Meet our Specialists

Qualifications:

MA Counselling Psychology (UJ), Post Graduate Certificate in Education, BSocSci Hons Psychology, BHons History (UP).

DuToit Genis

Counselling Psychologist

DuToit Genis is a Counselling Psychologist based in Centurion, with a Master’s degree from the University of Johannesburg. He has worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings, including Unitas Hospital, Vista Clinic, and Stabilis rehabilitation centre. DuToit offers individual, couples, and family therapy, drawing on evidence-based approaches such as CBT, BWRT, and Positive Psychology.

His areas of focus include anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse, and sport psychology. He also provides psychological support at Vista Clinic and Unitas Hospital, where he is based. With experience in life coaching, education, and sport, DuToit takes a holistic, practical approach to emotional and behavioural wellbeing.

Qualifications:

BA (Health Sciences and Social Sciences) in Psychological Counselling (cum laude), BA Honours in Psychology (cum laude), Master of Health Sciences in Counselling Psychology (cum laude).

Marésa Kolesky

Counselling Psychologist

Marésa Kolesky is a counselling psychologist who offers in-person and online therapy for individuals and couples. She works with adolescents, adults, and older adults facing a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties — from stress, adjustment challenges, and relationship concerns to more complex presentations such as trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders.

Her approach is integrative and person-centred, grounded in empathy, collaboration, and evidence-based practice. Drawing on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and humanistic frameworks, Marésa helps clients make sense of their experiences, develop effective coping strategies, and build greater emotional resilience.

She views therapy as a calm and reflective space where clients can safely explore their inner world, process difficult experiences, and move toward deeper self-understanding and balance. Her work is guided by professionalism, compassion, and a deep respect for the therapeutic process as a place of trust and healing.

Marésa also offers specialised support in female-centred sex therapy, approached with warmth, sensitivity, and respect for each person’s unique context and values.

Therapy is available in both English and Afrikaans, with sessions tailored to each client’s needs, pace, and stage of life.

Qualifications:

MA Counselling Psychology (UJ, cum laude), Honours in Counselling Psychology (UNISA), PGCE (UFS), BA Communication and Media Studies (UFS)

Gerrit Nel

Counselling Psychologist

I am a Counselling Psychologist based in Sandton, Johannesburg, holding a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from the University of Johannesburg. My practice is grounded in an integrative and holistic approach to mental health and well-being. I believe that every person possesses the innate potential to actualise their fullest self, yet at times, guidance and support are needed to unlock that potential. My role is to act as a catalyst in your journey of self-discovery, helping you recognise your strengths, work through challenges, and move toward a more meaningful and balanced life.

In therapy, I work with individuals and adolescents, offering support for concerns such as anxiety, trauma, neurodiversity, men’s mental health, and LGBTIAQ+ well-being. My therapeutic approach integrates evidence-based models, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), BrainWorking Recursive Therapy (BWRT), Narrative Therapy, and Schema Therapy. I have also received training in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, broadening my understanding of integrative and neuroscience-informed care.

My work is rooted in compassion, social justice, and human rights, and I strive to create a space where clients can experience genuine acceptance and authenticity. I view well-being as multidimensional and draw on a holistic framework built around six pillars of mental health: sleep, movement, nutrition, play, learning, and connection. Sessions are offered in English and Afrikaans, both in-person and online.

In addition to psychology practice, I lecture in psychology and mental health education, sharing my passion for understanding the human mind and fostering emotional resilience in future educators.

Qualifications:

D Litt et Phil Psychology (UJ); MA Counselling Psychology (UJ, cum laude); BA Honours Psychology (UJ); BA Humanities (UJ).

 

Dr Illana Janse van Rensburg

Counselling Psychologist

“There is freedom waiting for you on the breezes of the sky. And you ask, ‘What if I fall?’ Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?” – Erin Hanson

Illana completed a bachelor’s degree in Humanities, honours degree in Psychology, master’s degree in Counselling Psychology, and doctorate in Psychology at the University of Johannesburg. She began practising as a Counselling Psychologist in 2002.

She values and respects the richness and diversity of languages, cultures, religions, and sexual orientations. Her therapeutic approach is holistic and integrative, grounded in the understanding that our biological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioural systems are deeply interconnected and shape how we relate to ourselves and others. She believes there is profound strength in vulnerability and holds that space with deep respect and care.

Illana is dedicated to selecting the most appropriate therapeutic approach for each individual, facilitating meaningful change, and helping clients find purpose and resilience in life’s everyday challenges. While evidence-based methodologies are prioritized, techniques are tailored to suit each client’s unique needs and drawing on Gestalt Therapy, a Solution-Focused Approach, Logotherapy, and Brain Working Recursive Therapy (BWRT).

