Chérie Schutte

My approach to therapy is integrative, collaborative and practical. I don't believe that one therapeutic method works for every person, so I adapt the way we work according to your needs, personality, circumstances and what you hope to gain from therapy.

I draw particularly on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), integrative therapy and person-centred principles. This means that our work may involve exploring how your thoughts, emotions and behaviours influence one another, while also paying attention to relationships, past experiences, current pressures and the wider context of your life. Understanding why certain patterns have developed can be important, but we will also look at what can realistically change in the here and now.

Sessions with me are conversational rather than overly formal. You will have space to talk and process what you are experiencing, but I am not a therapist who simply sits back and says very little. I will ask questions, help you notice patterns, offer different perspectives and, where useful, introduce practical strategies that you can take into everyday life.

Depending on what brings you to therapy, we might work on anxiety and overthinking, emotional regulation, burnout and overwhelm, boundaries, communication, relationship patterns, self-confidence, coping with change, or finding more sustainable ways of managing competing demands. For clients with ADHD or neurodivergent traits, we may also explore executive functioning, emotional intensity, routines, relationships and ways of working with your individual strengths and challenges rather than constantly feeling that you need to function like everyone else.

When working with parents and caregivers, I take a broader view of wellbeing. Parenting difficulties rarely exist in isolation. Stress within a family can affect relationships, identity, work, sleep, emotional wellbeing and the way people communicate with one another. My experience with children, neurodivergence and family systems helps me understand these pressures, while keeping the therapeutic focus on you and what you need.

I also understand that culture, relocation and life circumstances shape the way we experience ourselves and our relationships. For clients living internationally or away from their familiar support systems, therapy may include exploring belonging, identity, loneliness, adjustment, relationship changes and the emotional impact of building a life between different cultures or countries.

Most importantly, I aim to provide a space that feels warm, respectful and free from judgement. I don't see therapy as finding something “wrong” with you that needs to be fixed. Often, the ways we cope make sense when we understand where they came from. Therapy gives us the opportunity to understand those patterns, decide which ones are still serving you and develop different ways of responding where they are no longer helpful.

You don't need to arrive with a clear goal or know which type of therapy you need. We can begin with what is happening in your life now, understand it together and work towards changes that feel meaningful, practical and sustainable.

I am a Psychology Lecturer, researcher and practitioner with more than a decade of experience working with individuals and families across South Africa, Namibia and the Netherlands. Alongside my academic work, I provide counselling and therapeutic support to adults, parents and caregivers navigating emotional, relational and everyday life challenges.

Throughout my career, I have worked with children, adolescents and adults experiencing a wide range of challenges, including anxiety, stress, emotional regulation difficulties, ADHD, autism, family difficulties and significant life transitions. This experience has given me a particular understanding of how individual wellbeing is connected to relationships, family dynamics, work, environment and the pressures of everyday life.

I am also the founder of Aldeia NeuroBehaviour Institute International, established in 2013, where I have worked in both clinical and leadership roles and alongside multidisciplinary teams supporting individuals and families. This experience has shaped my belief that effective support needs to consider the whole person rather than focusing only on a diagnosis or presenting difficulty.

My work across different countries and cultural contexts has also given me experience supporting expat and multicultural individuals and families. I understand some of the challenges that can accompany relocation, changing support networks, cultural adjustment, identity and belonging, and the impact these transitions can have on emotional wellbeing and relationships.

Today, my work brings together psychology, counselling, research and more than a decade of practical experience. In my online counselling practice, I particularly enjoy supporting adults navigating anxiety, burnout and overwhelm, ADHD, relationship and family difficulties, parenthood, expat life and periods of significant change.

Across my different professional roles, the common thread has remained the same: helping people better understand themselves, their relationships and their circumstances, and finding practical, sustainable ways forward.

My academic background is multidisciplinary, spanning psychology, early intervention, family wellbeing and neurophysiology. I hold a Master’s degree in Early Intervention and an Honours degree in Psychology, and I am currently completing my PhD in Early Intervention.

I also completed five years of medical training, followed by additional training in neurophysiology and brain-based assessment, including EEG. This has given me a broad foundation for understanding the interaction between psychological wellbeing, behaviour, development and individual differences.

My doctoral research focuses on caregiver wellbeing, social support, belonging and participation, with particular attention to the experiences of families navigating additional support needs.

Alongside my formal qualifications, I have continued to develop my therapeutic knowledge through training and professional practice in areas including cognitive behavioural approaches, counselling, family-centred practice, neurodevelopment and emotional wellbeing.

This multidisciplinary background informs my integrative approach to counselling while allowing the therapeutic relationship itself to remain human, collaborative and practical.