Niel Victor Niel Victor | Clinical Psychologist - Psychotherapy - Counselling

"Like the journeyman on the hero’s journey, I have the privilege of accompanying clients for a time on their life expeditions, where we jointly become the archaeologists of their humanity."

Cornelius J Victor Clinical & Research Psychologist

For the convenience of our clients, this practice is now contracted in to all major medical aids

My Journey

After completing my Masters degree (Research Psychology) in 1997, I started working in the marketing research field. Following time in the areas of media, research supply and fast moving consumer goods, I co-founded a full service marketing research agency, Research & Planning Intelligence (Pty) Ltd, in 1999. I was the managing director of the company until I sold it to the Smollan Group in 2006. By that time, the company had grown to become one of the top 10 market research companies in South Africa. I was the president of the Southern African Marketing Research Association (SAMRA) from 2008-2009. I continued to lead the company until 2010, when I was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.

During my battle with cancer, I reflected deeply on where I wanted to go into the future. I always had a passion for empowering people and organisations, and felt that I should apply this principle in a more directed way, which led me full circle back to completing my second Master degree in 2014 – this time in Clinical Psychology at UNISA, which I passed with distinction. I also became involved in the Psychological Association of South Africa (PsySSA) – both as executive on the Sexuality and Gender Division, as well as a member of the PsySSA LGBTI Human Rights Project, in which I continue to play an active role.

The new chapter in my journey saw me doing my internship at Lentegeur Hospital (Cape Town) and my community service at some of the community clinics in the City of Cape Town, offering psychological care to patients particularly in the areas of HIV / STI / TB care and general mental health support to children, adolescents and adults. In 2015 I started my own private practice.

"My approach to every client is individualised and customised to their specific needs and the unique relationship that we co-create."

My worldview is a mix of different ways of thinking about the world, mainly ecological, systemic and relational – a result of the unique mix of my training, experience and own history. Within this view, I use a combination of both well-practiced and innovative theories, methods and tools. These include Solution-focused, Structural and Strategic Systemic, Holistic, Person-Centred, Positive Psychology, CBT, and Psychodynamic approaches.

My work has included assisting clients with:

Challenges of life, including life stage changes and addiction.
Personal development and growth.
Personal mental health concerns, including depression and anxiety.

Difficulties in intimate, social, work, and family relationships.
Grief and trauma – partner violence, sexual abuse, rape, death and dread disease.
Sexuality and gender diversity issues, including LGBT concerns.

An inspiring and relevant quote from Tanja Meyburgh, founder and director of African Constellations:

"As we navigate this collective trauma field we are experiencing, one can notice how the tendency for splitting and division that is always the state of trauma and fractals of trauma are present all around us. The tendency to split off, or for us to enter in to fight, flight or freeze responses is understandable as trauma layers upon previous trauma and our brains and bodies go into to a kind of overdrive trying to sort out the knots that get entangled between one event and the other.

I invite us all in this time to be aware of the splitting and hold space for voices of both sides. It could be an inner conversation that needs to be had between parts of yourself that are not listening to each other, or it could be an honouring of the greater system that is in shock and distress at the moment. How can we hold space for divisions arising between us, and contribute internally towards integration as a fractal of the larger system? Self-care and self-integration is key at this time."

Tanja Meyburgh website

African Constallations website