Karin

Mrs Karin Gerber

Educational Psychologist

“I am committed to providing a supportive, non-judgemental therapeutic environment where clients feel heard and understood. My work focuses on helping individuals gain insight into emotional and relational patterns, build resilience, and develop practical skills to navigate life’s challenges with greater confidence and balance.”

About Me

I am a registered educational psychologist with over 10 years’ experience providing psychotherapy to school-going children (Grade 1 and older), teenagers, students, and young adults. I am deeply committed to supporting mental health and emotional well-being, and to helping individuals and families navigate challenges that impact their quality of life and relationships.

Approach

At the heart of my therapeutic approach is a person-centred stance. I believe in creating a warm, respectful, and non-judgemental space where clients feel heard, valued, and safe to be themselves. Therapy with me is collaborative and reflective, aimed at fostering deeper self-awareness, emotional insight, and meaningful personal growth. I work primarily from Integrative Brain-Based Approaches (IBBA) and Relational Pattern Analysis (RPA), drawing on evidence-based methods to help clients identify recurring emotional and relational patterns, understand how these patterns developed, and gently rewire unhelpful responses. I am also trained in Brain Working Recursive Therapy (BWRT) and Jungian Sandplay Therapy, which allows me to adapt therapy to each client’s developmental stage and individual needs. I support clients who are struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, or feeling overwhelmed by life’s demands. Many of my clients seek clarity, emotional resilience, healthier communication skills, and freedom from patterns that no longer serve them. Together, we work toward building self-worth, setting boundaries, improving relationships, and developing practical tools for emotional regulation and balance. You don’t have to face these challenges alone. If you feel stuck, uncertain, or emotionally burdened, therapy can offer support, clarity, and a path forward. I aim to provide a therapeutic relationship that feels safe, grounded, and empowering, helping you move toward a more fulfilling and emotionally balanced life.
Contact Karin

Ask a quick question or arrange a time to meet.

Basic Information

Services

My areas of special interest include working with children, adolescents, students, and young adults who experience anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, trauma, and difficulties with self-esteem. I have a particular focus on relational challenges, including boundary difficulties, peer and family conflict, and patterns that contribute to unhealthy or distressing relationships. I also work with clients navigating life transitions, academic stress, and identity development, supporting them to build emotional resilience, insight, and healthier coping strategies.

Services Offered:

  • •
    BWRT (Brain Working Recursive Therapy)

    A therapy that works with the brain's natural response patterns to change unwanted reactions before they reach conscious awareness.

  • •
    Child / Adolescent Therapy

    Therapy for children and teenagers using age-appropriate methods, such as play, art, or adapted talk therapy, to address emotional and behavioural difficulties.

    Learn more about Child / Adolescent Therapy
  • •
    Individual Psychotherapy

    In-depth one-on-one therapy that explores the deeper roots of a person's difficulties, often drawing on psychodynamic or psychoanalytic models.

  • •
    Integrative Psychotherapy

    An approach that draws on multiple therapeutic models, tailored to the individual, rather than following a single method.

  • •
    Online Therapy

    Therapy sessions conducted over video call, phone, or secure messaging, using the same professional methods delivered remotely.

    Learn more about Online Therapy
  • •
    Play Therapy

    A therapy for children that uses play as a natural form of communication, allowing them to express feelings and process difficult experiences.

    Learn more about Play Therapy
  • •
    Supervision

    Professional oversight for therapists and counsellors, providing guidance, ethical support, and reflective space for their clinical work.

    Learn more about Supervision

Works With:

  • •Adolescents
  • •Children
  • •Families
  • •Adults

Area of Expertise

Scope of Practice:

  • •
    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.

  • •
    Body Image

    How a person perceives, thinks, and feels about their physical appearance. When persistently negative, it can drive distress, avoidance, and disordered eating.

    Learn more about Body Image
  • •
    Child Behaviour

    Behavioural difficulties in children, such as tantrums, aggression, withdrawal, or defiance, that signal emotional distress or developmental needs.

  • •
    Depression

    A mood disorder marked by persistent low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, and changes in energy, sleep, or appetite that impair daily functioning.

    Learn more about Depression
  • •
    Grief, Loss & Bereavement

    The emotional, physical, and psychological response to the death of a loved one or another significant loss, varying widely in duration and expression.

    Learn more about Grief, Loss & Bereavement
  • •
    Identity & Self-Image

    A person's sense of who they are, including their values, beliefs, roles, and self-perception, and the distress that arises when this sense is unclear, fragmented, or negative.

  • •
    Inadequacy

    A persistent inner sense of not being good enough, often rooted in early experiences and manifesting as self-doubt, comparison, or avoidance.

  • •
    Learning or Developmental Difficulties

    Conditions that affect a person's ability to acquire, process, or apply information, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, or intellectual disability, impacting education and daily life.

  • •
    Life Transitions

    Major life changes, such as relocation, retirement, parenthood, or career shifts, that disrupt routine and require psychological adjustment.

    Learn more about Life Transitions

Professional Title:

  • •
    Educational Psychologist

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

Qualifications

M.Ed. in Educational Psychology

Residency

HPCSA Accredited University

Year: 2014

BEdPsych

Stellenbosch University

Year: 2008

Registrations

Health Professions Council of South Africa

Educational Psychologist (PMT)

Registration: PS0127167

Verify License

Service Area

Amatoni III, Unit 52

In-person & Online

Stellenbosch Central

Stellenbosch, Western Cape

South Africa