BEHAVIO®AL ASSO©IATES
(071)4191722
" __ The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind __ "
ABOUT ME
I am Dr Jean-Pierre Van Der Berg, better know as Behavio®al Asso©iates - a HPCSA and The New York State Education Department (NYSED) Registered Psychologist based in Pretoria-East, South-Africa.
As humans, we are hardwired for stories. Everyones is different from the rest, which is the root of my practice.
For the past ten years, I have been curating everyday projects with simple, sophistication and simplicity. The passage of time has reaffirmed my passion for humans, by doing things different, better and furthermore - creating Impact!
Inspired by the trademark that's 'YOU' - celebrating the transformation and strength that is livitous within the everyday modern human and the people who appreciate them. It is through my knowledge and cognizant within the various industries I collude with, that a message of hope resonates with every meet and nonetheless, closed chapters of successful treatments.
I take ostentatious understanding to human behavior as much as I do to corporates and brands simultaneously.
It is here where I'll guide you through life’s most complex and difficult matters as I truly care about my patients well-being and I guarantee top of the line psychopsycyological counseling treatments, guidance and behavioral services prerequisite to your needs.
I have provided a number of specialized therapeutic services, platforms and software programs, challenging to those dealing with life experiences as my number one priority is my patients mental health and I go above and beyond to help them through all their obstacles.
Let's start your journey, a creation of changes to your movements, changing those into unforgettable life-changing moments!
WHAT TO EXPECT ON YOUR FIRST VISIT
LEARN ABOUT MY METHODS
I implement effective psychotherapy methods to instill self-understanding among patients and encourage them to adopt new attitudes and feelings towards life situations.
It is essential to keep in mind that therapy is not a magic pill or a quick fix - therapy is a healing process that necessitates participation and investment from the patient and caretaker alike.
But in the end, making small changes to self-defeating behavior and coping with feelings of sadness, fear, and pain can bring life-altering results.
PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPY
GUIDANCE ON EVERY STEP OF THE WAY
Since 2017, I have provided therapy to patients in a global context, with a wide range of psychological & counseling services to suit their needs.
Whether you’re an individual, a couple, corporate or a family looking for help - my therapy sessions are designed to strengthen your confidence and assist you in the healing to improvement process.
COUPLES THERAPY
In my therapy sessions, we’ll work to solve current problems and improve positive thinking and behaviour.
I will help you “re-frame” your reactions and provide you with valuable tools to cope with life’s obstacles. I’m confident you’ll find my personalized Couples Therapy beneficial and inspirational.
PSYCHIATRIC CONSULTATION
A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER YOU
Feeling a bit down lately and nothing seems to lift your spirits?
It might be time to seek help from a licensed professional.
My Psychiatric Consultation sessions help patients develop positive attitudes towards life’s most complex and challenging circumstances.
PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPY FOR ADULTS
If it is the first time that you are thinking about therapy, you may feel that you might be better off speaking with your friends or family about what you are going through. Whilst this support can be really invaluable, therapy provides a space where it is just about you and free from the baggage or dynamics that might be tied to your friends and family.
As your therapist, I have also been trained to deal with the issues that you are struggling with, using methods that I have seen work over the years and which are supported and validated by research in the field. The space is also confidential and private so you can express things to me that you might be embarrassed to say to a friend, family member or colleagues.
Whilst medication might be useful to assist in managing certain conditions dealt with in adult therapy, it is not a prerequisite for me to work with you or always suggested. Depending on your particular needs, I work either short term (6-12 sessions) or more long term (24-48 sessions) - just long enough to get you on your feet again so that you can return to living a fulfilling and content life.
"I am sad all the time and sometimes don't feel like living anymore?"
The World Health Organization lists depression as the leading cause of disability worldwide. I can help you assess the toll that depression is taking on your life and assist you in developing skills to deal with the symptoms of depression like hopelessness, lack of motivation and suicidal thoughts.
"I feel so anxious all the time, like my life is out of control and I have no power to stop bad things from happening to me?"
Anxiety disorders can range from generalised anxiety to conditions such as obsessive compulsive disorder. I can help you to develop skills and ways of thinking that empower you to feel more in control of your life and to manage the symptoms of anxiety in a constructive way.
"Ever since I was hijacked, I feel tearful all the time and can't stop having nightmares about it?"
