, where others understand what they are going through. Parents often blame themselves when their children become addicted, leaving them with a sense of despair. Warning signs are overlooked, often because parents and teachers do not know what to look for. Informational workshops for parents and teachers aim to educate regarding warning signs as it relates to a drug user’s behaviour, as well as drug paraphernalia to be on the look-out for. Sexual abuse After a traumatic experience such as sexual abuse, most people feel scared and unprepared, not knowing what to do and who to go to. When the decision has been made to lay charges, the process often seems daunting, and there is limited communication with the family as to the proceedings. This is a traumatic time, during which it is important to be prepared when the time comes to testify. You may need some guidance as to who to contact, and which steps to follow. I work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, consisting out of volunteers, psychologists, social workers, FCS (Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit) and prosecutors, in order to assist the client in the best possible way. |
