M.Soc.Sc. Clinical Social work
Trauma and Counseling Therapist
Christa du Preez has a particular interest in Trauma-related cases and assists patients who suffer from a traumatic incident. Her focus age group is children from 7 years to adults. She loves working with children from 7 years and older and assists them through play therapy. She also specializes in counselling and therapy to resolve problematic behaviour, family and individual problems and relationship issues.
She acquired her M.Soc.Sc. Degree in Clinical Social work in 1990 from the University of the Free State.
She worked at private organizations at the beginning of her career as a statutory social worker. After that she worked at Mediclinic Bloemfontein from 1990 and mainly performed Trauma Counselling, a more clinical setup.
She established her private practice in May 2021 in Bloemfontein, and her main interest is Trauma-related cases as well as therapy and counselling to families, children, individuals and couples. She has almost 40 years of experience in social work.
Christa presented numerous information events about Trauma and its emotional effects. Throughout her career, she attended many courses about Trauma as well as therapy and counselling.
As an acknowledgement of her contribution to her profession, she received two awards as social worker of the year from the following departments and organizations:
1991: Free State Provincial Administration – Bloemfontein
1999: Oranje Vroue Vereeniging (OVV) - Zastron
She has unbelievable compassion for people’s pain and hurt. Her passion is to make a difference in a person’s life and improve their quality of life. She places a high value on assisting people who do not have the ability to deal with their pain and hurt and being involved as a confidant providing them with the tools to overcome their trauma.
“Social work is my passion; Trauma is my calling.” – Christa du Preez
Services
Sessions can be done in English | Afrikaans | Sotho
• Trauma Therapy (Hospital Experienced)
• Marriage
• Family
• Couples
• Individual
• Divorce
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Suicide and suicidal thoughts
• Miscarriage
• Loss
• Post-Covid counselling
• Domestic Violence
• Cancer counselling
• Children above 7 years
Trauma Therapy and Counselling
What is trauma and its effects?
Trauma is the personal experience of an event that involves:
• Actual or threatened death or serious injury.
• Threat to one’s physical integrity.
• Witnessing an event that involves death, injury or a threat of death or injury experienced by a family member or other close associate.
While trauma is a normal reaction to a traumatic event, the effects can be so severe that they interfere with an individual’s ability to live an everyday life. Emotional trauma is the result of stressful events that leave you feeling vulnerable and helpless.
The response to the traumatic event:
• Trauma manifests itself as intense fear, helplessness, or horror.
• Impairs somatic, psychological, emotional, and cognitive behaviour and social functions of an individual.
Immediate symptoms during and after the event:
• Shock and adrenaline surge.
• State of disbelief and numbed feelings; both physical and emotional.
• Feelings of fearfulness.
Common physical responses and symptoms of trauma:
• Tremors, racing heartbeat, dry mouth, sweating, nausea or indigestion.
• Tiredness, lack of energy and drive.
• Change or loss of appetite.
• Hyperventilation, dizziness.
• Headache, muscle ache.
• Chest pains.
• Constant state of alertness
These may lead to:
• Flashbacks / nightmares – Insomnia or difficult to sleep.
• Recurring memories and thoughts about the event.
• Poor problem-solving skills.
• Poor concentration and absent-mindedness.
• Difficulties with relationships.
Emotional and Behavioural signs of trauma:
• Strong feelings of rage, anxiety, sadness, and guilt.
• Extreme vulnerability.
• Insecure, frightened, suspicious.
• Violated.
• Exploited.
• Helpless, powerless.
• Out of control.
• Self-doubt.
• Anger.
• Social withdrawal.
• Tendency to avoid anything related to the event.
• Restlessness, irritability.
• Increased use of chemical substances.
• Tearfulness.
• Lack of concentration.
• Panic when a memory of the event is triggered.
• A need to talk about the event or need to not talk about it.
Emotional and Behavioural signs of trauma:
• PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder)
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Dissociative disorder
• Substance abuse
The five stages of Trauma:
• Denial – this can’t be happening.
• Anger – why did this happen.
• Bargaining – I promise I will never ask for another thing to avoid a cause of trauma or grief.
• Depression – a gloom that comes from having to adjust to so much so quickly.
• Acceptance
Childhood Trauma:
Children are especially vulnerable to trauma because their brains are still developing.
Children experience a heightened state of stress during terrible events and their bodies release hormones related to stress and fear.
Trauma, especially ongoing trauma, can significantly affect a child’s long term emotional development, mental health, physical health, and behaviour.
This sense of fear and helplessness may persist into adulthood.
It leaves the person at a significantly higher risk of the effect of future trauma.
Signs of Childhood Trauma:
• Flashbacks or nightmares – sleep problems.
• Avoidance, anxiety, or depression.
• Problems with trust.
• Self-destructive / self-cutting.
• Risk behaviour include:
- Withdrawal
- Suicidal thoughts
- Ongoing emotional upset
- Attention and academic problems and progress
- Clingy / separation anxiety
What is therapy / counselling:
Therapy, also called psychotherapy or counselling, is the process of meeting with a therapist to resolve problematic behaviour, family problems, relationship problems etc.
Therapy can help individuals overcome pain from their past as well as childhood trauma and develop coping skills through difficult times in your life.
People explore their moods, pain, and behaviour in a safe place.
Therapist can give people a better understanding of their own emotions, teach communication skills and promote one’s self-esteem.
It’s a form of treatment aimed at releaving emotional distress.
Why should you seek therapy / counseling from a clinical social worker?
• To find peace and to help you overcome your problems e.g., anxiety, stress, depression, grief, loss, and trauma.
• Freedom and relief from your internal limitations and starting a new road to re-discovery of your deepest most fulfilled self.
• A true benefit of talk therapy / counselling is that its effects are long lasting because one can work through stuff and develop the tools to help you deal with past and current issues.
• Repressed emotions will come back to haunt you later in your life.
• The worst drawback of not talking about things may be that you don’t express sad feelings and trauma can pile up and explore later.
• Repressing or dampening one’s feelings won’t make the feelings go away.
• A clinical social worker is someone who can assist you in identifying and navigating complex mental, behavioural, and emotional situations in your life, reach conclusions regarding mental and behavioural diagnoses.
• A clinical social worker aims to help individuals in need to improve the quality of their lives and their well-being.
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