Mandy

Ms Mandy Stokes, MSW

Registered Social Worker

verified by TherapyRoute

“As a social worker and trauma-informed practitioner, I support clients who are experiencing emotional overwhelm, stress, grief, addiction-related behaviours, relationship difficulties, and life transitions. My approach integrates evidence-based modalities including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Transactional Analysis, and Positive Intelligence (PQ) mental fitness coaching. I believe healing happens through collaboration. Clients are supported to understand their patterns, strengthen emotional regulation, develop practical coping tools, and shift unhelpful beliefs rooted in past experiences. My practice is warm, grounded, and deeply respectful of each person’s story and cultural context.”

About Me

I am a registered Social Worker in private practice, offering supportive, practical, and transformative counselling for individuals and families. With over two decades of combined personal and professional experience in recovery, emotional wellbeing, and behaviour change, I am passionate about helping people navigate life’s most challenging moments with clarity and compassion. My work is grounded in trauma-informed care, recognising how past experiences shape present patterns, emotions, and relationships. I create a safe, non-judgmental space where clients feel seen, understood, and empowered. Alongside my counselling practice, I am a clinical supervisor, educator, and mental fitness coach, supporting professionals and clients in developing resilience, self-leadership, and emotional regulation.

Approach

My approach is grounded in trauma-informed care, creating a safe and supportive space where clients move at a pace that feels manageable and empowering. I integrate practical, skills-based methods—particularly Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)—to help clients regulate emotions, manage stress, and build healthier patterns in relationships and daily life. I work collaboratively and draw from solution-focused, positive psychology, and Transactional Analysis principles to tailor each session to the individual. My goal is to help clients understand the roots of their struggles, develop effective coping tools, and build long-term resilience. Through Positive Intelligence mental fitness coaching, we strengthen the mindset and self-leadership needed for lasting personal change.
Contact Mandy

Ask a quick question or arrange a time to meet.

Basic Information
Book Now

Services

I support clients who are feeling overwhelmed by trauma, stress, anxiety, or major life changes, helping them regulate their emotions and feel more grounded. I work with individuals facing grief and loss, addiction or destructive coping patterns, and those struggling with codependency, boundaries, or relationship difficulties. I also help with parenting stress, workplace challenges, and rebuilding self-esteem and confidence. Alongside counselling, I offer Positive Intelligence mental fitness coaching to help clients strengthen their mindset, reduce inner saboteurs, and build resilience. I also provide clinical supervision, CPD workshops and family programs focused on healthy support, boundaries, and recovery.

Services Offered:

  • •
    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
  • •
    Counseling

    A form of talk therapy providing a safe, confidential space to explore feelings, thoughts, and behaviours with a trained professional.

    Learn more about Counseling
  • •
    Online Counseling

    Counselling conducted via video, phone, or secure messaging, providing professional support remotely.

    Learn more about Online Counseling
  • •
    Trauma Counseling

    Counselling specifically for people affected by traumatic events, focused on processing what happened and reducing symptoms like flashbacks and hypervigilance.

    Learn more about Trauma Counseling

Works With:

  • •Adolescents
  • •Adults
  • •Couples
  • •Groups
  • •Individuals

Area of Expertise

Scope of Practice:

  • •
    Addiction

    A compulsive dependence on a substance or behaviour, such as alcohol, drugs, or gambling, that causes harmful consequences to health, relationships, or daily life.

    Learn more about Addiction
  • •
    Anxiety

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

    Learn more about Anxiety
  • •
    Burnout

    A state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, characterised by detachment, cynicism, and reduced effectiveness.

    Learn more about Burnout
  • •
    Codependency

    A relational pattern in which a person's sense of identity and self-worth becomes excessively tied to caring for or controlling another person, often at their own expense.

  • •
    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
  • •
    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.

  • •
    Relationship Issues

    Difficulties in romantic relationships, including communication problems, trust breakdowns, conflict patterns, or uncertainty about the relationship's future.

    Learn more about Relationship Issues
  • •
    Self-Care

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

    Learn more about Self-Care
  • •
    Stress

    The body and mind's response to excessive demands. When sustained, it can lead to emotional exhaustion, physical symptoms, and reduced functioning.

    Learn more about Stress
  • •
    Trauma

    The lasting psychological impact of deeply distressing events, such as violence, abuse, accidents, or disasters, that overwhelm a person's ability to cope.

    Learn more about Trauma

Professional Title:

  • •
    Registered Social Worker

    A social worker registered with a regulatory body to provide social work services including therapy and case management.

Qualifications

Master of Social Work

Masters

UNISA

Year: 2017

Bachelor of Social Work

Bachelor

University of South Africa (UNISA)

Year: 2013

Registrations

South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP)

Social Worker

Registration: 10-32445

Verify License

South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP)

Social Worker

Registration: 10-32445

Verify License

Memberships

South African Association of Social Workers in Private Practice (SAASWIPP)

Full Member

Membership: 1032445

Service Area

Kolonnade

In-person & Online

Montana Park

Pretoria, Gauteng

South Africa

Facebook iconLinkedIn icon