Jemma studied Fine Art and Drama at WITS university. She completed her Psychology undergraduate through UNISA and graduated with an Honours in Psychology from UWC.  Her practical internship toward registration as a counsellor was through FAMSA in Observatory.

Jemma is registered as a Specialist Wellness Counsellor with the ASCHP. Her practice is in Cape Town CBD on the premises of Happy By Nature nursery.

NQF reg. #896

Membership reg. # SWC23/2001

Counselling Style

When working with an individual client, Jemma uses Person-Centered techniques. A person-centered counsellor believes that their clients have an innate ability to understand and re-organise themselves. Jemma won’t offer diagnoses or complex interpretations. Rather she listens, probes and encourages clients to gain clarity. Insights lead clients to becoming less worried or confused by their experiences and relationships.

For couples work Jemma uses Systems Theory, where the couple unit (‘the system’) is the client. A relationship is like a person; it moves through phases of growth and stagnation. Couples counselling can help a couple understand how their pattern of relating to one another is causing distress, or distance. This understanding hopefully creates ease, so the relationship can become more rewarding.

In both individual and couple work Jemma offers DBT informed counselling. Dialectical Behavourial Therapy makes the relationship between emotions, thoughts and behaviours beautifully clear. DBT provides ideas and tools that allow a client to regulate their distress outside of the counselling hour.