How to find a therapist in Pretoria

Finding a therapist may seem like a daunting task, but in Pretoria , there are lots to choose from. From private psychologists , psychiatrists and psychoanalysts to public mental health professionals, you won’t struggle to find the necessary mental health care.

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People may choose to find a therapist for a host of different reasons . Perhaps you are feeling depressed or anxious. Maybe you are grieving the loss of a loved one or have experienced a traumatic life event. You may feel that you aren’t living to your full capacity and want to live a more authentic life. Whatever it is, you can be assured that embarking on therapy is a positive move that will help you improve your life.

The decision to go with private or public help or a psychologist vs counsellor will often depend on your budget and your means of payment (i.e. will medical aid pay or will you be funding your therapy out of your pocket)? Private practitioners usually see people on a one-on-one basis and charge more than their public counterparts. Public mental health institutions offer one-on-one counselling but often focus on social work (in-community interventions) and group workshops and training.

If you are looking for a private therapist in Pretoria, a directory website like TherapyRoute.com is a good place to start. You can search for practitioners by specific locations and read up about each therapist's specialised focus. The site also offers a range of mental health-related articles written by the professionals listed on it. These can be useful sources of information regarding the particular difficulties you are experiencing, if for no other reason than to know that you are not alone in your feelings.

The South African Psychoanalytic Confederation is active in Pretoria, with many of its members based there. If intensive psychoanalytic therapy is what you wish to embark on, then visiting their site is a good place to understand more about what psychoanalysis is and how it differs from psychology or other less intensive therapy options.

For public services, FAMSA is an excellent place to start. FAMSA Pretoria’s mission is to promote committed relationships that sustain family life. Through workshops, training courses, counselling and other social work interventions, FAMSA aims to ‘empower people to reconstruct, build, strengthen and maintain flourishing relationships in the family, marriage and communities’.

The South African Federation for Mental Health has branches in every major city of South Africa, including Pretoria. The website offers a long list of helplines applicable to mental health issues. The organisation also offers a resource centre which provides information, support and referrals to those who need it – making it another useful place to start searching for mental health assistance.

Some mental health therapy is in-patient based, depending on the severity of a person's difficulties. Pretoria is also home to public and private psychiatric hospitals for such requirements. Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria West is the best-known public hospital, and Denmar Specialist Psychiatric Hospital and ZwavelStream Clinic are two of the top private psychiatric hospitals in the Tshwane area.

Once you have decided which therapy route is right for you and found your therapist or counsellor, you will probably wonder what to expect in the first session.

The first session is a time for you and your therapist to get to know each other a bit and assess whether the therapeutic relationship will work for you both. While your therapist will not (and should not) become your best friend, it is vitally important that the two of you have a good connection and that you feel that your relationship is based on trust. If you feel that your selected therapist is not a good fit for you, do not hesitate to search again and try a different therapist.

During the first session, your therapist may ask you to explain why you felt it was time to seek therapy and if applicable, to describe any specific symptoms or behaviours that prompted you to find a therapist. You might also want to explain what you hope to get from therapy.

It is important to know that therapy doesn’t always follow a predictable path. You may be hoping to improve a certain aspect of your life through your therapy, only to find that various other or different aspects improve as a result.

Sometimes therapy can make you feel worse for a while before it helps you to feel better. Therapy inevitably requires you to delve into difficult feelings and uncover painful memories, which can cause a tumultuous time as you work through them. While this may not sound appealing, it is worthwhile to work through these feelings to enable you to move beyond them. With the help of a good and trusted therapist, even the hardest and most painful feelings can be understood and dealt with constructively.

Another point to note regarding the first session of therapy is that it is likely that you will do the majority of the talking as your therapist starts to put together a fuller picture of who you are and what you are looking to resolve. However, you don’t need to feel pressured to cover everything in the first session. Assuming you and your therapist choose to go ahead with the therapy, you will have plenty of time to elaborate on details and share further thoughts or feelings as you journey through this process.

Your therapist may also ask you questions about certain aspects of your life that you don’t believe are relevant to your current issue. By all means, feel free to express your opinions freely to your therapist (after all, therapy is based on the notion of free expression!) However, it is also important to be aware that aspects that may seem irrelevant to your current issue may relate to it in some way that will become clearer as you process the problem with your therapist. It can, therefore, be worth including seemingly irrelevant details if your therapist asks about them.

Congratulations on taking this step to find the right therapist! You are embarking on one of the most worthwhile journeys you can take.

No / Low Fee Mental Health Resources in the Gauteng

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Note: South African public hospitals do not offer walk-in services. Most require a referral letter and will only serve a particular catchment area. Call your local community clinic or GP and ask about the process you need to follow to receive counselling or to see a psychologist.

