COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST – ALIDA BONNET

My Approach

I am a counselling psychologist in Sandton who is particularly passionate about working with teenagers, young adults, and adults. I believe that every person has within them the capacity to create meaningful change in their mental health. I therefore strive to create a collaborative partnership with my clients and aim to empower them to gain insight, find their existing resilience and resources of strength, and take action toward their true desired change.

I am very committed to my clients and ensure that I engage in continuous learning and supervision to not only enhance my knowledge and skills, but also to provide the best services possible. I prefer working from an integrative perspective, where I am able to tailor interventions based on my client’s unique needs, preferences, and context. 

Education and Training 

I completed my Master of Arts in Community-Based Counselling Psychology at Wits University (With Distinction). This degree involved three components, coursework, internship and research. In the coursework component for this degree, we gained theoretical and practical training in psychotherapeutic interventions, psychopathology, psychological assessments and community-based interventions. Throughout each component of this degree, we explored the relevance and applicability of psychological interventions within the context of the people we are working with. I therefore consider a person’s historical, sociopolitical, cultural, community and family contexts, as these all play a part in who we are, and how we interpret and manage our difficulties. 

As part of our psychotherapy component, we conducted psychotherapy under supervision at the Emthonjeni Community Centre and at The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR). Through this, I worked with people who experienced difficulties related to anxiety, complex trauma, xenophobia, genocide, personality disorders, and childhood abuse. In addition, my community-based intervention involved a deeper exploration in gender-based violence and the survivors thereof. I also had the privilege of working on the Transnet-Phelophepha Healthcare Train, where I was able to provide psychological services and conduct workshops with members in rural South Africa. 

My internship at The Centre for Psychological Services and Career Development (PsyCaD) further solidified my practical training. Here, I worked with many university students and members of the general public who struggled with a wide range of challenges, including depression, anxiety, loss, childhood trauma, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, personality disorders, relationship challenges, unplanned pregnancy, and challenges related to their careers, to name a few. I further conducted numerous psychological assessments, including career assessments to those who had difficulty deciding which path to follow in their studies, or those who wanted to make a career transition. 

We further managed a crisis line for this population of students, where I was able to assist people in crisis situations such as suicide attempts, panic attacks, experiencing a traumatic event, and substance abuse. 

Throughout this internship, I received extensive individual and group supervision from experienced psychologists, in order to ensure that I am well equipped to ethically assist those I am working with. ​

Additional Training

Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Fundamentals Course (EAGALA)