Tanja

Mrs Tanja Smuts, MA

Clinical Psychologist

Verified

“Clinical psychologist with 20 years experience working therapeutically with children, adolescents, couples and families.”

About Me

I am a Clinical Psychologist in Bellville, Western Cape, South Africa. I offer psychodynamically oriented psychotherapy to children, adolescents, couples and families.

Approach

My aim is to facilitate a safe, non-judgemental and creative space that stimulates a process of self-reflection, self-expression and growth. Short and long term therapy is offered. My orientation to therapy is psychodynamic. This means that therapy is an exploratory process where we work together to identify and understand patterns of how you relate to yourself and others. We will specifically be interested in patterns that are underlying and sustaining your current frustrations and struggles, and try stimulate positive change. With young children this is achieved through play. I also find that expressive art processes can be very helpful in therapy, and support patients who are interested in this modality. Therapeutic work with parents who struggle in their relationships with their children forms part of my practice. Parents of very young children or babies are assisted through parent-child or parent-infant psychotherapy to help facilitate healthy relationships.
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Basic Information

In-person

Services

I am a clinical psychologist offering psychodynamically oriented therapy in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. My focus is on assisting children of all ages, adolescents, parents, couples and families. I am happy to assist with a variety of presenting issues such as developmental concerns, child behavioural problems, depression (including post-natal depression), anxiety, self-esteem issues, family difficulties, bereavement, trauma and adjustment difficulties. I am also open to working with clients who are feeling disconnected, struggle to understand themselves or are in need of self-exploration in general.

Services Offered:

  • Art Therapy

    A form of therapy that uses visual art-making (drawing, painting, sculpture) as a means of expression and emotional processing.

    Learn more about Art Therapy
  • Parenting Support

    Guidance for the psychological challenges of raising children, including discipline, communication, co-parenting, and managing the emotional demands of parenthood.

  • Play Therapy

    A therapy for children that uses play as a natural form of communication, allowing them to express feelings and process difficult experiences.

    Learn more about Play Therapy
  • Child / Adolescent Therapy

    Therapy for children and teenagers using age-appropriate methods, such as play, art, or adapted talk therapy, to address emotional and behavioural difficulties.

    Learn more about Child / Adolescent Therapy
  • Psychodynamic Therapy

    A therapy that explores how past experiences and unconscious patterns shape current feelings, relationships, and behaviour.

    Learn more about Psychodynamic Therapy

Works With:

  • Adolescents
  • Adults
  • Children
  • Families
  • Parents
  • Under Fives

Area of Expertise

Scope of Practice:

  • Adoption

    The process of legally becoming a parent to a child who is not biologically yours, which can raise complex emotions around identity, attachment, and belonging for all involved.

  • Relationship Issues

    Difficulties in romantic relationships, including communication problems, trust breakdowns, conflict patterns, or uncertainty about the relationship's future.

    Learn more about Relationship Issues
  • Child Psych & Diagnostic Assessment

    Formal assessment of a child's psychological, cognitive, or emotional functioning to identify conditions and guide appropriate support.

  • Trauma

    The lasting psychological impact of deeply distressing events, such as violence, abuse, accidents, or disasters, that overwhelm a person's ability to cope.

    Learn more about Trauma
  • Parenting Support

    Guidance for the psychological challenges of raising children, including discipline, communication, co-parenting, and managing the emotional demands of parenthood.

  • Personal Development

    The ongoing process of self-awareness, self-improvement, and reaching one's potential, pursued not because something is wrong but to live more fully.

  • Pregnancy & Fertility Issues

    The emotional and psychological dimensions of pregnancy, fertility treatment, pregnancy loss, or the transition to parenthood.

    Learn more about Pregnancy & Fertility Issues
  • Anxiety

    Persistent worry, nervousness, or fear that is disproportionate to the situation and interferes with daily functioning.

    Learn more about Anxiety
  • Depression

    A mood disorder marked by persistent low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, and changes in energy, sleep, or appetite that impair daily functioning.

    Learn more about Depression
  • Family Issues

    Difficulties within the family system, including conflict, communication breakdown, blended family tensions, or intergenerational patterns, that affect individual and collective well-being.

Professional Title:

  • Clinical Psychologist

    An advanced mental health professional trained to assess and treat a wide range of difficulties, from anxiety and depression to trauma and complex conditions.

Credentials

Registrations

Health Professions Council of South Africa

Clinical Psychologist (PS)

Registration: PS0088404

Verify License

Qualifications

Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology

Rhodes University

Year: 2005

Post graduate certificate in observational and therapeutic skills with children

Institute for psychodynamic child psychotherapy

Year: 2020

Service Areas

Private Practice

In-person

Bellville

Cape Town, Western Cape

South Africa