Wellness Counsellor and Life Coach

Palesa L Shakwane

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Q&A for Therapists and Coaches

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am Palesa L Shakwane a Specialist Wellness Counsellor and Life Coach. I am a mother of two (teenager and toddler) and have a son whom is late; have been with my husband for 14 years and we are based in Middelburg-Mpumalanga.

I specialise in trauma counselling including critical trauma incident debriefing; employee wellness; women’s health; grief and loss support; couple counselling; adult and children/adolescent counselling. I also provide life coaching using the Multi Neuro Linguistic Programming.

How long did your education and training take — and what did your path to this profession look like?

My Psychology journey feels like “long walk to freedom”. I obtained my undergraduate degree in Psychology in 2008 and I then had to upgrade a few modules for a year (2009) to improve my average. I pursued my honors in Psychology in 2010 and battled with one module (Social Psychology) in 2013 and 2014. Finally, I managed to graduate in 2015, was so excited and looking forward to further my studies that would one day enable me to become registered as a Clinical Psychologist. I started applying to different institutions from 2016-2019 for MA Clinical Psychology and kept on receiving “unsuccessful emails” and these emails made me question my worth and purpose in life. I also tried applying for BPsych Equivalent Programme to be able to become registered as a Registered Counsellors and was willing to redo my undergraduate degree but my applications were also unsuccessful. However, I never gave up as I still believed I had it in me to help those in need, in 2011 I obtained a short course in EAP certificate and a certificate in Human Resources.

In 2020 I took a chance and applied for MPhil (Masters in Philosophy and Ethics of Mental Health) with University of Pretoria and was accepted. I celebrated that victory and was able to completed my masters within the same year. In 2021 I stumbled upon a post on Instagram by a fellow “Psychology Honors Graduate” who spoke about being a wellness counsellor; I researched further about ASCHP(Association for Supportive Counsellors and Holistic Practitioners) and was so glad to see there’s actually hope for honors graduate who had been “rejected” by the universities while applying for MA Clinical Psychology program. I had always wanted to make a difference in other people’s lives and discovering ASCHP came at the right time-felt like an answered prayer. I started my private practice in October 2021 after successful registration with the ASCHP.

My education journey has taught me to be patient and not give up on my dreams, there were times where I would cry myself to sleep when I saw my peers succeed in their psychology journeys but I would always reassure myself “my turn/time is coming”.

How would you describe your general approach when working with people?

I use both the support-based and solution-based approaches to build a supportive and nurturing environment for clients to explore and address their challenges while guiding them to identify and implement solutions to help resolve their challenges.

Is there a moment with a client (anonymous, of course) that stayed with you?

There are quite a few of those moments actually however what stood out the most for me was when a client sent a message “Hi Palesa, I am truly happy our paths crossed, I won’t forget the day we met. You were able to shield me from dangers and depression I was not even aware off, you help me find meaning in life and redefine who I am especially putting more focus on my spiritual life. Please continue making a difference in other people’s life in the same manner you did in my life”.

What do you do when you're stressed?

I listen to calming music (instrumentals or gospel) while I try to find my feet again.

What's one small habit that makes a big difference in your everyday life?

Practicing gratitude.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give for a lighter, happier life?

Practicing gratitude consistently whether through journaling, expressing appreciation or reflecting on positive aspects of one’s life, can help one to recognize and appreciate the good things around you.

What does being part of SupportRoom mean to you?

Being part of SupportRoom provides me with the opportunities like accessibility, flexibility, comfort and convenience. I can reach clients (including busy clients who cannot come to the office) throughout the world, there is no geographical limitations, digital support enables clients (especially those suffering from anxiety) to be able to open up more during sessions as they are in a familiar and comfortable environment.

And now, just for fun:

– Do people assume you can read their minds?
– Do friends ask for advice even when you’re off the clock?
– Have you ever argued with your partner… and later realised they were kind of right? 😄

Tjooo there is no rest for people in the mental health care field…. we emphasize self-care to clients to avoid burn out yet we work round the clock. While trying to rest a friend, relative or acquaintance will call in a guise of “I’m just checking on you” A FEW MOMENTS LATER- the actual reason for the call gets revealed 😊.

One cannot simply enjoy being silent and not part take in a conversation, people will often misinterpret your silence as reading their minds 😊

I always avoid arguing with my partner for the – “I TOLD YOU SO MOMENTS” 😊