Meet Nadia Booysen
Nadia Booysen is a Counsellor and Palliative Care Specialist with over 15 years of experience, with services in Johannesburg and Pretoria. Her qualifications include an Honour’s degree in Social Work (University of Pretoria, 2010), an Honour’s degree in Psychology (Unisa, 2012), and a Post Graduate Diploma in Palliative Medicine (UCT, 2018). She is also trained in Traumatic Incident Reduction Therapy and Suicide Prevention. This diverse training enables her to provide powerful support to individuals with physical and mental illness, as well as their loved ones, families, and caregivers. To provide the most effective and personalised care, she draws from a range of therapeutic models based on each client’s unique needs.01. Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT)
A practical, hands-on approach that focuses on changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours. It’s based on the idea that your thoughts, feelings, and actions are interconnected, and helps you develop new skills to break negative cycles.
03. Traumatic Incident Reduction Therapy (TIR)
A specific, person-centred method for addressing and resolving the emotional impact of past traumatic events. It provides a safe and structured way to re-examine a painful memory until it no longer causes distress, allowing you to move forward.
02. Psychodynamic Approaches
A “depth” approach that helps you understand how past experiences, especially from early life, shape your current feelings and behaviours. It explores unconscious thoughts and old patterns to provide deeper self-awareness and lasting change.
04. Person-Centred Approach
A supportive, non-judgmental approach where you are seen as the expert on your own life. The therapist provides a safe, empathetic, and accepting space to help you explore your own feelings, find your own solutions, and grow into your most authentic self.
05. Systemic, Cultural, and Creative Therapies
This is a holistic view that understands you as part of a larger picture, not just as an individual. It explores how your well-being is connected to your relationships and family dynamics (Systemic), respects how your unique background and beliefs shape your experience (Cultural), and may use art or other forms of expression, not just talking, to help you explore feelings and promote healing (Creative).
A Deeper Level of Support
Deep Personal Understanding
Nadia is not just a trained professional; she is a breast cancer survivor who has also supported a parent through a cancer diagnosis. She has lived the physical and emotional toll of serious illness and understands the vulnerability, fear, and overwhelming questions you might be facing based on her own personal journey.
Unique Dual Expertise
She bridges the critical gap between medical and mental health. With over 15 years of experience and formal qualifications in Psychology, Social Work, and Palliative Medicine, she understands the complete picture—from the emotional impact of a diagnosis to the practical realities of navigating complex medical and clinical settings.
Holistic & Practical Guidance
Her support goes beyond just talk therapy. She offers a Bio-Psycho-Social model, meaning she also helps individuals and families with the practical, overwhelming tasks that come with being ill. This includes discharge planning, preparing the home, and offering guidance on claiming medical insurance and applying for disability aid.
Respected Leader in the Field
Nadia is a recognized authority in oncology and palliative care. Her expertise is trusted by her peers; she served as Vice-Chairperson of the South African Oncology Social Work Forum and is a regular presenter at major medical conferences (SASMO/SASCRO, ICON, SACO) and for support groups like CANSA.
Specialised Trauma & Crisis Training
She is equipped to help you process the most difficult moments of a health journey. She is formally trained in Traumatic Incident Reduction Therapy (TIR), a specific method for resolving the emotional impact of traumatic events, as well as in suicide prevention.
Accessible, Person-Centred Care
Understanding that illness makes travel difficult, Nadia’s support is flexible. She offers hospital consultations and home visits in addition to individual and family counselling. Her entire approach is person-centred, authentic, and humane, creating a safe, non-judgmental space to preserve dignity and foster hope.
Memberships and Associations
Nadia served as Vice-Chairperson of the South African Oncology Social Work Forum from 2018 to 2021. She has presented at the SASMO/ SASCRO, ICON and SACO conferences between 2017 and 2025 and has been an invited speaker for CANSA, Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease support groups, Woman’s Day Events, and Reach for Recovery. She also writes articles for Buddies Magazine and has been interviewed on Chai FM.