Non-Government Organisations

Gateway House - We are an NGO with residential and daycare facilities for psychiatric patients - Johannesburg

iThemba Rape and Trauma Support Centre - iThemba Rape and Trauma Support Centre is an NGO that offers comprehensive care for survivors of traumatic events and families. - Johannesburg

Khanya Family Centre - We provide free psychological counselling, care and support services for children, adults and families in Katlehong. - Katlehong

Kidz Clinic - We are a clinic working with abused children. - Johannesburg

OUT-Wellbeing - At OUT-Wellbeing we offer counselling, treatment and general lifestyle advice and LGBT+ support. - Pretoria

SA Depression & Anxiety Group - We are an NGO that engages in mental health advocacy work and provides psychoeducation and supportive telephone counselling. - Johannesburg

SA Federation for Mental Health - Mental Health Advocacy Group, Telephone Support, Counselling. - Randburg

Sexual Assault Clinic - We provide forensic, medico-legal services to child victims of abuse, also Training, Consultation and Advisory services. - Benoni

Thandanani Centre Brothers of Charity Service - We are an NGO and offer residential and daycare facilities for persons with severe psychiatric disorders. - Roodepoort

Ububele - We are an NPO that provides psychological assistance to parents, children and under-fives at a low fee. - Johannesburg

Public Community Clinics

Alberton North Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Alberton

Bedfordview Municipal Clinic - We are a community clinic providing some mental health services. - Germiston

Birchleigh North Clinic - We are a community clinic providing some mental health services. - Kempton Park

Boksburg Clinic - We are a community clinic providing some mental health services. - Boksburg

Boksburg North Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults. - Boksburg

Brackenhurst Clinic - We are a community clinic providing some mental health services. - Alberton

Brakpan Clinic - We are a community clinic offering general counselling services. - Brakpan

Chiawelo LA Clinic - We are a community clinic providing some mental health services. - Soweto

Daveyton East Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults. - Benoni

Discoverer's Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Roodepoort

Dobsonville Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Johannesburg

Dresser Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Johannesburg

East Bank Clinic - We are a mental health community clinic . - Johannesburg

Edenpark Clinic - Edenpark Clinic is a community clinic working with children and adults . -Johannesburg

Edenvale Clinic - We are a community clinic providing primary mental health care services. -Ekurhuleni

Endayeni Clinic - We are a community clinic providing primary mental health care services. -Tembisa

Ethafeni Clinic - We are a community clinic providing primary mental health care services. -Tembisa

First Avenue Clinic (Springs Clinic) - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Ekurhuleni

Goba Clinic - Goba Clinic is a public healthcare organisation. We offer psychiatric assistance for adults. - Johannesburg

Halfway House Clinic - Will assist with any mental health issues. - Midrand

Hillbrow Clinic - We are a community clinic and offer mental health services to children and adults . -Johannesburg

Itsoseng Clinic - The Itsoseng Psychological Clinics' main focus is to offer a comprehensive psychological service to the community. - Pretoria

Jabulane Dumane Community Health Centre - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults. - Ekurhuleni

Jeppe Clinic - We are a community clinic and offer mental health services to adults . - Johannesburg

Katlehong North  Primary Health Care Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . -Johannesburg

Kempton Park Civic Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Ekurhuleni

Kliptown Clinic - Kliptown Clinic offers mental health services . - Johannesburg

Kwathema Community Health Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Brakpan

Lenasia Ext 2 Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Johannesburg

Lenasia South Civic Centre Clinic - We are a community clinic offering HIV/AIDS testing and general counselling . - Johannesburg

Lilian Ngoyi Community Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Johannesburg

Mary Moodly Clinic - We are a community clinic offering Mental health and HIV counselling, testing and treatment . - Benoni

Meadowlands Zone 2 Clinic - We offer Mental health HIV counselling, testing and treatment . - Johannesburg

Mofolo Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Johannesburg

Nigel Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - East Rand

Randburg Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Randburg

Spartan Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Kempton Park

Tembisa Health Care Centre - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Johannesburg

Tsakane Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Brakpan

Westbury Clinic - We are a community clinic and offer counselling services. - Johannesburg

Winnie Mandela Clinic - We are a community male sexual health clinic. - Tembisa

Zola Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Johannesburg

Zonkizizwe 2 Clinic - We are a community clinic offering mental health services for children and adults . - Johannesburg

Public Hospitals

Bertha Gxowa - We are a public hospital and provide psychiatric services. - Germiston

Charlotte Maxeke Hospital - We are a public hospital and provide assessments and referrals to people with mental health issues. - Johannesburg

Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital - We are a public hospital and provide assessments, referrals, and general psychiatric services . - Soweto

South Rand Hospital - We are a provincial hospital focussing on rehabilitation and counselling services . - Johannesburg

Sterkfontein Psychiatric - We are a public psychiatric hospital providing forensic inpatient and general inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services. - Krugersdorp

Steve Biko Hospital - We are a public hospital and offer inpatient acute psychiatric care. - Pretoria

Tara Psychiatric Hospital - We are a public psychiatric hospital providing forensic inpatient and general inpatient, and outpatient psychiatric services. - Sandton

Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital - We are a public psychiatric hospital providing a range of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services . - Pretoria West