Building a Unified, Relevant, and Responsive Psychology

Web Admin

Member Login
Unisa Consulting Psychology Conference

Unisa Consulting Psychology Conference

by | Oct 29, 2025 | Events and Announcements, Psychology Events, PsySSA Announcements

Consulting Psychology Conference

Unisa’s Departments of Psychology and Industrial and Organisational Psychology

Unisa’s Departments of Psychology and Industrial and Organisational Psychology, in association with the 2025 Doctoral Students in Consulting Psychology, are proud to host the 15th Annual and SIXTH VIRTUAL Consulting Psychology Conference in South Africa.

The conference will take place on 5 and 6 November 2025 on Microsoft Teams Platform (the link for joining to be send 4 November)

Consulting Psychology in South Africa
Consulting psychology is a specialised area of psychology with the aim of applying and extending psychologists’ expert knowledge through the process of consultation to problems involving human behaviour. The practice of consulting psychology is guided by the science of psychology in evaluating the effectiveness of interventions and assessment methodologies. Consulting psychologists should have in-depth knowledge of the main theoretical models in psychology and of their particular methodologies and applications as they apply to individual, group and organisational consulting domains. The Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology and the Department of Psychology at Unisa offer a specialised PhD degree in Consulting Psychology.

For more information on this PhD degree, please contact Mabel Campher at camphm@unisa.ac.za

Click Here to Register
Click Here for More Information
RCP Workshop – Opening Your Own Practice as a Registered Counsellor or Psychometrist

RCP Workshop – Opening Your Own Practice as a Registered Counsellor or Psychometrist

by | Oct 29, 2025 | Division of Registered Counsellors and Psychometrists (RCP), Events and Announcements, Psychology Events, PsySSA Announcements

RCP Workshop – Opening Your Own Practice as a Registered Counsellor or Psychometrist

Hosted by the PsySSA Registered Counsellors and Psychometrists (RCP) Division

Join the PsySSA Division of Registered Counsellors and Psychometrists (RCP) for a free online workshop on Opening Your Own Practice as a Registered Counsellor or Psychometrist.

Workshop Details:

  • Date: Monday, 17 November 2025
  • Time: 18:00 -19:30
  • Online Via Teams

RSVP by 14 November 2025.

Contact Information: rcp@psyssa.co.za

About the Workshop:
Are you ready to take the leap into independence? Whether you’ve just passed your board exams or you’re ready to transition from employment into private practice, this workshop is designed to give you the confidence and practical know-how to launch your professional journey successfully.

Join Shaazia, an inspiring Psychometrist, and Chantel, a passionate Registered Counsellor, as they share their expertise on building a thriving practice from the ground up.

Why attend?

  • Learn the step-by-step process of registering with HPCSA, BHF, and medical aids
  • Understand what to include in your professional stationery to build credibility
  • Discover marketing and advertising strategies that attract the right clients
  • Gain clarity on the administrative essentials for running a smooth practice
  • Walk away with practical tips, templates, and guidance to fast-track your setup
  • This workshop isn’t just about theory — it’s about real, actionable strategies to help you start strong and shine in your professional journey.
Click Here to RSVP
Shaazia Patel

Shaazia Patel

Presenter

Shaazia is a registered Psychometrist with extensive experience and knowledge in the assessment-related field. She is actively involved in various community volunteer projects. She is currently in the process of creating a project for pro-bono career assessments for those who are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Shaazia is passionate about sharing her knowledge and helping others and has been a mentor for the PsySSA Student Division National Mentorship Programme for several years. Her love for animals and helping people is leading her to attain her Master’s qualification to work within the Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy field.

Chantel Retter

Chantel Retter

Presenter

HPD Workshop – Living positively with diabetes: The importance of mental health

HPD Workshop – Living positively with diabetes: The importance of mental health

by | Oct 29, 2025 | Events and Announcements, Health Psychology (HP), Psychology Events, PsySSA Announcements

HPD Workshop – Living Positively With Diabetes: The Importance of Mental Health

Hosted by the PsySSA Health Psychology Division (HPD)

Join the PsySSA Health Psychology Division (HPD) for a free CPD-accredited online workshop on Living Positively With Diabetes: The Importance of Mental Health.

