Cynthia Pottier Educational Psychologist

Educational psychology is a category of psychology in South Africa that specializes in all things learning and development. This category of psychology was developed with the aim of addressing the educational psychological and related needs of the people in our country. Educational psychologists focus on the optimal emotional, cognitive and educational development of the child in his or her environment. They seek to alleviate emotional, learning, academic, intellectual, behavioural, social and developmental difficulties in children and young people within the systems in which they function including families, schools and peers groups etc. The work of an educational psychologist therefore includes psychoeducational/neuro assessments and subsequent scholastic interventions, play therapy for kids and psychotherapy for pre-teens and teens, parent education and counselling as well as career assessment and guidance. Also, work with teachers, parents/caregivers and communities plays a very important role since all levels of the child’s environment are considered too.

HPCSA Number : PS0128457 / BHF Number : PR 0785458

I’m Cynthai Pottier, an Educational Psychologist with a passion for education, I love seeing people succeed and live out their dreams. I believe that everyone has unique gifts and strengths and I am passionate about helping people uncover and celebrate these. I discovered my interest for educational psychology, in particular, during my academic career.

During my internship I was exposed to a number of different experiences which have all contributed to my career and the professional that I am today. During my internship I was involved in individual and group assessments, individual and group psychotherapy, individual and group play therapy, career counselling, crisis intervention and much more.

My Qualifications : Bachelor of Arts (Majoring in Law and Psychology) from the University of the Witwatersrand, Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Psychology from the University of the Witwatersrand,Masters of Education (Educational Psychology) from the University of theWitwatersrand

Psychotherapy Services

Play Therapy :: Children

Play Therapy refers to a large number of treatment methods, all of which make use of one or more of the natural benefits of play. All Play Therapy differs from regular play in that the therapist helps children systematically address and resolve their own problems. Since play is fun, it makes it easier for children to confront what is bothering them. Play allows them a safe psychological distance from their problems and allows them to express their true thoughts and feelings in ways best suited to their developmental level. Once children have expressed and addressed their problems through play, the therapist will be better able to help them find solutions to their problems in life.

Psychotherapy :: (Adolescents & Young Adult)

Psychotherapy (psychological therapy or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction with adults, to help a person change behavior and overcome problems in desired ways. Psychotherapy aims to improve an individual’s well-being and mental health, to resolve or mitigate troublesome behaviors, beliefs, compulsions, thoughts, or emotions, and to improve relationships and social skills.

Assessments

School Readiness Assessment

It is important to know whether your child will be able to cope in a school environment and whether they are “school ready”. This assessment will provide an overall picture of how your child is currently coping and provide a picture on how well they may cope in a formal school environment. This assessment will look at a child’s physical well-being and motor development, their social and emotional development, their cognition and general knowledge, language development, and approaches to learning. All of these domains are good predictors of how one will cope in a formal learning environment. Appropriate recommendations will be made once an overall picture has been made.

Psychoeducational Assessment

Psychoeducational assessments are suitable for children who are attending school and provide a holistic view on your child’s educational, emotional, neurodevelopmental and cognitive functioning. It provides a holistic picture of a child’s functioning in the school setting and highlights not only possible areas of difficulties but also a child’s strengths. Appropriate recommendations will be made depending on the findings.

Concession Assessment

This assessment is quite specific and is generally done by the request of schools, educational departments and the IEB. Numerous concessions or accommodations can be used during examinations depending on the difficulties which have been identified. Some examples would be extra time, rest breaks, use of a computer, a reader, a scribe, and enlarged print. The assessment will give an overview of a child’s educational, emotional, neurodevelopmental and cognitive functioning. Learners need to be assessed in order to obtain accommodations and they need to present with an average intellectual ability. The accommodations made depend on the overall findings of the assessment.

Subject Choice Assessment

Subject choice assessment are suitable for Grade 9 learners who are unsure what subjects to select for their senior school years. These assessments will assist with understanding the learners aptitude, personality and interest in learning style; in order to make an informed decision related to the subject choice.

Career Assessment

Career assessments help an individual to identify career opportunities suitable to their personal attributes. This assessment will take the following aspects into consideration when identifying suitable career options: aptitude, interests, values, and personal characteristics.

Neuro-Psychological Assessments

Neuropsychological assessments can be conducted to assess for any abnormalities in an individual’s nervous system that can cause problems with daily functioning. They can give insight into difficulties an individual may be experiencing in perception; memory; language; reasoning; visuospatial and constructional abilities; executive functioning etc

Non-forensic assessment services are provided to help diagnose and analyse symptoms of: Mental confusion, Amnesia, Attention and concentration difficulties, Learning difficulties, Dementia (e.g. Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, etc.) and Other cognitive/neuropsychological problems.

Services that can be conducted via online platforms

Sessions can be conducted via Skype/Zoom/WhatsApp video call.

– Online therapy (For adolescents)

– Tele-play Therapy (This is online play therapy for kiddos)

– Subject choice assessments (Grade 9 learners)

– Career Assessments (Grade 11 + 12, University students or adults facing career transition)

Services that need to be conducted in person

These assessments require clinical observation and therefore cannot be conducted via online platforms.

– School Readiness Assessment

– Psycho-educational assessments

– Neuropsychology assessments

Please visit my website & social media pages for more information and services

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