Vanessa

Ms Vanessa Richards

Clinical Social Worker

verified by TherapyRoute

Experienced & competent in child, adolescent & adult psychotherapy

About Me

I offer psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and adults. Drawing on my extensive experience, I create a calm space to explore thoughts and feelings. We can work together to understand difficult experiences and build resilience. My approach helps individuals and families navigate life's challenges. I offer support tailored to your unique situation. This can be a good fit if you are seeking someone to gently guide you through personal growth.

Approach

Experience across life stages shapes how I pace sessions, attune to developmental needs and blend gentle enquiry with structured steps. In Johannesburg I work in English and offer both in-person and online appointments, keeping a calm, predictable rhythm that helps children, adolescents and adults feel safe. Sessions often mix playful tasks or focused assessments with trauma-informed pacing, brief between-session experiments and careful liaison with schools or medical colleagues when that helps. This approach suits people and families looking for steady, practical support through change.
Contact Vanessa

Ask a quick question or arrange a time to meet.

Basic Information

Services


Services Offered:

  • Advocacy

    Services that help individuals navigate healthcare, education, or social systems to ensure their mental health needs are recognised and met.

    Learn more about Advocacy
  • Clinical Supervision

    Professional oversight and reflective practice for clinical practitioners, ensuring quality of care and supporting ongoing development.

  • Consultation

    An initial meeting with a therapist to discuss concerns, ask questions, and determine whether they are the right fit.

  • Mediation

    A structured process in which a neutral third party helps people in conflict reach a mutually acceptable agreement.

    Learn more about Mediation
  • 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
  • Psychiatry

    A branch of medicine specialising in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions, including the prescribing of medication.

    Learn more about Psychiatry
  • Psychoeducation

    Structured information provided about a mental health condition (what it is, why it occurs, and what strategies can help) as part of the therapeutic process.

    Learn more about Psychoeducation
  • Psychotherapy

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

    Learn more about Psychotherapy
  • Sex Therapy

    Specialised therapy addressing sexual concerns such as low desire, performance anxiety, pain during sex, or mismatched needs between partners.

    Learn more about Sex 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
  • Children
  • Couples
  • Families
  • Groups
  • Individuals
  • Parents
  • Under Fives

Area of Expertise


Scope of Practice:

  • Abuse

    Emotional, physical, or sexual mistreatment by another person that causes lasting psychological harm and disrupts a person's sense of safety.

  • 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
  • Autism (ASD)

    A neurodevelopmental condition affecting social communication, sensory processing, and behaviour patterns, with a wide range of presentations and strengths.

  • Child Psych & Diagnostic Assessment

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

  • 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
  • OCD

    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, a condition involving unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours or rituals (compulsions) performed to relieve anxiety.

    Learn more about OCD
  • 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:

  • Clinical Social Worker

    A social worker trained to diagnose and treat mental health conditions through therapy, often in healthcare or community settings.

Qualifications


M A Clinical Social Work

University of Johannesburg

Year: 2001

Honours Degree Social Work

University of Witwatersrand

Year: 1991

Honours Degree Psychology

Rhodes University

Year: 1986

B A Journalism & Psychology

Rhodes University

Year: 1985

Registrations


South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP)

Social Worker

Service Area


Sole Practitioner Private Practice

In-person & Online

Waverley

Johannesburg, Gauteng

South Africa