Webinar Details:

  • Date: Friday, 14 November 2025
  • Time: 13:00 – 14:00
  • Platform: Online via Teams
  • 1 General CPD Point

 

About the Workshop:

Despite many advancements, diabetes remains one of the most challenging health conditions in the world today, impacting individuals, families, societies and economies. In this webinar, we want to shine the light on the mental health aspects of living with the condition, by giving an overview of the main mental health challenges those living with diabetes experience. Then, we hope to propose an alternative approach to managing mental health challenges in positive psychology interventions, including self-compassion, meaning making and managing perceptions of the condition. In the webinar, we hope to not only share the latest research, but also provide practical examples of interventions that could assist those living with diabetes.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Gain a better understanding of diabetes, it’s mechanisms, prevalence and challenges.
  • Explore the mental health challenges in managing diabetes.
  • Learn about positive psychology concepts, as well as research on effectiveness of positive psychology interventions.
  • Reflect on the development of positive psychology interventions on constructs such as self-compassion, meaning -making and illness perceptions to improve mental well-being of those living with diabetes.
Click Here to RSVP
Dr Sonja Mostert

Dr Sonja Mostert

Presenter

Dr Sonja Mostert is a registered Research Psychologist currently employed as a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pretoria. She is passionate about the field of health psychology and her research is mainly focused on health literacy and improving the mental health of people living with diabetes. She is a member of the Health Psychology Division of PsySSA and teaches several undergraduate and postgraduate modules including health psychology to both undergraduate medical students and previously to honours psychology students. Her primary research areas include topics within health psychology, specifically health literacy; mental health and diabetes; health behaviour change; online health information use and the role of psychological factors in chronic conditions.

Prof Elmari Deacon

Prof Elmari Deacon

Presenter

Prof Elmarí Deacon is a registered Clinical Psychologist and currently employed at the NWU as full professor in Psychology and acting Director in the School of Psychosocial Health. In her career as academic, she has lectured several modules and supervised 27 master’s and four PhD students to completion. She is a C2 NRF rated researcher and has published 28 articles. She is also a member of the Health Psychology Division of PsySSA.

Prof Deacon is the principal investigator of the SMILE with diabetes project, investigating psychosocial variables in adjusting to diabetes management behaviours. Positive Psychology constructs are very prominent in her research and interventions development, as these have proven to assist those living with diabetes.

RCP Workshop – Understanding Medical Aids and ICD-10 Codes in South Africa

RCP Workshop – Understanding Medical Aids and ICD-10 Codes in South Africa

by | Oct 29, 2025 | Division of Registered Counsellors and Psychometrists (RCP), Events and Announcements, Psychology Events, PsySSA Announcements

RCP Workshop – Understanding Medical Aids and ICD-10 Codes in South Africa

Hosted by the PsySSA Registered Counsellors and Psychometrists (RCP) Division

Join the PsySSA Division of Registered Counsellors and Psychometrists (RCP) for a free CPD-accredited online workshop on Understanding Medical Aids and ICD-10 Codes in South Africa.

Webinar Details:

  • Date: Wednesday, 12 November 2025
  • Time: 18:00 -19:30
  • Platform: Online Via Teams
  • 1 General CPD Point
  • RSVP By: 10 November 2025
  • For more information, contact: rcp@psyssa.co.za

 

About the Workshop:

This workshop will provide mental health practitioners with an understadning of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10), and its relevance to the South African context. Practitioners need clarity on coding requirements, practical implications for clinical documentation, and how these changes intersect with medical aid submissions.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Introduction to ICD-10: structure, changes, and benefits.
  • Relevance of ICD-10 for registered counsellors in South Africa
  • What practitioners need to know for claims and reimbursement
  • Common challenges and practical tips for coding in line with ICD-10
  • Q&A session to address participant concerns

Why attend?

