Primary Focus, Purpose & Services

The Itsoseng Psychological Clinics' main focus is to offer a comprehensive psychological service to the community.  Itsoseng also exists to turn needs in Mamelodi into opportunities by providing other services, such as psycho-education in the form of regular workshops, events such as conferences aimed at very specific needs in the community, such as family life, parent-child relationships, dealing with addictions in the family, etc.  The primary services include counselling with individuals, couples and families, psychological assessment, art therapy and career guidance.

Needs

The more than one million residents of Mamelodi are exposed daily to extreme poverty, crime, unemployment, AIDS-consequences (e.g. child-headed families) resulting in destructive coping skills, including domestic- and child abuse, aggression, drug- and alcohol abuse.

Our Clients’ needs:

ü       Leadership training

ü       Self-esteem

ü       Significance

ü       Identity

ü       Growth and Development

ü       Instruction

ü       Help

ü       Perspective

ü       Hope

ü       Recreation, etc.

Our needs:

ü       Funding

ü       Variety of resources

Objectives

ü       Identifying potential leaders/entrepreneurs from the community who can often not afford to go to educational institutions and equipping them through “leadership development projects” and mentoring programs

ü       Providing a safe place, support, education and therapy for those in the community to develop healthy coping skills and reach full potential in spite of the circumstances

Project Essentials

The clinic was established by the Department of Psychology of the University of Pretoria.  The clinic aims to address the needs as described above.  Itsoseng is an NGO, supported by donations, fundraising events and projects throughout each year.

Itsoseng aims to address the existing gaps between original (mostly) Western based approaches to psychotherapy by:

ü       Continuous context-specific research in Mamelodi.

ü       Acting as a training base where we provide opportunity for internships of psychology students as part of their training, and finally

ü       therapy is provided to members of the community

Itsoseng does this by providing an open, accepting atmosphere where specific and significant needs of clients experiencing psychological difficulties resulting from socio-economic conditions in Mamelodi.

These include:

ü       depression

ü       stress-related conditions

ü       learning problems experienced by learners and students

ü       domestic abuse

ü       women and child abuse

ü       destructive coping skills, such as drug abuse, violence, aggression, etc.

Itsoseng further also does preventative work such as psycho-education, i.e. teaching about the above and how to prevent negative outcomes.

Itsoseng clinic strives to provide a context sensitive service, continuously searching for ways to move towards a culturally sensitive therapy, counselling, etc.

Itsoseng clinic is primarily funded by donors.....

Itsoseng clinic provides quality care and opportunities for community members to experience growth, development, healing

Itsoseng clinic provides opportunities for youth to be identified to participate in projects (CCL) developing self, capacity and skills to become autonomic, self-sufficient, leaders building into the community...aim is to support community to take ownership of own growth and development.

Itsoseng Philosophy

We believe that every human being deserves all the opportunities and chances to be and become the best person/leader that they can be.

We believe that people should be treated with respect and deserves quality care, education and support.

Itsoseng Structure

ü       Academic staff from the department of Psychology runs the clinic, with Dr Linda Blokland being the primary in charge.  Other staff members in volve are Prof Terri Bakker and Ms Ilse Ruane 

ü       Intern Psychologists on duty

ü       Trauma Counsellors

ü       Various volunteers doing art, playing games and music activities in the afternoons

How Can You Partner With Us?

Get involved on a long term basis in one or all of the events. 

Planned events for 2011:

ü       Monthly Self-Empowerment Workshops

ü       Family Conference in August

ü       Family Fun Day for the families in the community

ü       Weekly Art, Music, Activity Groups for children in need

ü       CD- and booklet-project providing preventative information

ü      Leadership development project in conjunction with Centre for Creative Leadership

How Can You Benefit From This?

This is a marketing opportunity for company.  We can for example advertise some of the events as “Company Name” Family Conference or Leadership Development Program, etc.  Various advertising opportunities at the different events or at the clinic building.  Participation and recognition at the events.  Tell us how you would like to benefit from such a partnership.

Address & Contact Details

University of Pretoria

Department of Psychology

Education Building
Ground Floor, Room L209

Mamelodi Campus

Hinterland Street

Mamelodi East

For appointments contact Mrs Rosemare Visser on:
Telephone #: 012 842 3515

Faxciile:         086 518 3871
Email:            itsoseng.clinic@up.ac.za

Follow @Itsosengclinic

Clinic Hours

Mondays to Thursdays:   09h00 to 16h00