Our Services
Psycho-educational Assessment
(Learning Barrier Identification and Support)
The purpose of a psycho-educational assessment is to clarify and understand the challenges your child may face. This information could make the difference between your child merely getting by academically or thriving and reaching their full potential.
The assessment focuses on measuring various skills related to a person's development, specifically in educational and psychological areas of functioning. It is a formal process usually initiated by a teacher or one or both parents. A range of assessment tools, including both standardised and qualitative methods, are employed to identify the root causes of academic, behavioural, and emotional issues. Recommendations and suggestions are provided accordingly. If your child is consulting with other professionals, such as a speech therapist or occupational therapist, the assessment can help guide these therapeutic interventions.
A psycho-educational assessment typically takes about five hours, which includes an intake session and feedback with parents. A comprehensive report will be provided during the feedback session.
I would like to know moreSchool Readiness Assessment
The primary purpose of a school readiness assessment is to predict readiness for school entry and identify preschool children who may benefit from additional stimulation programs, learning support, or retention.
This assessment is typically conducted with children in Grade R to identify any potential developmental gaps that could impact their learning and development. Failure to identify these challenges can have long-term effects on a child's entire school career. During such an assessment, the focus is on physical development, cognitive skills, academic readiness, and the child's social-emotional functioning. Factors considered in a school readiness assessment include the child's emotional maturity, ability to follow directions, and cooperative skills with peers and adults.
In addition to early identification and support, a school readiness assessment can also provide reassurance to parents and caregivers about their child's progress.
I would like to know moreConcession or Accommodation Assessment
A concession or accommodation assessment is used to determine whether a learner or student requires specific support or accommodations to help them achieve their full potential.
Applications for Grade 12 examination concessions must be submitted during the learner's Grade 11 year.
Once learners progress to tertiary level education, continued concession support remains available to them. Concession and accommodation assessments are typically required by schools and the education department when applying for learners with barriers. They can be granted the appropriate selection of the following concessions during examinations: Applications for Concessions and Accommodations must be accompanied by the following documentation:
- Additional Time
- A Scribe who writes down verbatim what the learner dictates
- A Reader who reads all the text in an examination paper to the learner
- An amanuensis, a person who reads and scribes for the learner
- A Prompter, providing verbal or physical cues to refocus the learner's attention
- Spelling accommodations
- Handwriting accommodations
- Braille or Enlarged Print
- Computer Assistance
- Medication/Food Intake
- Class Assistants ensuring that the learner can complete an examination
- Rest Breaks, which are periods of time when the learner is not required to be at their desk but must remain in the examination venue
- Separate Venues, which are quiet environments away from the main examination centre
- Special Equipment
Applications for Concessions and Accommodations must be accompanied by the following documentation:
- Psycho-Educational Assessment: A comprehensive psycho-educational assessment that thoroughly evaluates the barrier to learning and a comprehensive clinical history are required. An educational assessment report completed within six months of the application must also be submitted.
- Relevant Medical Reports: A medical report from the relevant practitioner must be provided. This report should include the date of diagnosis, the diagnosis itself, intervention strategies (current and previous), residual challenges, and the professional recommendation.
- Supporting Historical Evidence: Any supporting reports, such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, remedial program reports, or any other medical documents, should be included to support the accommodation application.
- Teacher Comments: At least three relevant subject teacher comments should be included with the application. These comments should be written independently. They should provide an understanding of how the learner's difficulties impact classwork and assessments. Therefore, comments from teachers of subjects where the learner's difficulties are evident should be included.
- School Report: The most recent school report must be submitted, as well as any other recent, relevant school reports.
- School Samples: Examples of work that support the consideration of the accommodation being applied for should be submitted. For example, a handwriting accommodation would require the submission of an example of timed deteriorating handwriting, a time accommodation would require samples of incomplete tests, and a reading accommodation would require tests involving comprehension.
I would like to know more
Career Guidance (subject choice and study choice)
Career counselling is the process through which psychological assessments and interviewing techniques are used to empower clients to make an informed decision about their future or current career prospects.
Career assessments are tools designed to help individuals understand how a variety of personal attributes (i.e. interests, values, preferences, motivations, aptitudes and skills) impact their potential success and satisfaction with different career options and work environments. These assessments are designed to assist individuals of various ages and life stages in making suitable educational and occupational decisions, helping them manage their careers optimally.
For Grade 9 students, this process can help select the subjects they take at school. For Grade 11 and Grade 12 learners, it will facilitate decisions around what to study after school and help identify the most suitable career options. Older clients already in the working environment can use the assessments to optimise their career satisfaction and needs or to evaluate career change options.
I would like to know moreTherapy for Adolescents and Young Adults
Today’s teenagers grapple with numerous challenges, particularly in the realms of academic performance, friendships and dating relationships, family dynamics, peer influence, identity development, and self-esteem. For young adults the amount of changes that take place such as moving away from home, starting college/university, parting ways with old friends, establishing new connections, entering the workforce, or residing in unfamiliar cities, can feel overwhelming and anxiety provoking.
