Board Exam Preparation Workshop – 18 September 2025

by Web Admin | Aug 27, 2025 | Board Exam Workshop, Division for Research and Methodology (DRM), Division of Registered Counsellors and Psychometrists (RCP), Events and Announcements, PsySSA Announcements, Society for Educational Psychology of South Africa (SEPSA), The South African Association for Counselling Psychology (SAACP)

Board Exam Preparation Workshop – 18 September 2025

About this workshop

Join us on Zoom as we unpack the Board Exam!

The journey to becoming an HPCSA-registered psychologist entails navigating through rigorous academic training and practical experiences. However, one pivotal milestone stands between aspiring professionals and their goals: the HPCSA board exam. This exam serves as a comprehensive evaluation of theoretical knowledge, clinical skills, and ethical understanding essential for competent practice in the field. For those on the brink of undertaking this examination, the stakes are high, and the need for thorough preparation is paramount.

This underscores the necessity of a specialized board exam workshop tailored to the unique needs of prospective exam takers. Recognizing the complexities and challenges inherent in preparing for such a pivotal assessment, this workshop aims to provide invaluable clarity and guidance to participants.

The workshop will encompass multifaceted approaches to bolstering exam readiness for students in psychometry, counselling, research, educational and clinical psychology. Through interactive sessions, participants will delve into the intricacies of the exam format, content domains, and requisite competencies.

In essence, this workshop serves as a pivotal resource in equipping student and exam candidates with the tools, knowledge, and support necessary to navigate the challenges of the board exam successfully. By fostering clarity, confidence, and competence, the workshop endeavours to empower individuals to embark on their professional journeys with assurance and readiness to make meaningful contributions to the field of psychology.

Join the workshop at no cost!

Click Here To Register Now!

Meet The Facilitators

Dr Pakeezah Rajab

Presenter

Bio

Dr Pakeezah Rajab is the Senior Researcher at JVR Psychometrics and a PsySSA 2024-25 Additional Executive Member. Her PhD topic was “Non-intellectual factors that influence mathematics performance in South Africa.” She has experience applying psychometric results to a variety of contexts, including schools, private practice, higher education, and corporate environments. Pakeezah has worked on numerous projects that developed, validated and/or standardised assessments for use by the South African population – including aptitude, personality, values, career guidance and emotional intelligence. Her research interests include cognitive functioning, student performance and assessment development.

Ms Genevieve Burrow

Presenter

Bio

Genevieve Burrow is a registered counsellor and chairperson of the PsySSA Division of Registered Counsellors and Psychometrists. Genevieve is the manager of The Youth Hub, based at Groote Schuur Hospital Adolescent Centre of Excellence, where she counsels, and manages students and the counselling centre. She has hosted several board exam workshops previously, and enjoys working with students to enlighten them about the upcoming HPCSA board exam. Genevieve Burrow is committed to driving excellence and innovation in the practice of counselling, and promoting the visibility and importance of this field. Genevieve is passionate about youth upliftment and collaborates with a medically-informed multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive and holistic care to adolescents facing diverse challenges in under-provided areas.

Dr Kemoneilwe Momi Metsing

Presenter

Bio

Dr. Kemoneilwe Momi Metsing is a registered Educational Psychologist with a PhD in Psychology. She is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology of Education at the University of South Africa (UNISA) and Chairperson of the Society for Educational Psychology of South Africa (SEPSA). Dr. Metsing has a private practice and consults for government and private companies on relational and organizational transformation. She is an expert witness and member of the South African Medico-Legal Association (SAMLA). Dr. Metsing has held various leadership positions, including Chief Education Specialist in the Department of Education and board member of the South African Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (SAPSAC). She is an External examiner and clinical supervisor for MEd Educational Psychology at UJ. She serves on the Executive Committee of Decolonising Psychology at the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) and is a Critical Reader for UNISA’s Department of Adult Community and Continuing Education. With expertise in developing community-based programs, Dr. Metsing has successfully brought together individuals and organizations to address social issues, fostering partnerships and sustainable solutions. She is committed to inspiring and educating the next generation of leaders and change-makers, and her appointment at UNISA marks an exciting new chapter in her journey.

Dr Matome Jack Mashiapata

Presenter

Bio

Dr Mashiapata is a registered Educational Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of SA with over three decades of experience as a lecturer college for teacher training, high school teacher, a school psychologist in the department of basic education, manager of services for students with disabilities as well as student counselling. Currently working as the Director for Counselling and Career Development at UNISA, he has presented papers and workshops locally and internationally in the areas of career counselling, pastoral counselling, mentorship, career development, ethics, students with disabilities, etc. He holds active membership and leadership roles the Psychological Society of SA (PSYSSA), Society for Education Psychology of SA (SEPSA), South African Federation of Student Affairs (SAFSAS), International Association of Student Affairs and Services (IASAS) serving as the Africa regional director, deputy chairperson of Council for Pastoral and Spiritual Counsellors (CPSC), and Higher and Further Education Disability Services Association (HEDSA). He is the past president of the Southern African Association of Counselling and Development in Higher Education (SAACDHE). Dr Mashiapata has authored a chapter on Trauma Debriefing in a book titled “Life skills – my journey, my destiny”. He presents accredited CPD workshops on ethics in counselling services.

