EXPERIENCE​

My name is Dr Sarah Cantrell. I’m a Counselling Psychologist with a special interest in the relationships between children and their caregivers. I completed my doctorate through the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of the Witwatersrand, in collaboration with the University of Manchester. My research explored behavioural reciprocity between mother and infant, with a focus on how trust is formed and sustained within relationships.

 

My work is grounded in psychodynamics and guided by the understanding that, as Peter Fonagy suggests, we are understood into existence. Feeling deeply seen and thought about is central to psychological growth. I have a particular interest in early relational trauma, attachment, and the development of trust, especially where individuals experience difficulties with emotional regulation, connection, or a sense of psychological safety.

 

I have been in private practice since 2010 and have worked across neonatal intensive care units, schools, and community mental health settings. I am also a mother of three and this, alongside my clinical experience, informs my sensitivity to early relational life and development. I value creativity and self-expression and integrate this where appropriate through my background in music and voice artistry.

 

I work with children, adolescents, and adults, offering both individual and group psychotherapy. My approach is systemic and relational, attending to both the individual’s internal world and the patterns that emerge in relationships, with the aim of supporting more secure, flexible, and meaningful ways of relating.

 

I have a keen interest in:

• Mother-infant relationships

• Postnatal depression

• Parental guidance

• Depression and anxiety

• Meaning in suffering

• Loss

• Play therapy

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PERSONAL INFORMATION

I am married and have 3 children. I live in Stellenbosch and love singing and all genres of music.

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DEGREES

BA (UJ)
•⁠  ⁠⁠BA Hons Psych (UJ)
•⁠  ⁠⁠MA Community Based Counselling Psychology (WITS), 
•⁠  ⁠⁠PhD (School of Clinical Medicine, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, WITS)
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CONTACT INFORMATION:

drsarah@childwise.org.za​