THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLNESS PROGRAMME

 

As said under “About me”, I associate with the mission of Salus the daughter of the Greek god of Health, who was not involved in the treatment of the sick but who was the guardian of wellness.

 

Psychology (and the other social sciences) has up to now functioned mainly in a paradigm of pathogenic thinking, following clinical psychology which has shown the way for much of our thinking about people. It is such a deep-flowing current of belief that many psychologists have difficulty seeing any alternative. They are often at a loss to answer the question: ‘What is health?’ when not allowed to define it as absence of illness (Strümpfer, 1990: 265, 266).

 

According to Strümpfer, a new paradigm that emphasises the origins of health or wellness, is strongly in the ascent, and can best be named ‘salutogenesis’ (from salus = health (Latin); genesis = origins (Greek). Aaron Antonovsky (1979, 1987 in Strümpfer, 1990: 266)  a medical sociologist at Ben-Gurion University in Israel, is the leading proponent of the new paradigm with its primary concern the maintenance and enhancement of wellness, in addition to the prevention and treatment of illness.

 

 

PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLNESS

CORE OF THE PROGRAMME

I developed my own questionnaire on psychological wellness, using nine different aspects of your relationship with yourself: your ego; self; identities; self concept; self talk; self realisation; attribution of meaning; experience; involvement. 

 

SESSIONS

After an initial session the client completed this questionnaire and we discuss the different aspects in several sessions. To benefit from this program I would suggest at least 3 sessions.

 

RATIONALE

This psychological wellness programme is based upon my dissertation for my MEd (Guidance and Counselling) degree which I completed at Unisa (2008) as part of the process to qualify as a psychologist and to register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). In the dissertation I investigated psychological wellness by using the Relations Theory – a theory developed by proff. LJ Jacobs and DJ Vrey of Unisa and by which a person is understood in terms of the relationships he/she forms with himself/other people/values/objects, etc.

 

COST

R1500 for three 50 minute sessions. Payable when booking is made/with first session. 

 

If more sessions are needed, it would be charged at R550,00 per 50 minute session.