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a debilitating condition that makes normal everyday functioning difficult. Being in an accident, losing a loved one, suffering a serious physical injury or being a victim of crime and violence will leave you with some degree of trauma that can affect your life adversely. I can assist in helping you to make sense of the way that you are feeling and to manage the symptoms of trauma.
"I can't express my emotions properly - I am either pretending they aren't there or screaming and shouting at people close to me?"
My relationships often don't last because of this difficulty in managing emotions constructively, confusion about who you are in the world and difficulties with intimacy and attachment to others can often present together as what us professionals term a personality disorder. This is quite common in my practice and I assist individuals with these symptoms to better manage their emotions as well as to cope with the painful distress of the insecurity they may feel about themselves and their relationships with others.
PRIVATE COUNCILING
HERE FOR YOU
If you’re looking for quality Private Counseling sessions with a certified Psychologist that cares, then you’ve come to the right place.
I guide my patients every step of the way and implement various methods to help them develop new attitudes towards all of life’s most complex matters.
FAMILY THERAPY
__ "It didn't matter how big our house was, it mattered that there was love in it!" __ - AnonymousSelf
There are many circumstances that may lead you to consider hiring a family therapist. Possible barriers to seeking family therapy include believing that your family should be able to solve its problems independently of outside help, not achieving consensus among family members to engage in therapy, being unsure of the effectiveness of family therapy, or questioning whether or not your family’s challenges are significant enough to seek help.
BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
" __ The best apology is changed behavior __ "
I've always had a desire to understand the reasons why people behave in certain ways as well as to help them to deal with difficult feelings and life experiences in a healthy way.
I feel passionate about assisting you in thinking about your life and making choices that enable you to live an optimal life as well as facilitating decision-making that is fair and objective in considering the psychology of matters in the legal domain.
WHAT IS BEHAVIORAL THERAPY?
Behavioral therapy is a term that describes a broad range of techniques used to change maladaptive behaviors. The goal is to reinforce desirable behaviors and eliminate unwanted ones.
Unlike the types of therapy that are rooted in insight (such as psychoanalytic therapy and humanistic therapies), behavioral therapy is action-based. Because of this, behavioral therapy tends to be highly focused. The behavior itself is the problem and the goal is to teach people new behaviors to minimize or eliminate the issue.
Behavioral therapy suggests that since old learning led to the development of a problem, then new learning can fix it.
PSYCHO-LEGAL ASSESMENTS I CONDUCT
"The victim mindset dilutes the human potential. By not accepting personal responsibility for our circumstances, we greatly reduce our power to change them."
I was originally drawn to the psycho-legal field by my interest in the intersection of psychology and criminal behaviour.
My work has expanded since then but psycho-legal evaluations still form a substantial part of my practice with a focus on criminal responsibility and capacity assessments, evaluations in cases where there is a charge or allegations of sexual abuse, as well as victim impact assessments.
I generally work with you in these matters if you are the victim or perpetrator of a crime and approach me directly, if you are a lawyer and need an evaluation for your client or if you are involved in such a matter in an organizational capacity and require assistance. Through a combination of methods that include interviews, psychometric testing and consultation with collateral sources of information, I am able to assess the areas detailed above and make recommendations with regards to sentencing or diversion as well as the probability and extent of psychological damages caused in sexual abuse cases with recommendations with regards to treatment, and interventions necessary. All of my findings and procedures are detailed in a report that can be submitted to the Court and on which I am able to testify.
CRIMINAL CAPACITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
This involves psychological evaluations in criminal matters where I assess whether the perpetrator is able to differentiate right from wrong and was able to act based upon this knowledge at the time of the crime.
SEXUAL ABUSE
If there is suspicions that a minor is being sexually abused or if a charge of sexual abuse as already been laid at the police, I can evaluate the minor child and assess the extent of the abuse as well as make recommendations for interventions and treatment going forward. These evaluations also involve the alleged perpetrator if this is known and assess the probability that sexual abuse has taken place and whether it is plausible that the identified perpetrator could have committed such a crime, especially when there is a lack of physical evidence to either confirm or deny such charges.
VICTIM IMPACT ASSESMENTS
In cases where a crime has been committed, I am able to compile a victim impact assessment to indicate the psychological damages of the crime to the victim. This can then be used for sentencing purposes with regards to consideration of aggravating circumstances by the Court.
TEENAGERS & ADOLESCENTS PSYCHOTHERAPY
"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."