  • Understand ICD-10 and its benefits
  • Learn how medical aids are adapting
  • Gain practical guidance for claims and coding

Perfect for Registered Counsellors and Psychometrists who want to stay compliant, confident, and up to date.

Takeaway:

Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of ICD-10 coding practices and practical strategies for navigating medical aid requirements in South Africa.

Click Here to RSVP
Rekha Kangokar Rama Rao

Rekha Kangokar Rama Rao

Presenter

I am a counselling psychologist, committed to fostering psychological wellbeing, resilience, and growth across diverse populations. My practice is guided by empathy, ethical responsibility, and a person-centered approach, which allows me to support clients in navigating life transitions, relationships, and personal challenges with care and integrity.

Alongside my clinical work, I hold a strong interest in the evolving relationship between psychology and artificial intelligence. I am particularly drawn to examining how AI can be ethically integrated into mental health support, education, and research, while also addressing critical questions about bias, human identity, and the role of technology in shaping relationships. This dual focus enables me to contribute to conversations at the intersection of human development and technological innovation.
By combining counselling psychology with an interest in AI, I aim to advance approaches that remain human-centered, compassionate, and grounded in evidence-based practice. I am passionate about the future of psychology in an increasingly digital world and committed to ensuring that advances in technology continue to reflect the values of care, ethics, and human connection.

SASCP Webinar – Beyond Diagnosis: Reimagining Therapy Through a Neurodiversity Lens

SASCP Webinar – Beyond Diagnosis: Reimagining Therapy Through a Neurodiversity Lens

by | Oct 29, 2025 | Events and Announcements, Psychology Events, PsySSA Announcements, The South African Society for Clinical Psychology (SASCP)

Beyond Diagnosis: Reimagining Therapy Through a Neurodiversity Lens

A free CPD webinar for Psychologists

Hosted by the PsySSA The South African Society for Clinical Psychology (SASCP) Division

 

Webinar Details:

  • Date: Wednesday, 05 November 2025
  • Time: 18:00 – 20:00
  • Platform: Online via Zoom
  • 2 General CPD Points

 

About the Webinar:

This webinar introduces mental health practitioners to the foundational principles and clinical applications of Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy approach that challenges deficit-based and pathologizing frameworks in understanding neurodivergent individuals. Participants will explore the evolution of the neurodiversity paradigm, differentiating between the neurodiversity movement, the paradigm itself, and affirming therapeutic practices. The session will highlight the shift from a medical model rooted in normalisation and symptom reduction toward a strengths-based, empowerment-oriented framework that values neurological diversity as a natural part of human variation. Through discussion of common neurodivergent presentations such as emotional dysregulation, sensory sensitivities, and communication differences, the webinar will equip clinicians to better recognize and support neurodivergent clients within affirming and trauma-informed frameworks. The session also examines comorbid presentations including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and eating disorders, with specific attention to concepts such as autistic burnout and the overlap between trauma and neurodivergence.

Overview
This workshop offers psychologists an opportunity to engage with the emerging neurodiversity paradigm — a transformative shift in how we understand and work with diverse minds. Moving beyond traditional deficit-based models, the neurodiversity framework recognises that neurological differences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and others reflect natural variations in human cognition rather than disorders to be corrected.

Challenging psychologists to rethink long-held assumptions about normality and disorder. Rooted in the principles of neurodiversity, it explores how we can dismantle deficit-based narratives and create spaces where every client’s way of being is valid and valued. This session offers a critical, evidence-informed look at how adopting a neurodiversity-affirming stance can transform not only therapeutic relationships but the ethical landscape of mental health itself.”

Sameeha Elias

Sameeha Elias

Presenter

Sameeha is a Counselling Psychologist in the southern suburbs of Cape Town.  She consults with children aged 5+, adults and families from diverse backgrounds. She has a special interest in neurodiversity, particularly neurodivergent affirming therapy with kids and adults, and runs workshops training practitioners in this approach. She is also a research supervisor at SACAP and a Guest lecturer at Stellenbosch University for student psychologists in the Child and Family Interventions module.

Click Here to Register