Annuschke Landman
REGISTERED COUNSELLOR
My Story
Hi everyone! My name is Annuschkè Landman. I have completed my B Psychology (Counselling) degree in 2018. In June 2019 I passed my board examination with distinction and are registered as a Registered Counsellor at the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
I am a compassionate, licensed counsellor that walks alongside you throughout your mental health journey. I work with clients to help them navigate their inner world of emotions. I predominantly focus on children, adolescents and young adults. I have a special interest in Trauma Counselling. I am a big advocate for self-love and a big part of counselling with me will be developing clients' relationships with themselves and others around them.
Services
Counselling for children
“To play it out is the most natural self-healing process in childhood” – Erik Erikson
Play counselling is a form of counselling in which play is used as a means of helping children express or communicate their feelings. It is often said that toys are a child’s words and play is his/her conversation, which sums up the essence of play counselling. Children are often unable to verbalize their feelings like adults; therefore play is the perfect medium by which they can express themselves.
Counselling for adolescents
Adolescent counselling is aimed at young people to help them make sense of their feelings, behaviours and thoughts and entails the use of unique techniques that draw out the expressive nature of a young person. This form of counselling is important in helping guiding adolescents transforming into adulthood and to understand themselves better.
Counselling for Young Adults
Some young adults experience particular difficulties in which counselling can offer an important support for the individual’s health and wellbeing. Counselling for young adults can help with a range of experienced difficulties. Motivations to attend counselling are personal and can stem from external and internal pressures.
Other
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Behavioral Management : Children and Adolescents
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Workshops : Children, Adolescents and Parents
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Family Counselling
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Sport Counselling : Motivation, Self-Esteem and Performance Enhancement
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Counselling : Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Rape
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Addiction : Assessments, Referrals and Aftercare
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Marriage and Relationship Counselling
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Multi-Disciplinary Work : Court Preparation, Support and Feedback
FAQ
Helpful Information
What is a Registered Counsellor?
“Registered Counsellor” is a fairly new term in South Africa. To become a Registered Counsellor, one needs to have completed an accredited 4-year Bachelor of Psychology degree (or an equivalent Psychology Honours), as well as 720 hours of practical work (internship) under the supervision of a Psychologist. Following this, one needs to have passed a board exam with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) with a minimum of 70%. Thus, a Registered Counsellor is a highly trained mental health professional.
Registered Counsellors cannot, according to their scope of practice, diagnose pathology or prescribe any medicinal treatments. We provide short-term, solution-focused counselling, working with your current difficulties. We work with groups and individuals to examine their thoughts, emotions and behaviours in order to increase personal awareness and self-confidence, decreasing the need for longer term or more intensive counselling in the future.
In addition, Registered Counsellors are trained in community development in order to assist communities who are unable to afford or access more expensive healthcare services. Our focus lies in empowering individuals and communities, health promotion, awareness raising, and prevention.
There is a great need for affordable primary health care services in South Africa. The category of Registered Counsellor was created in response to this need. The focus of the profession is on prevention, promotion of primary psychosocial wellbeing, and community based care.
A registered counsellor provides short-term, supportive counselling, psycho-education and psychological assessments, e.g. intellectual or scholastic abilities, aptitude, interests, career placement, personality profiling.
Registered counsellors can identify symptoms or reasons for referrals to professionals within the health care system.
How does counselling help children?
The first step is to help children recognize and understand the feelings they are experiencing and the labels associated with those feelings. For example, anxiety, worry, anger, sadness, etc.
The next step is to teach them more effective thinking and coping skills and how to regulate their own emotions, using evidence-based and age-appropriate methods. Role plays, relaxation and mindfulness techniques may also be helpful. And after the immediate challenges are dealt with, the aim is to develop longer term resilience and practical “life skills”.
However, the younger the age of the child, the more of a focus there is on helping PARENTS to help them – as that is what creates the best outcomes.
Many young people are struggling with how they feel. They are having problems with friends, family or school, they are anxious, depressed, angry or scared and need to talk to someone, but find it difficult to talk to people they know. Counselling can help them talk things through, support them without making them feel judged, and in confidence (unless they disclose that their personal safety is at risk).
What should parents tell their child BEFORE they come to counselling?
Parents can tell children that they are going to visit a counsellor – a type of “coach” who helps kids learn skills to handle all sorts of everyday things, such as situations, thoughts, feelings and dealing with other people.
They will spend some time with the counsellor talking about the good aspects of their life and also those aspects that may need some improvement.
They will be able to talk about their family and friends and will also be learning some skills to help them cope better at school and at home.
It is also useful for parents to tell their children that counselling is a confidential/secret space where the child can discuss all his/her difficulties with the counsellor without worrying that the counsellor would break confidentiality or judge their difficulties.
How many counselling sessions are required?
The number of sessions required depends on the specific presenting problem, as well as the motivation and effort of the child and parents to apply the strategies and skills taught in counselling. But I find that children with most common emotional or social concerns – for example, mild-to-moderate anxiety or worry – typically require around 6 sessions to make solid progress.