On average 58 people are killed each day in South Africa, a horrendous statistic — but numbers gloss over the qualitative aspects of each homicide — and psychotherapy is needed to address the hidden motives
psychotherapy
Posted inGender violence, General, Health, Lifestyle
Modern neuroscience-based therapies can help resolve trauma faster than ever
By Terence Watts Contact crime continues to increase in SA, up by 2.6% in 2019. Debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often the aftermath and it can be difficult to understand what’s going on, in order to help the affected person, despite this having to do with the way an ancient part of the brain […]
Posted inEquality, Gender violence, Health, Lifestyle, Media
Can young people really know they are gay?
By Pierre Brouard and Judith Ancer If a young person feels that they are gay, is the priority to work out if they are sure they are gay, or to help them deal with the fears and anxieties of their family and friends? We are two psychologists who work regularly with this dilemma, and recent […]
Posted inEquality, Health, Lifestyle
Decolonizing the Self, transforming psychology
Dr Shahieda Jansen Right from the start of my career as a psychologist, I struggled with a sense of alienation, with feelings of resistance to the very idea of “being a psychologist”. After qualifying as a psychologist I self-identified as a researcher in health program development for many years. I finally surrendered and ventured into […]
Posted inGeneral, Health
Book review: Yalom’s memoir bravely turns the psychoanalytic gaze inwards
By Suntosh R. Pillay When I read The Gift of Therapy after my internship, I felt liberated. I started my first year of independent practice with a newfound confidence and ease born directly from my first foray into the masterful, soulful, instructive storytelling of Dr. Irvin D. Yalom. I have, over the years, internalized […]
Posted inEquality, Gender violence
Women are patriarchal – and this needs to end
Dr Shahieda Jansen and Neziswa Titi Women are patriarchal. We know this from various sources and interpersonal engagements where we had been corrected by women to “remember our place” or understand that when a man violates a woman she should accept that is how men are. But what about women who work against other women’s […]
Posted inEnvironment, Health, Lifestyle
Eco-psychology: Using bonsai to heal and find meaning
By Dr. Caroll Hermann In a recent episode of Binnelanders, a popular Afrikaans soapie on kykNet, Iva, the psychologist overcame her grief of not being able to have children by planting a tree. Some bonsaiists “make”a tree in remembrance of loved ones who have passed on or as a celebration of the birth of their […]
Posted inEquality, Lifestyle
Uncomfortable about current protests? Embrace your discomfort and be part of social change
By Ahmed Riaz Mohamed We live in a country and in a democracy forged through struggle, sacrifice and protest. The recent surge in student-led protest in the country is powerfully reminiscent of apartheid-era resistance and anti-apartheid marches, rallies and sit-ins. These students are channelling the spirit of former student leaders such as Steven Biko who […]