Adolescence is a tricky time filled with a lot of confusion and powerful feelings. It’s a time of extremes and hormones and figuring out who you are in the world. It can feel frightening for teenagers and parents alike. It doesn’t have to feel this way though or be harder than it needs to be. I want to help both teenagers and parents of teenagers to navigate this complicated time with as few battle scars as possible.
I try to provide your child with a confidential space in which they can discuss the issues they are struggling with. I also utilize the principles of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to equip your child with skills to understand and manage their emotions better, to cope with stressful situations in their lives more optimally and to understand themselves and their relationships with others better so that they can make constructive choices in their lives.
I feel that it is important to involve and work with parents as well to help expand your understanding of your adolescent child, as well as to equip you with the skills and tools that may help you to support your teenage child and your relationship with your child.
Therapy may be short terms (12-24 sessions) or longer term (36 sessions) depending on the needs and circumstances of the teenager in question. Feedback and discussion sessions are held at regular intervals with parents, without compromising the confidentiality of the therapy space.
HOW I CAN HELP YOUR CHILD TO OVERCOME SELF-HARMING & SUICIDAL BEHAVIOURS
When your child is hurting themselves by cutting or burning themselves it can feel overwhelming and frightening. It is even scarier when they are speaking about or attempting to take their own lives.
I can equip your child with skills to better express their distress and to tolerate difficult emotions and to thereby reduce their tendency to self harm or attempt suicide.
POOR EMOTIONAL REGULATION AND DISTRESS TOLERANCE
Teenagers sometimes exhibit volatility, moodiness and poor decision-making because they lack the necessary skills to understand and manage their emotions. They may also lack the necessary skills to effectively cope with feeling distressed or overwhelmed. Without the necessary help, they may resort to substance use and risky behaviours to cope with these issues. I can help your child to better understand and express their feelings, as well as to cope with feeling overwhelmed and not to act out in negative or destructive ways.
RELATIONSHIP DIFFICULTIES
As children enter adolescence, their peer group becomes central to their identity and sense of wellbeing and belonging. Parents take a back seat and are often seen as authority figures who need to be rebelled against as a means of asserting the teenager’s growing desire for independence. Sexuality is also starting to develop and raise questions for your child. I can assist in providing guideposts for parents in negotiating these shifts and developments in their relationship with their child. I can also help your child to better understand themselves in relation to the others in their world and equip them with skills to make constructive choices in these areas.
MOOD DISORDERS SUCH AS ANXIETY & DEPRESSION
Anxiety and depression can make the normal challenges of adolescence harder to cope with. I can assist in helping your child to develop insight into the role of these disorders in their life as well as ways of managing their symptoms so that they do not add excessive demands on their coping in the areas of social, family and school lives.
MY CREDENTIALS
__ "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world!" __ - Nelson Mandela
February 2016 - March 2022
Psychologist - Victims Councilling
Human Trafficking Trauma Councilling, assisting victims for United Nations (UN)
🔸NYSED Licensed/Practice Nr - PSY 171 244
🔸HPCSA Licenced/Practice Nr - PS 754 980
🔸Legal Practice-Practitioner Nr - 155 281
September 2013 - March 2022
Psychology Researcher
Trained in experimental methods and statistics, utilizing the scientific method to formulate and test hypotheses, develop experiments, collect & analyze data and use that information to develop conclusions to report on each finding.
Two common types of studies I undertake:
Experiments – research conduct experiments both in controlled lab settings and out in the field. An example might be examining the social behaviors of small groups in a rural town.
Case studies – conducting research often utilize this method when studying an individual or small group. Observing how a particular family overcomes the trauma of a natural disaster is an example of a case study.
Despite the significant differences in the ways that research are conducted by studies, the tie that binds research psychologists together across disciplines is that at the heart of my research, I seek to understand better on how humans and non-human animals feel, think, learn, and act.
January 2016 - March 2022
First Scene Response - Serious & Violent Crimes
Serious & Violent Crimes including:
🔸The Psychology of crime victimization
🔸Effects of crime on victims and survivors
🔸On-scene crisis intervention
🔸Crisis intervention and victim advocacy
🔸Accident victims/eyewitness
🔸Domestic Violence
🔸Child Abuse
🔸Trauma councilling for The South African Police Service & EMS personel🔸Cash & Transit
🔸Helivec (Flight for Life)
I love helping my patients develop the tools they need to cope with all of life’s challenges. Contact me today to learn more and book a session.
202 Amarand Avenue, Menlyn Maine Trilogy, Waterkloof Glen, Pretoria 0010
(071)4191722
