DR BEVERLEY PEENS-HARTMAN

My Story

Embarking on a journey of growth, development and healing in mental health with patients, has always been my passion. Each person I have the privilege of journeying with, has a unique story, unique wounding and a unique tapestry that we need to explore, understand and rework.

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As a Clinical Psychologist with a primarily Psycho-dynamic therapeutic focus, my aim is to try to enable you to open the door to your guided journey of treatment, restoration, insight, growth and renewal. Breaking destructive and non-serving emotional patterns in one’s life and gaining insight into what underlies the development thereof, helps one realise how to go about re-architecturing your world. My hope is that through this process, each patient I engage with will learn how to live and have a fuller and more meaningful life.

Having had a four-fold focus in my career that has spanned for the last 27 years has enabled me to specialize in a number of fields within Clinical Psychology, Organizational Change and Development, Academic Research and Wellness Management. A career journey that has taken me to many countries and exposed me to numerous cultures and brought many soulful lessons. Embracing the philosophy of One day… or Day 1 is what drives a lot of my outcome-based focus. Therapy is designed to take you somewhere, not keep you stuck. To move your forward from where you start the journey, to a different, more wholesome place. I look forward to sharing in this with each patient I meet.

My Interests

I’m touched by the journey of each person I work with. Therapeutically, I aim to create a mindful space for each person to find meaning, grow and succeed in personal transformation. I consider personal transformation a life task for all people and the foundation of the work that I share with each patient as we work together in therapy. When other people transform, I also grow and transform.

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As Carl Gustav Jung said: “The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”

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Over the last 20years, I’ve specialised in depth psychology and long-term psychotherapeutic work (including play therapy and Jungian Sand tray therapy) with patients of all ages. My doctoral research focused on family resilience and coping in dealing with depression. I’m intrigued by reflecting on which therapeutic interventions really help patients resolve emotional suffering with lasting effect. I’ve continued my work in this regard by focusing on health and depth psychology and completed a two-year post-graduate qualification specialising in mindfulness at Stellenbosch University (2017-2018). I’ve also completed Level 1 of the newly developed therapeutic method called Brain Working Recursive Therapy.