About Anneke Venter
Allowing another person to accompany us on a change journey takes a bucket full of courage and three buckets full of trust. The first building block of trust is getting to know someone. Therefore, I gladly share a bit about myself.
Anneke’s training and experience
I qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2003. I have always had a special interest in the field of mental health and wellness. Therefore, most of my work experience and further training has been in this field.
My further formal training includes:
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy-skills training (DBT)
- Sensory IntelligenceTM
- Ergo-Wise (building cognitive endurance for return to work after incapacity due to mental illness)
- I’m currently enrolled in Biofeedback training.
I also attended CPD courses on the topics of Narrative Therapy, Art Therapy, trauma debriefing, intergenerational trauma, cognitive rehabilitation, chronic pain, cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia and more. My work experience includes 10 years in the field of post-addiction care. I have also worked in the field of vocational rehabilitation, with return-to-work intervention for 14 years and functional capacity assessments for 4.5 years. I have worked in the corporate wellness space for two years, designing and delivering corporate wellness programs.
Anneke’s values & strengths
Integrity
I take pride in doing what I committed to do and I do it to the best of my ability. To practice what I teach is important to me; I practice each of the techniques that I teach my clients and actively invest in my own wellbeing.
Curiosity
I am relentlessly curious about how things work and are always investigating new and innovative ways of service delivery. This makes me a lifelong learner and a therapist who are not afraid of exploring new and innovative solutions to an obstacle.
Creativity and innovation
I find deep personal satisfaction in spotting gaps in systems and designing creative solutions to improve or solve problems. I have successfully developed new and innovative programs in each organisation or practice that I worked in before. This also stood me in good stead when I worked in the corporate wellness spheres.
Empathy, care & honesty
I have been described as gentle and kind, but also as straight shooting. I am not afraid of respectfully pointing out blind spots with my clients if I know that it will help them grow and reach their therapeutic aims.
Systematic and flexible
My therapeutic style is a blend between systematic and organic. I like to tackle processes systematically and enjoy advance planning. However, I am also comfortable veering off the planned path if it will best serve the goal.
Teamwork
I absolutely believe in the value of interdisciplinary teamwork. Therefore, I would gladly contact your other medical professionals at the start of our therapeutic journey and keep them informed of our goals and your progress.
Family oriented.
My own family is extremely important to me. For this reason, career-minded as I am, I have made the decision to work part time. Therefore, my hours are not the standard 9-5.
Spirituality
I am a Christian and my relationship with God is central to who I am. Because I have witnessed the depth and enduring change that Christian spirituality has made in my own life and in the life of clients who allowed me to explore Christian themes in our therapeutic journey, I am open to do so if clients invite me to do so. However, it is important to note that I remain respectful of each client’s personal and religious beliefs and I will never impose my own views on another. I have successfully worked with clients of all religious backgrounds in the past.