Yolande offord
Clinical Psychology services offered by Yolande Offord in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town.Special focus areas include Health Psychology and Maternal Mental Health.Library Square, Claremont, Cape Town
[email protected]
+27 71 446 2693
About me
I am a Clinical Psychologist with a passion for the field of Health Psychology which entails the understanding of how psychological, behavioural, and cultural factors contribute to physical health and illness.
Services offered
Find out more about the areas of practise.Services are offered in English and Afrikaans.
Therapeutic Approach
I view the client as partner in the process, who can make meaningful choices about the direction of therapeutic work.
Get to know yolande
I am a Clinical Psychologist with a passion for the field of Health Psychology which entails the understanding of how psychological, behavioural, and cultural factors contribute to physical health and illness. I hail from a small town in the Freestate and after matriculating embarked on experiencing city life by initially studying a BCom degree at the University of Pretoria. I later entered the field of psychology after a career in Higher Education focused on communication and media studies. My Honours degree in Psychology was completed at the University of the Witwatersrand, where my interest in health psychology was sparked. Thereafter I attained a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of the Western Cape, where I later instructed courses in health psychology as an external lecturer.My practical experience is extensive, working with adults in various settings within public and private healthcare. During my clinical internship at Valkenberg Hospital, I completed rotations at Alexandra Hospital, Groote Schuur Hospital, and the Female High Care Unit at Valkenberg. I fulfilled my community service requirements at Lentegeur Psychiatric Hospital, offering individual and group therapy to inpatients, conducting assessments, training staff, and supervising students.In 2022, I co-founded Perspectives Psychology Group, a group psychology practice with a special focus on delivering health psychology services to hospitals in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town.Dignity is an essential principle that guide my life and work. I therefore aim to provide a therapeutic space where the dignity of the client can be restored. It includes an open-hearted embrace of the client’s otherness and individuality.
Services offered
Services are offered in English and AfrikaansWomen's Mental HealthSome mental health challenges are unique to women or more commonly experienced by women. Through Women's Mental Health services, I focus on addressing the specifics of these challenges.These include but are not limited to:- Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
- Perinatal distress
- Fertility
- Miscarriage / stillbirth
- Menopausal symptoms
- AbuseHealth PsychologyPsychological factors can have an effect on health outcomes. Patients admitted to a general medical hospital or those treated as outpatients may be in need of Psychotherapeutic interventions. When the treating medical team have queries regarding a patient's mental health or how the patient's psychological process are affecting physical health outcomes, the patient can be referred to a clinical psychologist who then liaises with the medical team on an ongoing basis as treatment progress.Facilitation and TrainingI provide training to medical personnel on the care and treatment of mental health care users (such as the Low Arousal Approach to managing challenging behaviours) as well as training and psycho-education to non-medical personnel on mental health care topics.Other Services
In addition, I am experienced in the psychotherapeutic treatment of people with:- Psychotic Disorders
- Dissociative Disorders
- Intellectual Disability
- Personality Disorders
- Medical staff for symptoms associated with burnout
- Medical staff in need of debriefing e.g. after failed resuscitation
Thereaputic approach
Psychotherapy is mostly conducted from a psychodynamic stance.The essential features of psychodynamic psychotherapy is the use of exploratory, interpretive, and supportive interventions as appropriate to the needs of the client.The emphasis is on uncovering emotional distress and understanding past painful experiences, with the goal of increasing understanding and facilitating adaptive functioning.I view the client as partner in the process, who can make meaningful choices about the direction of therapeutic work. A wide range of psychodynamic techniques are used with variability in application.As Clinical Psychologist I am further familiar with the therapeutic modalities of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and Supportive Therapy.These can be employed instead of a psychodynamic approach if it is indicated to be better suited to the client’s needs.