Therapy provides a valuable opportunity to gain fresh insights and acquire new skills, empowering you to navigate the challenges you face. The therapeutic approach will be customised to meet your specific needs, with a strong emphasis on cognitive-behavioural therapy, person-centred therapy, and mindfulness. A secure space is created where individuals can express themselves openly, without the fear of judgment or conditions on their self-worth.
This practice is LGBTIQIA+ Affirming.
I would like to know moreCognitive Behaviour Therapy
(CBT)-Based Psychoeducation for Adults
Psychoeducation is among the most effective of the evidence-based practices that have emerged in both clinical trials and community settings. Because of the flexibility of the model, which incorporates both illness-specific information and tools for managing related circumstances, psychoeducation has broad potential for many forms of illnesses and varied life challenges (Lukens & McFarlane, 2004).
Psychoeducation is a professionally delivered treatment modality that integrates and synergises psychotherapeutic and educational interventions. Many forms of psychosocial intervention are based on traditional medical models designed to treat pathology, illness, liability, and dysfunction. In contrast, psychoeducation reflects a paradigm shift to a more holistic and competence-based approach, stressing health, collaboration, coping, and empowerment (Dixon, 1999; Marsh, 1992). It is based on strengths and focused on the present. The patient/client and/or family are considered partners with the provider in treatment, on the premise that the more knowledgeable the care recipients and informal caregivers are, the more positive health-related outcomes will be for all. To prepare participants for this partnership, psychoeducational techniques are used to help remove barriers to comprehending and digesting complex and emotionally loaded information and to develop strategies to use the information in a proactive fashion. The assumption is that when people confront major life challenges or illnesses, their functioning and focus is naturally disrupted (Mechanic, 1995).
I would like to know moreTherapy for Children
In my work with children, I employ an integrated approach to treatment, incorporating cognitive-behavioural therapy, play therapy, child-centred therapy, and narrative therapy.
When working with children under the age of 12, the collaboration and active involvement of parents (and sometimes the child's teacher) are essential for achieving positive therapeutic outcomes. Parents play a pivotal role when a child is facing difficulties. When needed, classroom observation and consultation with the teacher are also employed before therapeutic intervention.
I would like to know moreExposure Therapy for Specific Phobias
Children afflicted by specific phobias exhibit an excessive and uncontrollable fear of a particular object or situation. This fear induces such anxiety that it can disrupt normal activities. Specific phobias rank among the most prevalent anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Despite typically presenting with a relatively straightforward clinical profile, these phobias can significantly impede the daily lives of young individuals.
Fortunately, specific phobias respond very well to behaviour therapy, with exposure being the central component. The typical treatment involves gradual and repeated exposure to the feared object, event, or situation. For instance, a child who fears dogs may start by looking at a picture of a dog, then progress to interacting with a stuffed dog, eventually gaining enough comfort to be in the same room as a small dog, and so forth. Therapy focused on teaching strategies to cope with fear and anxious thought patterns is another common approach for older children.
I would like to know morePsychotherapy for Physically Ill Children/Adolescents and Their Families
Hanlie's dedication to supporting physically ill children and their families traces back to 2014 when she started volunteering for Operation Smile, an organisation that offers complimentary surgeries to correct cleft lip, cleft palate, and other facial deformities in children and adults globally.
"My primary role involves emotionally preparing patients and their families for surgery. Everything I do is directed at minimising the psychological stress and trauma associated with anaesthesia and surgery. Typically, a patient (or a small group) is scheduled for at least an hour of psychological preparation, which can provide the patient with the emotional security needed to face such a life-changing procedure." Hanlie has taken part in missions in Mozambique, DR Congo, Malawi, and South Africa.
A firm grasp of the foundational theories of child development, medical play, stress and coping, and family systems underpins this practice. In her private practice, Hanlie has worked with children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer and other life-altering diseases.
I would like to know moreParental Guidance and Support
Parental guidance is a process through which assistance and support are provided to parents to enhance their effectiveness. It also aims to help them understand their own reactions to specific situations and why these reactions may either encourage or discourage certain behavioural and emotional challenges in children and adolescents.
During these sessions, we will also explore parenting styles and determine which parental behaviours and attitudes may influence the current emotional dynamics within the parent-child relationship. Assisting parents in altering ineffective parenting behaviours can result in significant changes within a child's world, as this relationship is one of the most critical systems.
Parents grappling with behavioural and emotional challenges in their children can often feel overwhelmed. Therefore, it's crucial to ensure that parents receive the necessary support and tools to address challenging situations and empower them throughout this process. This, in turn, will have a positive impact on the child and the overall family system.
I would like to know more