Her practice primarily focuses on mental health and wellness, working with clients experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout, as well as major life transitions, illness, and loneliness. More recently, she has begun addressing the psychological impact of complex trauma. Illana has a special interest in bereavement counselling, supporting individuals through the stages of grief and helping them develop adaptive coping strategies and adjust to life after loss.

She also has extensive experience working in both primary and high school settings, providing individual therapeutic support to children and adolescents facing challenges such as anxiety, stress, and mood difficulties. Parental guidance forms an important part of her work, helping families strengthen their understanding of and responsiveness to a child’s emotional needs.

Individual sessions are available in-person or online in Afrikaans of English. In-person play therapy sessions for younger children (from age 4) are also available.

Qualifications:

MA Clinical Psychology (UP, summa cum laude), BSc Chemistry (UP).

 

 

Kimberly Eardley

Clinical Psychologist

Kimberly is a Clinical Psychologist who is passionate about walking the tough roads with you. She believes in the inherent power of human existence and that, in the complex tapestry of our experiences, life often happens to us, not for us. She currently holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Pretoria, where she graduated summa cum laude with a dissertation focusing on building knowledge in the application of technology in the neurological and psychological sciences.

She also holds a BSc Chemistry from the University of Pretoria, which informs and strengthens her psychological assessment work. Her clinical experience spans both government and hospital settings. She has a keen interest in delivering psychotherapeutic interventions across all age groups and demographics. Her areas of focus include:

  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Child Cognitive and Behavioural Conditions
  • Anxiety and Depression
  • Bereavement and Adjustment Difficulties
  • Couples and Family Counselling
  • Personality Disorders

She also offers a range of assessments, including career counselling and psychotherapy-related evaluations.

While her therapeutic approach is eclectic, it is firmly grounded in Cyclical Psychodynamic processes, with integrated elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Narrative Therapy.

In addition to her clinical work, she lectures in psychology at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels at the University of Pretoria.

Qualifications:

MA Counselling Psychology (UP), BSc Honours Psychology (UJ, Cum Laude), BSc Human Physiology, Genetics and Psychology (UP).

 

 

Kayla Visagie

Counselling Psychologist

Kayla Visagie is a registered Counselling Psychologist based in Centurion. She is deeply curious about each person she meets and is committed to working with clients in a kind, respectful, and non-judgmental way. Kayla is especially moved by the quiet resilience people carry when living with emotional pain, dealing with life transitions or struggling with chronic health challenges. Her practice emphasises compassionate containment and practical support so clients can feel able to breathe and share their stories.

Kayla employs an integrative, evidence-based approach tailored to the unique story of each client. Her work draws from cognitive behavioural therapy, trauma-informed care and humanistic frameworks. She aims to combine gentle relational attunement with intentional, skills-based interventions so clients gain both insight and practical tools for everyday life. Cultural and linguistic sensitivity is central to her practice.

Kayla has a special interest in trauma and trauma-informed care, bereavement, depression, anxiety and adjustment difficulties and is passionate about play therapy with young children.

Kayla works with children (approximately 5 to 10 years old), younger teenagers (10 to 12 years old), adolescents (12 to 17 years old), and adults (18 years and older). She offers services in English and Afrikaans and has experience providing psychological support in physical rehabilitation settings for neurological injuries and chronic illnesses, in children homes as well as private practice.

Available services include individual psychotherapy, play therapy for children, psychological assessment and psychometric testing, group work where appropriate, psychoeducation, crisis intervention and career counselling.

Qualifications:

MA in Counselling Psychology, MSocSci (UFH)

 

 

Yolanda Nongauza

Counselling Psychologist

Yolanda is currently registered as a Counselling Psychologist with a passion for helping her clients find proactive and mindful strategies for solving their day-to-day mental health challenges.

Yolanda currently holds a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology, with over a decade of experience working in both the public health sector and the private health sector.

Her interests lie in providing counselling and psychotherapy to adults, adolescents, couples and families, with a therapeutic focus on the following mental health issues: Adjustment disorders, Crisis intervention, Trauma and Disaster management, Acute stress management, Anxiety, Depression, Bereavement counselling, as well as Career counselling and various psychotherapy assessments.

Mischâ Swanepoel

Practice Manager

Mischâ manages the Franck Origins reception and administration, ensuring that every aspect of your visit is seamless and stress-free.

With a strong focus on attentive service and meticulous attention to detail, Mischâ helps create an environment where you feel welcomed, supported, and well taken care of from the moment you arrive.