Deneo Sekese

Presenter

Bio

Deneo Sekese started her career in Human Resources specifically training and development and organisational development. Her passion for people and therapy led to a midlife career change into psychology. Deneo completed her masters in Counselling Psychology at Rhodes University and internship at the student counselling centre at the Durban University of Technology. She has had the privilege of presenting her masters research at the 27^th Annual South African Psychology Congress. Deneo’s areas of interest are African Psychology, Wellbeing and Salutogenesis and Community psychology. She recently registered with the Board of Psychology HPCSA and is in the process of setting up a private practice.

Arianna Fadda

Presenter

Bio

My name is Arianna Fadda. I hold a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Social Science Honours in Psychology both from the University of Pretoria as well as a professional master’s degree (by coursework and research report) in Social and Psychological Research from the University of the Witwatersrand. My research report focused on the perceptions of health professionals regarding an online depression screening tool adapted for South Africans. Following my master’s, I completed a year-long Research Psychology internship at the Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR) at the North-West University, during which I worked on various qualitative and quantitative research projects. I subsequently wrote and passed the Research Psychology Board Examination with the Health Professions Council of South Africa earlier this year and I am now a registered Research Psychologist. I am currently working as a research assistant for AUTHeR and planning further studies towards a PhD.

Rekha Kangokar

Presenter

Bio

Mrs Rekha Kangokar Rama Rao is a Registered Counsellor and has completed Masters in Community-Based Counselling Psychology. Working with a person centered approach she is passionate about fostering mental well-being. She integrates evidence-based practices with a holistic approach to nurture growth and healing within both individuals and communities. She has been associated with various NGOs and has supported them closely, Rekha has served a Secretary and Treasurer before and currently serves as an additional member in the RCP division.

Zakiyah Hoosen

Presenter

Bio

Zakiyah Hoosen is a dynamic individual with a deep love for Psychology. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Pretoria majoring in Psychology and Languages; later obtaining her Honor’s degree from SACAP and went on to become a qualified registered counsellor. She is active in the field and works across multiple organizations, working within a trauma-informed focus to facilitate counselling and psychoeducation to children, adolescents, and adults. Zakiyah is currently advancing her knowledge and training on her journey of master’s in Clinical Psychology, and she aspires to foster psychosocial wellbeing across all spheres of life through meaningful and efficient psychological services for all.

CEPD Webinar: Psychology and Global Climate Change

by Web Admin | Aug 15, 2025 | Climate, Environment and Psychology (CEP), Events and Announcements, PsySSA Announcements

CEP Divisional Webinar: Psychology and Global Climate Change

11 September Susan Clayton updated.pdf (1)

About this Webinar

Date: 11 September 2025

Time:

SAST 18:00 – 19:00

Platform: Teams

Climate change presents a serious and growing global challenge, and psychologists have a role to play in responding to it. This presentation will review psychological research to address three topics. First, what are the factors that make it difficult for people to understand the problem and recognize the risk? These factors include cognitive, emotional, and social barriers. Second, how does climate change affect mental health and well-being, and how do these impacts vary among different groups? The impacts of climate change-associated events such as major storms and flooding can be easily understood, but we also need to consider the impacts of gradual changes in the climate, indirect impacts from involuntary displacement or economic costs, and anxiety associated with awareness of climate change. Finally, how can psychological tools be used to promote resilience on both a personal and societal level? Existing strategies for dealing with depression, anxiety, and PTSD will be helpful, but additional approaches that address systemic change are needed. I will close with some recommendations for how psychology as a discipline can respond to the growing threat of climate change.

See the link below to join!

Click Here To Join!

Meet Our Presenter

Susan Clayton is the Whitmore-Williams Professor of Psychology at the College of Wooster in Ohio. She received her PhD from Yale University, in social psychology. Dr. Clayton’s research examines people’s relationship with the natural environment, how it is socially constructed, and how climate change affects mental health and well-being. She is co-author of the widely-used Climate Change Anxiety Scale, as well as the Environmental Identity Scale, both of which have been used and validated in countries around the world. She is author or editor of six books, including Identity and the Natural Environment, Conservation Psychology, and Psychology and Climate Change, and is currently the editor of the Cambridge Elements series in Applied Social Psychology. A fellow of the American Psychological Association and the International Association of Applied Psychology, she is on the editorial boards for the Journal of Environmental Psychology, Environmental Research: Health, and OneEarth, and was a lead author on the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Her current research focuses on impacts of climate change on mental health as well as on future planning. She also hopes to promote a positive vision for the future that emphasizes the interdependence between humans and nature.

