Racheal Johnston – VITA NOVA PRETORIA

Racheal is a social worker who specialises in play therapy, which is also known as play-based intervention. She therefore works from a Gestalt play therapy perspective, which enables her to approach a child holistically by taking all aspects of a child’s life into account, since these factors all have an effect on a child’s wellbeing and functioning.

Racheal completed her Bachelor’s degree in Social work in 2017, where she commenced her career in school-based therapy and support to primary school children. Thereafter she enrolled for a Master’s degree in Play-based intervention (Play therapy) at the University of Pretoria, while she continued to provide support to children and adolescents in primary as well as high school. She has also completed her socio-emotional assessment course, to aid children with this needed assessment tool.

Racheal is currently completing her research on the impact that community violence has on adolescents. She is therefore under the capable supervision of Anschel Pieterson who specialises in play-based intervention. She is furthermore rendering therapeutic as well as social work services to adolescents and their families at a high school. Working with children and adolescents has equipped her to deal with trauma, loss and grief, relationship problems amongst peers, the socio-economic problems of children and adolescents, as well as the daily concerns faced by children and adolescents. She therefore believes that by best equipping parents with the knowledge and skills concerning the care of their child or adolescent, a foundation is laid to build on a child’s emotional well-being.

Racheal’s vision is therefore to provide a child or adolescent with an environment in which they can freely express themselves, in order to grow and develop to become healthy adults within society.

“Imagination and creativity can change the world” – Anonymous