Yoliswa

I was born in Dordrecht, Eastern Cape. I came to George in 2001 after completing my matric at Dordrecht High School. I am blessed with 2 children, a boy and a girl. 

I have always thought office work is my thing.  I did a course in Professional Secretary at PC Training & Business College, then a Qualification in Office practice at Boston City Campus but realized that my passion is in promoting social justice and offer support to the most vulnerable. 

In 2011 I joined Famsa after Hours support to victims of sexual assault and simultaneously worked in Victim Empowerment in a shelter for battered women and children.  At the same time I completed a course in Social Auxiliary Work in 2014. While working as a Social Auxiliary Worker in Victim Empowerment, I learnt that for promotion of social justice to be effective, it needs to be accompanied by community education, where I completed a qualification in Teaching Adult Based Education at UNISA in 2016. 

As of September 2021 I was appointed at Famsa as a Social Auxiliary Work for Victim Empowerment with main focus in conducting educational workshops around George. I am a huge fan of this project as I believe community education is a key method of empowering people as individuals to keep abreast of current laws to be able to make informed decisions in their social settings. 

My motto: There’s no limit to what you can dream, no end to what you can do, if you just believe, YOU CAN! 

Anzel

I lived in the Despatch, Eastern Cape until my family and I moved to Bronkhortspruit, Gauteng where I continued and finished school.  After High School I took a gap year and moved back to the Eastern Cape and lived with my grandmother for a while. While there I volunteered at the oceanarium as I wanted to study Marine Biology, that was until I realised that psychology was my path. So I guess the ultimate move to George to be closer to the ocean  and the calmness of the water was inevitable.

I studied Bachelor of Psychology with Pearson Institute of Higher Education (MGI) in Midrand. After graduation I went on to write the board exam with the Health Professions Counsil of South Africa (HPCSA) and register as Registered Counsellor in the category Independent Practice/Private practice Registered Counsellor. A few months after graduation and being from a small town I wanted to spread my wings I got the opportunity to go and work abroad, as if that was not enough of a challenge, I missed the high of being a student. I then decided to apply for my Master’s degree in Psychology and two years later I graduated with a MSc in Psychology from the University of South Wales. During my time abroad I volunteered with Lifeline where I first started off as just a volunteer on the phone and later on, I worked myself up to join the counselling team becoming one of the counselling coordinators responsible for debriefing volunteers and training new volunteers further opening up my world to learn and appreciate different cultures from all around the world.  I have also been a volunteer at the SAPS for their Victim Empowerment Centre / Trauma room.

Psychology for me is a lifestyle, our mental health has such a big impact on who we are as people and what we can achieve, yet it is the one thing we always forget about or just not make the time for. As a Registered Counsellor it is such a privilege to be able to walk a journey with individuals that at times have forgotten their strength and just needs to be reminded again. I further more appreciate the trust that individuals have in me to be able to open up and to authentically be themselves without the fear of judgement but to know that I really care. 

Georgina 

I am a Xhosa speaking mother and have a daughter and a son. I was a volunteer at Thembalethu clinic and my main focus was to talk to pregnant woman explaining to them their antenatal card and the blood samples that were drawn. That is where my interest to work with people began. When FAMSA Outeniqua advertised the position of counsellor in 2001, I applied and my application was successful.

I started in 2001 as an HIV counsellor and later became an Adherence counsellor up until 2009. In 2010 I became part of the FAMSA office counselling team. I later had the opportunity to study social auxiliary work with the support of FAMSA. I have been with FAMSA since 2010 and I am still as happy as when I started. We are a team that is supportive and we have an open-door policy.

I enjoy working with people and the nice part of it is that you don’t know what the client is about to discuss, until you have that 1st session. My experience with my work is that you learn on a daily basis about people and their life experiences. What motivates me is that you are dealing with different challenges of clients and you also learn from their experiences.

Miranda

I studied Social Work at the University of Pretoria/ Tukkies. I worked in the family planning program of the government for two years. Then I worked for my husband doing many different things. Later I did an Honours Degree in Psychology at Unisa and to this day I remember how I struggled with stats! Let me be honest. I only passed the third year. I started private practice and did my Master’s degree in Play therapy at Tukkies in the Social Work department again. I then became a mother!!

We moved from Pretoria to George when my daughter, Kara, was three. I did facilitating and catering part time for two years. We lived in Herold’s Bay and you could spot Kara and me at the shallow pools every morning.

I applied for the job at FAMSA in 2010 and have worked here since. I mainly do play therapy.

I love the part of my job where I spend time with my clients/children. Children don’t censor or shy away from aspects. In play they create from their hearts without planning it. I think systemically and therefore have to work with the system the child lives in. I relate to the systemic work of Minuschin and boundary principles of Townsend and Cloud. 

I realized that there are so many traumatized children who do not get better with play therapy alone. I read Bessel van der Kolk’s book:  “The body keeps the score”  and have learned so much.

Human

I’m thankful to be involved with FAMSA for the past 6 years.  Firstly, as chairperson of the FAMSA Outeniqua board and since September 2021 as a full-time counsellor.  I believe in the power of therapy to help clients face their challenges, to guide them and give them tools of how to cope and to overcome them.  My training and background include a BA degree in languages and Theology with a major in personal counselling which I obtained from the Northwest University in 1992. 

I’m married and have a son who is currently studying.  I worked in several parts of the country including Johannesburg, Umhlanga KZN and I have been residing in George since 2012.  I have 27 years’ experience as a counsellor and also do trauma debriefing.  I’m a registered counsellor with the Council for Counsellors of South Africa.

I like to work with people from all walks of life and create a bond of trust where they can share their heart and challenges with me in a safe and comforting environment.  I have a passion working with teenagers and corporate companies.

One of my beliefs in life is: “Helping one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for one person.”

I’m thankful for the opportunity to be part of a great team of professional counsellors to serve the community.