Celeste

Mrs Celeste Paterson

Educational Psychologist

“I strive to create a safe, non-judgemental space for my clients in which I help them to think about and explore their current difficulties in a curious, non-threatening way.”

About Me

My aim is to offer a deeply safe, non-judgemental space where we can gently explore your current difficulties. As an Educational Psychologist, I help children, young people, and families understand challenges with learning or development. Our sessions provide a curious, non-threatening environment, allowing you to make sense of experiences at your own pace. This gentle approach is ideal for finding clarity and practical ways forward without feeling pressured.

Approach

You’ll notice I keep things gentle and curious, listening for what matters most to you or your young person and naming patterns without pressure. I work with families and adolescents in Cape Town and online, in English or Afrikaans, and sessions move at a pace you can manage—sometimes reflective conversation, sometimes brief assessments or practical experiments to try between meetings. Together we track small shifts and build clearer ways of making sense of school, mood or behaviour. This suits those seeking steady understanding and doable change.
Contact Celeste

Ask a quick question or arrange a time to meet.

Basic Information

Services

Services Offered:

  • •
    Child Psych & Diagnostic Assessment

    Formal assessment of a child's psychological, cognitive, or emotional functioning to identify conditions and guide appropriate support.

  • •
    Psychotherapy

    In-depth therapeutic work that explores patterns in thoughts, emotions, and relationships to produce lasting psychological change.

    Learn more about Psychotherapy
  • •
    Adolescent Therapy

    Therapy designed for teenagers, using age-appropriate methods to address issues like anxiety, identity, peer pressure, and family conflict.

    Learn more about Adolescent Therapy
  • •
    Psychodynamic Therapy

    A therapy that explores how past experiences and unconscious patterns shape current feelings, relationships, and behaviour.

    Learn more about Psychodynamic Therapy
  • •
    Individual Therapy

    One-on-one therapy sessions between a client and a therapist, focused on that person's specific concerns and goals.

    Learn more about Individual Therapy

Works With:

  • •Adolescents
  • •Adults
  • •Families
  • •Individuals
  • •Parents

Area of Expertise

Scope of Practice:

  • •
    Adolescent Therapy

    Therapy designed for teenagers, using age-appropriate methods to address issues like anxiety, identity, peer pressure, and family conflict.

    Learn more about Adolescent Therapy
  • •
    Anxiety

    Persistent worry, nervousness, or fear that is disproportionate to the situation and interferes with daily functioning.

    Learn more about Anxiety
  • •
    Behaviour or Conduct Issues

    Persistent patterns of defiant, aggressive, or rule-breaking behaviour in children or adolescents that significantly disrupt home, school, or social life.

  • •
    Mood Disorder

    A category of mental health conditions, including depression and bipolar disorder, in which a person's emotional state is significantly and persistently disrupted.

    Learn more about Mood Disorder
  • •
    Parenting Support

    Guidance for the psychological challenges of raising children, including discipline, communication, co-parenting, and managing the emotional demands of parenthood.

  • •
    Personal Development

    The ongoing process of self-awareness, self-improvement, and reaching one's potential, pursued not because something is wrong but to live more fully.

  • •
    Self-Care

    Deliberate actions taken to maintain or improve one's own mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

    Learn more about Self-Care
  • •
    Young Adult Issues

    The unique psychological challenges of emerging adulthood (18–25), including identity formation, independence, relationship navigation, and finding direction.

    Learn more about Young Adult Issues

Professional Title:

  • •
    Educational Psychologist

    A psychologist specialising in learning, development, and educational needs of children, adolescents, and young adults.

Qualifications

Stellenbosch University

Registrations

Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)

Educational Psychologist

Service Area

Celeste Paterson

In-person & Online

Claremont

Cape Town, Western Cape

South Africa