If you are in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself, get help now. Visit a nearby emergency service, hospital, or mental health clinic. If you are in crisis, these helplines can help:
Crisis numbers in South Africa
- SADAG Suicide Crisis Helpline: Tel: 0800 567 567. 24 hours.
- Cipla Mental Health Helpline: Tel: 0800 456 789 (24 hours) | Text: 31393 | WhatsApp: 076 882 2775 (8am to 5pm). 24 hours.
- LifeLine National Counselling Line: Tel: 0861-322-322 | WhatsApp: +27607154415. 24 hours.
- Dr Reddy’s Mental Health Helpline: Tel: 0800 21 22 23. 8am to 8pm.
- All crisis lines in South Africa
This page lists Social Workers in Cape Town. 42 in all.
What social work covers, from counselling to housing and income
Everyone on this page is listed under the professional title social worker. Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline 1. It promotes social change, cohesion and the empowerment of people.
The training emphasises the systems around a person. Housing, income, schooling, child protection and family conflict are part of it.
In mental health that often means talking work alongside practical support. Ask a practitioner what parts of your situation they would work on.
What this page filters on
These are the only filters: the professional title social worker.
The Cape Town page answers more questions about therapy there.
Fees, insurance and lower-cost options
Do affordable options exist in Cape Town?
Groote Schuur Hospital - Psychiatry Outpatient Services. Phone +27 21 404 9111. Western Cape public hospitals charge on a means-tested scale. Patients in the lowest band pay nothing for specialist outpatient visits. Public patients are accepted by referral from a district or secondary service. Each specialty has its own eligibility criteria.
3 of these social workers offer a sliding scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a social worker provide therapy?
Yes. Social workers are among the professionals who practise psychotherapy2. Titles and scope vary: clinical social worker, registered social worker, and others. Ask a practitioner what therapy training they hold beyond their social work qualification.
What is the difference between a social worker and a counsellor?
The training differs more than the session does. That training takes in the systems around a person: housing, income, schooling, child protection.
A counsellor's training centres on the conversation.
Can a social worker prescribe medication?
No. Where medication is part of the question, a social worker refers to a doctor. Ask a practitioner who they would refer you to.
What should I ask before booking?
Ask about credentials and experience, whether the practitioner has a specialty, and what approach they use. Ask whether they have experience with your age group and your difficulty. In private practice, also ask what part of the work is therapy and what part is practical support.
Who registers therapists in South Africa?
Titles you will see include Social Worker and Student Social Worker. Search the register by name at South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP). Check that the name and title match and that the entry is current. If they do not, ask the practitioner why.
In South Africa psychologists and social workers must be registered to practise. No statute protects the plain title counsellor.
What these practitioners record
40 of the 42 have included their registration on their profile.
The areas of focus listed most often here are Relationship Issues (21), Grief & Loss (18) and Anxiety (17).
Sessions here are offered in English and Afrikaans.
Nearby places and related listings
- Black Female Psychologists in Cape Town, two filters on the full Cape Town psychologists list
- Black Male Psychologists in Cape Town, two filters on the full Cape Town psychologists list
- Female Psychologists in Cape Town, one filter on the full Cape Town psychologists list
- Male Psychologists in Cape Town, one filter on the full Cape Town psychologists list
- Psychologists in Cape Town
- Counsellors in Cape Town
- Psychotherapists in Cape Town
- Cape Town: all therapists listed (562)
- Marriage counselling in Cape Town
References
Real choice. Authentic, independent, clinician-led care.
TherapyRoute is a clinician-led directory that champions independent practitioners who answer to you and their professional ethics. We don't take commissions, sell your data, or assign therapists by algorithm. You browse, compare, and choose.
Vincenzo (Enzo) Sinisi, Clinical Psychologist (HPCSA), Psychoanalyst (IPA/SAPA), Group Analyst (IGA)