"We do not have to do it all alone. We were never meant to." (Brene Brown)
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CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
Tailored interventions to unique individual needs
Dr. Christina van der Merwe
About Me:
I am Dr. Christina van der Merwe, a Clinical Psychologist specialising in helping young people and their families in facing a wide range of mental health challenges. I have a specific interest and experience in treating individuals with disordered eating. Drawing from years of dedicated service in diverse contexts, I offer my expertise as an independent HPCSA registered clinical psychologist. It is my commitment to guide and support you on your path to improved mental health.
My academic journey began with a psychology degree at UFS in Bloemfontein, followed by an Honours and Master’s degrees in clinical psychology from Stellenbosch University. After my studies, I embarked on a year-long backpacking adventure across Europe before commencing my career in a substance abuse treatment centre. Subsequently, I transitioned to a corporate environment, before moving to Canada where I spent several years in an Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment Unit. Upon returning to South Africa, I completed my PhD in Child Psychology and joined the Child Psychiatry unit at Tygerberg Hospital.
My work experience ranges from corporate settings where I managed the recruitment, selection, and development of senior and executive management, to psychiatric and academic hospitals in the assessment, diagnoses, and treatment of patients with mild to severe psychiatric diagnosis, serving both private and state patients. I also spent over a decade as a senior lecturer and supervisor at Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, teaching and guiding undergraduate medical students and psychiatry registrars.
Central to my treatment philosophy is a comprehensive intake assessment, which serves as the foundation for our tailored treatment plan. This plan outlines a specific number of sessions, which can be adjusted as needed. Regular feedback sessions with parents are conducted only with the patient's consent. My approach to treating children and young people emphasises swift restoration of their functionality, facilitating the completion of those essential developmental tasks of childhood and youth.
My aim in our engagement is to create a nurturing, compassionate and safe environment where you can feel truly supported. Employing evidence-based strategies tailored to your unique circumstances, we will collaborate to address the challenges you're encountering, fostering resilience, and facilitating lasting positive change.
Whether you are an adolescent struggling with mental health or a concerned parent seeking assistance for your child, I am here to provide the guidance and expertise to overcome these difficulties.
What I Offer:
I specialise in working with pre-teens, adolescents, and young adults, recognising the unique challenges and developmental tasks that accompany this stage of life. Mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders and eating disorders often start during childhood and adolescence. My primary goal is to address the difficulty swiftly and to facilitate a prompt return to functionality, enabling individuals to actively engage with and navigate the required developmental tasks of their age.
I provide comprehensive, focused and evidence-based management and treatment for a wide range of psychiatric and psychological disorders. My approach is grounded in offering the highest standard of professional care, creating a safe and comfortable space where individuals can freely share their inner world and where parents are empowered to assist their children in reaching their full potential.
For children, my services extend to various areas of support including:
- Depression in childhood
- Anxiety disorders including separation anxiety, school refusal and performance anxiety.
- Addressing behavioural challenges, opposition and anger
- Working through trauma and trauma related experiences (including bullying and abuse)
- Adjustment difficulties (such as coping with divorce, sibling arrival, changing schools etc)
- Problems with self-esteem
- Difficulty with attention, concentration, and executive functioning
Adolescents also benefit from my expertise in addressing the following areas:
- Anxiety disorders and mood disorders (including excessive worry and panic).
- Depression (including rapid and unexpected changes in mood, social withdrawal, isolation, and irritability).
- Suicide
- Eating disorders
- Enhancing emotion regulation skills
- Displaying destructive and challenging behaviours
- Identity formation and self-esteem development
- Managing exam stress and building effective coping strategies
- Navigating family adjustments and interpersonal issues
Our engagement will commence with a comprehensive intake and assessment session(s) upon which we will discuss the way forward and contract for a specific number of sessions, which can be renegotiated if needed.
I tailor the interventions to the unique needs of each individual as well as best evidence-based practices.
This is a cash practice, but invoices will contain all relevant information for you to submit to your medical aid should you wish to do so.
Dr Christina van der Merwe
"Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know." (Chӧdrӧn)
Frequently Asked Questions:
Services
Services offered include:
Registration & Qualification Details
Board of Healthcare Funders: Practice Number: 0123757
HPCSA Number: PS 0028797
BSc , BSc Hons Clinical Psychology, MSc Clinical Psychology and PhD Child Psychology.
If we are ready to tear down the walls that confine us, break the cage that imprison us, we will discover what our wings are for (Michael Meegan)