CEPD Webinar: Surface Echoes: A creative research methodology for art and health practice

by Web Admin | Aug 14, 2025 | Climate, Environment and Psychology (CEP), Events and Announcements, PsySSA Announcements

CEP Divisional Webinar: Being flamingos and trees: creative methods as inclusive responses to natural environments and climate change

About this Webinar

Date: 4 September 2025

Time:

SAST 12:00 – 13:00

Platform: Teams

Research about landscapes, climate change and environmental issues often largely excludes marginalised groups and creative expressions of what spaces mean to people. This presentation draws on research projects which encompassed artists and researchers working with a range of different groups, to explore their relationships with nature and other species. In the first project discussed, the use of artistic approaches opened up alternative means of engaging with local landscapes that many participants had never visited before, despite being near to where they lived. Artists facilitated expressive responses through multimodal and multisensory activities, and participants offered their own unique interpretations through making, playing and imagining.

Incorporating a multispecies approach in the projects challenged human dominance and encouraged a repositioning of perspectives to include animals and plants, and potentially rivers, rocks and so on, as having their own stake in the natural environment. Participants together decentred the human perspective by imagining ‘being’ other animals and plants; and embraced non-standard uses of language and literacy to codify and communicate affective responses.
This presentation also introduces a project in which schoolchildren have been partnered with children in other parts of the world, to explore their experiences and understandings of climate change. Children from South Pacific Islands, Norway, Pakistan and the UK have created stories and pictures to share with one another – and with you. The discussion will consider the potential for, and limitations of, such methods as inclusive and hopeful responses to environmental crises.

See the link below to join!

Click Here To Join!

Meet Our Presenter

Professor Candice Satchwell is Professor of Literacies and Education at the University of Lancashire, UK, where she is Co-Director of the Institute of Creativity, Communities and Culture, and Co-Director of the Centre for Children and Young People’s Participation. Her research over several decades has included the uses of literacy in education and in everyday life amongst children, young people, homeless adults and marginalised communities. She regularly uses creative activities and stories as both methods and outputs in her research, and is committed to amplifying voices of children and young people, learning from their experiences, and understanding their concerns about climate change and environmental issues. Relevant publications include:

Satchwell, C. (2024). Being Flamingos and Trees: Marginalized Groups Respond to Landscapes Using Inclusive Multimodal Literacies and Arts. Qualitative Inquiry, 31(6), 562-573. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778004241254085 (Original work published 2025)
Satchwell, C., Walley, B., Dodding, J., Lagi, M.D. (2024). Conversations across international divides: children learning through empathy about climate change, Geographical Research, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-5871.12638
Satchwell, C., Mills, B., Parkinson, C., Herring, L., & Parathian, H. (2024). Creative approaches to landscape research: Using multisensory and multispecies research perspectives with marginalised groups. Landscape Research, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2024.2336544

PsySSA Congratulates Prof Kobus Maree!

by Web Admin | Jul 21, 2025 | PsySSA Announcements

PsySSA Congratulates Prof. Kobus Maree

PsySSA extends its congratulations to Professor Kobus Maree—Fellow of PsySSA, Former Editor of the South African Journal of Psychology (SAJP), and Past Executive Committee Member—on his recent publication: a record-setting review of Erikson’s Identity Theory, featured by the University of Pretoria.

This contribution advances psychological theory and highlights the relevance of South African research in global academic discourse.

Professor Maree’s work, both scholarly and through his longstanding involvement with PsySSA, continues to support the growth and impact of psychology in South Africa and beyond.

Read the full article here!

PsySSA Congratulates Prof Sumaya Laher!

by Web Admin | Jul 17, 2025 | PsySSA Announcements

PsySSA Congratulates Prof Sumaya Laher, on her appointment as the Head of the School of Human & Community Development

The Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) extends its warmest congratulations to Past President of PsySSA and current Editor-in-Chief of the South African Journal of Psychology, Professor Sumaya Laher, on her appointment as the Head of the School of Human & Community Development at the University of the Witwatersrand, effective 1 October 2025.

Professor Laher continues to embody the Society’s values of academic excellence, ethical leadership, and a deep commitment to advancing psychology in South Africa.

Congratulations, Prof Laher! We wish you all the very best in this new chapter.

Call for Volunteers: 29th Annual South African Psychology Congress

by Web Admin | Jul 14, 2025 | Annual Psychology Congress 2025, Congress, PsySSA Announcements, PsySSA Congress

Call for Volunteers: 29th Annual South African Psychology Congress

We’re excited to invite students to volunteer at the upcoming 29th Annual South African Psychology Congress, taking place from 14–16 October 2025 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre Complex in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

This is a unique opportunity to be part of a premier event in the psychology community — gain practical experience, contribute meaningfully to the field, and connect with leading professionals, academics, and fellow students from across the region.

As a volunteer, you’ll support the successful delivery of the congress while engaging in thought-provoking sessions and dynamic activities. If you’re passionate about psychology and eager to learn and contribute, we encourage you to apply.

To apply, please submit the following:

A motivation letter (maximum 200 words)
A recent head-and-shoulders photograph
The completed volunteer application form

For any enquiries kindly email Mr Muhammed Yaeesh Cassim at muhammed@psyssa.com no later than 08 August 2025.

Help us make this year’s congress a truly impactful and inspiring event. We look forward to working with you!

Submit your application by completing the volunteer application form here!