Clinical Psychologist Karolyn Pillay-Moodley

Hi, my name is Karolyn Pillay-Moodley and I am a licensed Clinical Psychologist practicing in Pretoria and Johannesburg and currently running an advice column in the Weltevreden park area.

I graduated from Unisa with a MA Clinical Psychology degree and have worked at corporate, government and private levels, with a wide range of clinical, social and in a supportive role with medical problems, as well as psychometric and neuropsychological assessments. I furthermore produced a research paper on perpetrators of child murder. I have presented workshops on various topics.

My aim for the column is to advise and empower the local community in areas of difficulty. Having full knowledge of the fact that seeking psychological help is difficult to most people, my goal is to assist those in an anonymous and non-threatening way to cope with their life’s challenges.

My areas of expertise are individual and couples therapy, working with depression, bereavement, divorce, etc; as well as marital and relationship therapy.

I also work with children doing play therapy and working with disorders such as ADHD, autism, learning problems, etc. I work holistically and together with psychiatrists, medical Drs, homeopaths and other health professionals to ensure a thorough evaluation and treatment is adhered to.

Please post your questions, together with your email address so I can contact you personally if you so wish.

Please note that only one question can be answered via printed media per month due to logistical reasons. However if you wish to contact me personally please feel free to do so on my email [email protected] or call to schedule a face-to-face appointment: 083-7777-801.

1. For individuals seeking help: I provide counseling and therapy for individuals and couples, both long term and short term. It consists of Face 2 Face sessions for Weltevreden Park and surrounds. We all experience challenges in our lives that make us feel stuck or overwhelmed and sometimes we cant see a way forward.

In these times it’s comforting to know that there’s someone who can listen to your troubles in a non-judgmental and objective way. Someone who can help you gain a clear perspective of what’s going on.

Counseling and psychotherapy provides a space for you to explore your challenges and regain a sense of control over your life. My approach to each individual case is different as I acknowledge the uniqueness of each person. I therefore adopt a range of therapeutic techniques to benefit each person effectively. The way I work is informed by experience and evidence of what is known to work in therapy.

2. Online advice: I provide advice in my column in Weltevreden Park news, online and via a newsletter. Please note that advice is not a substitute for psychotherapy and that some problems require more than just a short summary of what might or might not work. In these cases I will suggest more intense therapeutic measures.

3. For services and employers: I provide consultancy, training and support for corporate improvement. Employers are under severe pressure to produce effective outcomes. As such it has become imperative to assess and evaluate work procedures and guidelines to ensure their effectiveness.

I utilize evaluation tools to measure the outcome of services rendered and to report on less than adequate measures, to ensure improvement and development in your organization.

4. Personal Coaching: I provide a collaborative approach to your personal and professional development during my coaching sessions, which are face 2 face individual sessions.

Key principles, which I focus on, are a well-developed framework to guide you in your coaching process, establish set and attainable goals, support and challenge. What I require from you are hard work and commitment.

Throughout the coaching process you and I work together and review progress every step of the way. At the end we celebrate your job well done!

Are you an authoritative parent who fears losing control or being embarrassed by you kind? Do you feel that you must control your child’s behaviour because the child cannot control himself or herself?

Or are you a permissive parent who fears hurting or damaging your child and fears not being loved by your child? Do you feel that you must make the child happy at all times because you believe that your child cannot cope with being upset?

Both these parenting styles feel an enormous burden of responsibility and have a hard time having faith in their children’s ability. Your tip for ideal parenting is; Focus on the doughnut, not the hole! What this essentially means is focus on the relationship you have with your child, your strengths and your child’s strength, Not on the problem!

Most people see what is missing yet the important part is the good stuff around it. Children sometimes find it difficult to articulate what they are thinking or feeling. Acting out is an attempt to communicate a message. A therapist uses play to help children express themselves through plat therapy. In play therapy, children express what their lives are like now, what their needs are, or how they wish things to be. When a child feels understood, the need to act out a message ends.

Therefore your ideal parenting style should be to become aware of your child’s need, learn to respond rather than react. In control parents are thermostats, out of control parents are thermometers.

For more information regarding child-parent relationships and therapy contact:
Karolyn Pillay-Moodley
Clinical Psychologist
(PS0110051)
Cell: 083-777-7801
Email: [email protected]