• Welcome!

    My name is Ilana van der Walt and I hold a MsC degree in clinical psychology.

Hello!

My name is Ilana van der Walt and I hold a MsC degree in clinical psychology. I have a deep passion and interest in mental health and as such sought training in this field in order to assist people that struggle with current difficult circumstances or that may have been diagnosed with a mental disorder.

I have been trained in and can apply various therapeutic techniques. Every person is unique and therapeutic techniques can be adjusted to fit the needs of each individual. My main therapeutic approaches are Systemic Therapy and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT).

Therapy is provided in Afrikaans and English. I work with individuals and couples and children (from 6 years old).

About me

I started my journey in becoming a psychologist at the Midrand Graduate Institute where I obtained my Bpsych degree. After completing my honours degree, I completed my Masters degree in clinical psychology at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University. During my years of study and afterward, I developed skills and experience at state hospitals, clinics and a forensic institute. My work experience has afforded me the opportunity of working with various psychosocial stressors and mental disorders, which allowed me to gain the necessary knowledge to assist people with their difficulties.

I have been fortunate enough to work with people of all ages and from a variety of cultures, sexual orientation and with various difficulties. As such, I can provide clients with a comfortable and safe place to work through their difficulties.

As part of my Masters degree, I completed my thesis on mothers’ attachment experiences with their children after being diagnosed with Postpartum depression. This provided me with insight into the difficulties faced by new mothers and as such I developed a keen interest in assisting them with adjusting to their new roles as mothers.

Disorders and difficulties successfully worked with:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Low self-esteem
  • Stress
  • Trauma
  • Relationship Difficulties
  • Bereavement
  • Bi-Polar disorder
  • Conduct Disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • Living with / adjusting to a physical health condition
  • Substance Abuse

Qualifications

  • MsC Clinical Psychology

  • BPsych degree

  • Training in the use and analysis of various assessment instruments

  • Applied counselling certificate (ACDSA)

  • Protective behaviour and life skills certificate (Mett centre)

  • Registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as a clinical psychologist, independent practitioner.

Therapeutic Approaches

Therapy requires work from both the client and the therapist, as such I work collaboratively with my clients. Each client comes with a unique set of difficulties and requires treatment that is specifically suited to their needs. This is why I tend to work integratively, which means I combine various therapeutic approaches to fit each individuals specific needs. The following are the main therapeutic approached that I use:

Systemic Therapy

It can be used for individual, family or couples therapy. Psychological difficulties can be a direct result of how we interact in relationships as well as how we view ourselves within relation to others. Systemic psychotherapy refers to a form of therapy that focuses on the individual within the relationships that they form.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT is a form of therapy that focuses on challenging and altering thoughts, beliefs and behaviour. By challenging and changing these thoughts and behaviour, we improve emotional regulation. CBT is evidence based, and has been indicated as a reliable treatment approach for various mental health conditions.

Couples Therapy

Couples therapy is aimed at improving communication between partners and working through difficulties faced within the relationship with the aid of a therapist.

Get in touch

Any enquiries can be conveniently emailed through this email form. To ensure that you get a reply, please double check that the email address provided is correct.