Erica Erasmus , M.A. (South Africa)

Clinical Psychologist

As a psychologist, it is both a privilege and passion for me to witness how human beings can heal, grow and prosper, through the process of therapy. As we are hurt by other people, I also believe through compassion, respect and acceptance, we can heal those very same wounds.

I was trained in South Africa, and have 27 years of experience in assisting individuals, families and couples in both public and private health settings, across multicultural and diverse populations. My experience is vast and includes working with clients across a range of issues including depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, personality difficulties, and chronic pain management.

I believe that we learn emotional skills as children, and that our experiences and skills learned in childhood have a significant impact on our adult lives. This can include how one is able to deal with stress and accept change, to being able to navigate life’s challenges with courage and resilience. This exploration plays an important part in my therapeutic approach with clients, and as you can learn a new skill at any age, therapy offers an opportunity to learn new emotional skills at any given time in one’s life.

Addressing the complexities of life with mindfulness makes up a large part of my work, which includes emphasis on emotional regulation, relaxation, building awareness of the link between emotion and thought patterns, as well as being able to understand and have insight into how and why we react in a specific way. I believe that having insight into out own inner being is directly linked to our ability to take control and responsibilty for one’s life.

Works with Clients:
Children (12 yrs+), Adolescents, Adults (18 yrs+)

Languages:
English, Afrikaans

Services Offered

Individual Therapy

Parent Intake

Parental Guidance

Couple Therapy

Relational Therapy

Treatment Approaches

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Emotion Focussed Therapy
Gottman Method
Narrative Therapy
Psychodynamic Therapy
Somatic Psychotherapy

Presenting Concerns

General Concerns:

Stress

Anxiety

Panic attacks

Low mood or depression

Adjustment to recent life events or circumstances (Not trauma)

Specific Concerns:

Anger

Irritability

Emotional outbursts and severe moodswings

Obsessive, repetitive and ritualistic thinking and behaviour

Situation-specific fear and phobias

Unusual sensations, thoughts or beliefs not shared by others

Chronic illness, pain, life-threatening or terminal illnesses, end-of-life

Relationship Concerns:

General dissatisfaction or improvement of romantic relationships

High conflict and aggression concerns in romantic relationship

Affairs, infidelity and intimacy-related concerns in romantic relationships

Divorce, separation and break-ups in romantic relationships

Parenting and parental relationship concerns

Minors:

Minor-related concerns (all minors)

Women's Wellbeing:

Menopause and female life transitions

Trauma:

Trauma or traumatic events (past or historic)

Violence or abuse by another person (current or recent)

Sexual trauma, incidents or violence (recent)