Melissa Finkelstein

Clinical Psychologist

I am a clinical psychologist working in Kenilworth, Cape Town. I work with individual adolescents (from age 18) and adults. I have been working as a psychotherapist for 20 years. My work is psychoanalytically informed, and unconscious motivations and defences are explored in a safe and confidential space.

I see individuals suffering from a number of difficulties including depression, anxiety, relationship problems (such as with a partner/parent/friend/colleague), loss/bereavement, adjustment difficulties, stage of life difficulties, and chronic medical conditions. Individuals often come with feelings that they are struggling with, such as anger, stress, guilt, and feeling out of control.

Psychotherapy sessions usually start with a 3 to 4 session assessment. During this assessment phase, I will take a thorough history and we will begin discussing what brought you to therapy. We will also get a sense of each other during these initial sessions, and then at the end of this period, we will discuss the best way forward for you.

Psychotherapy is about the relationship and involves a collaboration. Therapy is also about a commitment to a process and to this end weekly/twice-weekly sessions are often recommended, depending on what your need is. I try to provide a warm and accepting environment in which you feel comfortable to begin sharing. Together we will unpack and try to make sense of things and help you to become more aware of blindspots and to develop further insights and sense of self, and to ultimately grow as an individual. To this end, psychotherapy aims to help you be in the world in a more conscious way, to help you break destructive patterns of being, and to get more fulfilment in yourself and in relationships.

Professional Memberships:

• Cape Town Society for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (CTSPP)
• South African Psychoanalytic Initiative (SAPI)
• South African Psychoanalytic Confederation (SAPC)

 Fees:

Within Medical Aid Rates

HPCSA Registration number: PS 0067776
Practice Number: 8645744