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Meet Gillian Stephen

Registered Counsellor & Mental Health Specialist

My journey into psychology began with a deep love for people and a fascination with the human mind, resilience, and the capacity for healing. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 2004 and working in the corporate world, I felt a strong calling to shift paths and follow my passion for mental health and personal growth.

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I began studying part-time through UNISA, completing my BA Honours in Psychology (Cum Laude) in 2012, and later completed the B.Soc.Sci (Hons) BPsych Equivalent Programme at SACAP in 2022 (also Cum Laude). I recently passed my HPCSA Board Exam and am currently finalising my registration.

As a professional and as a person, I’m committed to walking alongside others as they find clarity, strength, and meaning.

 

I have a particular passion for working with children — their wonder, curiosity, and resilience inspire me every day. As a mother of two, I’ve also experienced the joys and challenges of parenting first-hand, and that perspective deeply informs the support I offer families.

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I’m self-driven, empathetic, and truly dedicated to the work I do. I believe therapy should be grounded in kindness, authentic connection, and respect. I see every client as inherently valuable and capable of transformation — and I feel privileged to be part of your journey.

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Training, Experience & Qualifications

  • B.Soc.Sci (Hons) B.Psych. Equiv. (SACAP) Cum Laude

  • B.A. Hons (Psychology) (UNISA) Cum Laude

  • B.Com Hons (Accounting) UPE & Qualified CA(SA)

  • Completed Introductory & Advanced Play Therapy Certificates with Dr Rinda Blom (Red Shoe Centre) 

  • Completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills with Play Therapy International.

  • For the past eight years, I’ve had the privilege of running my own play therapy practice, supporting children and their families through a compassionate and child-centered approach.

  • In 2023 and 2024, I completed my B.Psych practicum providing counselling support to SACAP’s online psychology students, working with a diverse group ranging from recent school-leavers to mature adults. I offered tailored support in individual counselling sessions, addressing academic stress, emotional well-being, and personal challenges, while helping students navigate the unique demands of online learning.

  • Additionally, I gained experience at Fair Cape Health facilities, including Cle du Cap retirement village and Tokai Estate step-down facility, where I supported elderly residents and post-acute patients. These experiences strengthened my ability to adapt to diverse needs and collaborate in multidisciplinary care settings.

  • Attended the Child Trauma Training on ADHD, Bipolar mood disorder, Depression & Anxiety in children (2018).  

  • Worked with teens & adults as a volunteer counsellor at the Bryanston Methodist Church counselling house and completed the following courses:

    • Basic Course in Christian Counselling

    • Teen Counselling

    • Trauma Counselling

    • Sand-tray therapy

    • Creative techniques in counselling

  • Certificate obtained as a HeartLife Accredited Facilitator​ (2014) (HeartLife is character, personal, leadership and culture development tool).

  • Volunteered at Hope House (a counselling centre in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town) offering play therapy to children with a variety of challenges.

  • Set up and led a community-based Emotional Health Centre for a local NPO which offered individual counselling to adults, play therapy to children, trauma group therapy, art therapy as well as various life skills and character development workshops such as HeartLife. We partnered with various organisations such as SACAP, CASE, ChildLine, The Warehouse and Safeline to provide these services to the community.

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