Mark Steyn
Orientation And Approach
| As an independent clinical psychologist I facilitate and provide mental health assessment and psychotherapy services to a diverse group of clients and patients, including adolescent (16+) and adult individuals, families, and other groups. I also manage a psycholegal practice with a focus on assessments for families subjected to psychosocial and legal stressors. I offer consulting services to private and public sector corporate’s, and provide clinical consulting services at the University of Cape Town’s Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health.
PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS My professional interests include psychotherapeutic practices that assist clients or patients who are experiencing or suffering from or with: |
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| - | personal trauma or loss; | |
| - | anxiety or stress related difficulties; | |
| - | mood difficulties, including low mood and depression, irritability or anger, and fluctuating or persistent mood states that may be difficult to manage; | |
| - | bipolar related disorders; | |
| - | interpersonal and relationship difficulties, particularly when experienced in personal, family or work relationships; | |
| - | parental mental health related issues, including during the periods prior to pregnancy, during pregnancy (prenatal and perinatal), and after birth (postnatal); and | |
| - | individuals and families who are finding it difficult to cope where a parent, child or sibling suffers from psychological difficulties or psychiatric illness. | |
| PRACTICE ORIENTATION
I practice psychotherapy primarily from an integrative psychodynamic framework. This means that I place an emphasis on developing a strong and purposeful working relationship with my clients and patients so that we may together discover and come to understand how (often unrecognised) thoughts, feelings, and behaviours contribute towards the development and maintenance of personal difficulties, or psychological or psychiatric challenges. Psychodynamic psychotherapy builds on the principal processes involved in resolving, reducing or managing distressful thoughts, feelings and behaviours by facilitating a more substantive, in-depth therapeutic inquiry. In broad terms this entails a clinical focus not only on the presenting symptoms or cluster of symptoms (such as anxiety or depression) that a client or patient may be suffering from, but also the reasons as to why such symptoms or cluster of symptoms may have arisen in the first place, what sustains these symptoms, what makes them worse, and what helps reduce or alleviate these symptoms. In more specific terms, psychodynamic psychotherapy is purposefully orientated to further developing an individuals’ internal psychological resources and their personal awareness and reflectivity abilities, thus enhancing their capacity to better prevent, cope with, and manage life (or other) stressors that may otherwise trigger, maintain or exacerbate personal difficulties, or psychological or psychiatric challenges. |
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| - | further develop their own psychological resources, which are necessary for healthy and effective personal functioning; | |
| - | learn more about themselves by exploring personal self-reflective questions, resulting in meaningful personal growth. | |
| Although I practice from an integrated psychodynamic framework, in certain circumstances I augment my practice with other non-dynamic psychotherapies. This decision is based on clinical best practice after considering the presenting clinical circumstances and the individual client or patients’ personal psychotherapeutic goals and fit. ABOUT ME I completed my formal academic training as a clinical psychologist through the University of Stellenbosch where I completed a BSc (Honours) (Psychology) and an MSc (Clinical Psychology). I also hold certificates in various fields of related professional development, including Logotherapy from UNISA and Family and Divorce Mediation from FAMAC. My clinical internship was completed through the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at the University of Cape Town. During this time my training responsibilities included clinical, psychological, psychometric, and neuropsychological services at various in-patient and out-patient wards. This included clinical psychology services in the acute male admission and forensic units at Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital as well as out-patient psychotherapy services at Groote Schuur Hospital and in-patient clinical and psychotherapy services to individuals and groups in a specialist dual diagnosis medical-psychiatric ward. During my public service year I established and managed the clinical psychology and mental health services unit at Abraham Esau District Hospital and various Community Health Centres in the southern Karoo region. My clinical responsibilities during this time included providing clinical, psychological, and psychometric assessments as well as out-patient psychotherapy services to a diverse patient population. I also provided forensic assessments of defendants and complainants in criminal proceedings, including capacity to stand trial assessments and victim impact reports. |
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| - | The Health Professions Council of South Africa | |
| - | The Board of Healthcare Funders | |
| - | Psychological Society of South Africa | |
| - | Cape Town Psychoanalytic Self Psychology Group | |
| - | Centre for Group Analytic Studies | |
| - | Family Mediators Association of the Cape | |
| FURTHER INFORMATION For more information about my practice and the psychology services that I offer, please visit my website at: www.psydyn.com or alternatively email me at: [email protected]. |
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