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 Durban. 3 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 Durban page answers more questions about therapy there.
What therapy costs here
Do affordable options exist in Durban?
King Dinuzulu Hospital Complex - Psychiatric Services. Phone +27 31 242 6000. KwaZulu-Natal applies the Uniform Patient Fee Schedule. It publishes categories that receive free care, among them old age pensioners, children under six, and pregnant patients without medical aid. Public patients follow the provincial referral pathway. The hospital charter describes external referrals and a weekday reception for psychiatric outpatient and psychology care.
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
Nearby places and related listings
- Black Female Psychologists in Durban, two filters on the full Durban psychologists list
- Male Psychologists in Durban, one filter on the full Durban psychologists list
- Female Psychologists in Durban, one filter on the full Durban psychologists list
- Counsellors in Durban
- Psychologists in Durban
- All therapists listed in Durban (64)
- Marriage counselling in Durban
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)