Trauma Psychotherapists in Johannesburg

Trauma therapy treats what stays behind after a frightening or overwhelming event.

The World Health Organization names psychological treatment as the first choice for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) ¹. Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy and EMDR have the most evidence.

Treatment usually includes preparation, and work on the memory itself comes later. It is for people whose symptoms have persisted.

Not everyone who has been through something bad needs it. Ask a practitioner which approaches they are trained in.

Everyone on this page describes their work as psychotherapy. A psychotherapist works through talking with you about your thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

Psychotherapy usually runs longer than counselling and aims for clinical change. It works on patterns that repeat rather than on one current problem.

A psychotherapist trains in psychological treatment rather than in medicine. What that training covers, and which approach a practitioner uses, differ between practitioners. Ask which approach a psychotherapist trained in, and how long they usually work.

The Family Life Centre - FAMSA Johannesburg. Phone +27 11 788 4784. Fees are assessed on a sliding scale. Johannesburg residents can request an appointment.

• Emthonjeni Centre, School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg offers trauma counselling and psychotherapy for a nominal fee, and free psychotherapy through its community psychology clinic.²

South Africa has no separate register for the title psychotherapist. A psychotherapist must register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), most often as a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Regulations still in force (R993 of 2008) place the use of any psychotherapeutic method within the scope of psychology. You can check a name on the HPCSA iRegister.