Vanessa

Ms Vanessa Richards

Clinical Social Worker

Verified

Experienced & competent in child, adolescent & adult psychotherapy

About Me

I offer psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and adults. Drawing on my extensive experience, I create a calm space to explore thoughts and feelings. We can work together to understand difficult experiences and build resilience. My approach helps individuals and families navigate life's challenges. I offer support tailored to your unique situation. This can be a good fit if you are seeking someone to gently guide you through personal growth.

Approach

Experience across life stages shapes how I pace sessions, attune to developmental needs and blend gentle enquiry with structured steps. In Johannesburg I work in English and offer both in-person and online appointments, keeping a calm, predictable rhythm that helps children, adolescents and adults feel safe. Sessions often mix playful tasks or focused assessments with trauma-informed pacing, brief between-session experiments and careful liaison with schools or medical colleagues when that helps. This approach suits people and families looking for steady, practical support through change.
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Basic Information

In-person & Online

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Services

Services Offered:

  • Advocacy

    Services that help individuals navigate healthcare, education, or social systems to ensure their mental health needs are recognised and met.

    Learn more about Advocacy
  • Clinical Supervision

    Professional oversight and reflective practice for clinical practitioners, ensuring quality of care and supporting ongoing development.

  • Consultation

    An initial meeting with a therapist to discuss concerns, ask questions, and determine whether they are the right fit.

  • Mediation

    A structured process in which a neutral third party helps people in conflict reach a mutually acceptable agreement.

    Learn more about Mediation
  • Play Therapy

    A therapy for children that uses play as a natural form of communication, allowing them to express feelings and process difficult experiences.

    Learn more about Play Therapy
  • Psychiatry

    A branch of medicine specialising in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions, including the prescribing of medication.

    Learn more about Psychiatry
  • Psychoeducation

    Structured information provided about a mental health condition (what it is, why it occurs, and what strategies can help) as part of the therapeutic process.

    Learn more about Psychoeducation
  • Psychotherapy

    In-depth therapeutic work that explores patterns in thoughts, emotions, and relationships to produce lasting psychological change.

    Learn more about Psychotherapy
  • Sex Therapy

    Specialised therapy addressing sexual concerns such as low desire, performance anxiety, pain during sex, or mismatched needs between partners.

    Learn more about Sex Therapy
  • Individual Therapy

    One-on-one therapy sessions between a client and a therapist, focused on that person's specific concerns and goals.

    Learn more about Individual Therapy

Works With:

  • Adolescents
  • Adults
  • Children
  • Couples
  • Families
  • Groups
  • Individuals
  • Parents
  • Under Fives

Area of Expertise

Scope of Practice:

  • Abuse

    Emotional, physical, or sexual mistreatment by another person that causes lasting psychological harm and disrupts a person's sense of safety.

  • Relationship Issues

    Difficulties in romantic relationships, including communication problems, trust breakdowns, conflict patterns, or uncertainty about the relationship's future.

    Learn more about Relationship Issues
  • Autism (ASD)

    A neurodevelopmental condition affecting social communication, sensory processing, and behaviour patterns, with a wide range of presentations and strengths.

  • Child Psych & Diagnostic Assessment

    Formal assessment of a child's psychological, cognitive, or emotional functioning to identify conditions and guide appropriate support.

  • Mood Disorder

    A category of mental health conditions, including depression and bipolar disorder, in which a person's emotional state is significantly and persistently disrupted.

    Learn more about Mood Disorder
  • OCD

    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, a condition involving unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours or rituals (compulsions) performed to relieve anxiety.

    Learn more about OCD
  • Trauma

    The lasting psychological impact of deeply distressing events, such as violence, abuse, accidents, or disasters, that overwhelm a person's ability to cope.

    Learn more about Trauma

Professional Title:

  • Clinical Social Worker

    A social worker trained to diagnose and treat mental health conditions through therapy, often in healthcare or community settings.

Credentials

Registrations

South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP)

Social Worker

Verify License

Qualifications

M A Clinical Social Work

University of Johannesburg

Year: 2001

Honours Degree Social Work

University of Witwatersrand

Year: 1991

Honours Degree Psychology

Rhodes University

Year: 1986

B A Journalism & Psychology

Rhodes University

Year: 1985

Service Areas

Sole Practitioner Private Practice

In-person & Online

Waverley

Johannesburg, Gauteng

South Africa

Waverley, Johannesburg, South Africa