Hi, I am Brenton Thornton
Counselling Psychologist
PS 0158070 PR 1161962
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Throughout my life, I have always been motivated by the fact that positive, psychological change can occur in someone’s internal world, despite their external environment. Our internal psychological worlds are diverse, vast, dense, and informative, holding many emotions that we are not always aware of, especially when external events distract us from it. If we allow it, our minds have a way of informing us of how we should feel, behave, or exist through our lives. Therapy functions as a useful tool that can bring us closer to our minds, due to the freedom to express what we feel without judgment. This can help us move closer to who we are while understanding what we need to experience and change to feel better in life.
AVAILABILITY
Mondays and Wednesdays Bedfordview
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Saturdays - Boksburg
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Tuesdays - Alberton
SERVICES
Adult Counselling
Teen Counselling
Play Therapy (Children)
Online Therapy
Assessments
SPECIAL INTEREST
Anxiety & Depression
Addiction
Existential issues
Bereavement and Loss
Adjustment issues
Trauma
ADHD
Masculinity
Mindfulness
More about Brenton
I believe that although my psychologist role holds a serious responsibility, it equally holds a huge privilege. This is because I have the opportunity to enter, understand, appreciate, and assist in one’s internal world. This can help to validate one’s experiences and feelings in a holistic way. This is not only achieved from my actions; I have found that therapy functions best as a collaborative exchange between the client and myself, where we can observe differing aspects towards why the client experiences life the way they do. The way I work in therapy is by firstly looking at the context and expectations of the individual, which will then inform what therapeutic methods are suitable for that space. This is why I use an eclectic/multimodal approach to therapy, where certain methods are suited and tailored to suit the specific needs of the client.
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In terms of my experiences, I obtained my Master’s degree in counselling psychology with distinction at the University of the Witwatersrand. This experience entailed a vast array of teachings and practical work in psychotherapy, community interventions, and assessments. My first year (2021) mostly involved student therapy through CCDU and Emthonjeni Centre at Wits, career assessments, and assessments through Ububele. My internship year (2022) was at the Office of Student Success at Wits medical campus, and involved regular therapy for the medical science students, teen therapy through Parktown Boys High School, and regular scholastic/cognitive assessments given to children and adults at the Johannesburg Parent Child Counselling Centre.
Alongside my other ever-changing experiences before my Masters degree, these diverse teachings assisted my growth exponentially, as I had to apply many different and unique interventions to accommodate people’s contexts. Throughout this process, it taught me to become reflective of everything within this career path moving forward, which has helped develop me into understanding what works more efficiently in the spaces that I operate in.