Counselling for Stress — School & Work
A certain amount of stress is normal and even useful. But when it stops switching off — when it follows you into your sleep, your mood and your body — it wears you down. Stephanie de Raay is a counselling psychologist (HPCSA – PS 0154580) who works with teenagers and adults across South Africa by scheduled video call, so support fits around a school timetable or a working week, wherever you are — a small town, a farm, or a city suburb.
Whether it is a teenager buckling under exam pressure or an adult running on empty at work, stress responds well to practical support before it tips into burnout.
What ongoing stress can look like
When stress becomes chronic it tends to show up as trouble sleeping, a short fuse or tearfulness, difficulty concentrating, headaches or a tight chest, feeling constantly overwhelmed, and dreading the day ahead. Many people push through it for months, telling themselves it will ease “after this deadline” or “after exams” — until it does not.
School, exams and matric pressure (teens)
The South African school system is demanding, and the pressure usually starts well before Grade 12. Test anxiety, supplementary exams, university-entry requirements and the fear of disappointing everyone all pile up. Therapy helps with the everyday version — and with the harder one: the teenager who has quietly decided they are going to fail and has stopped trying. There is more on counselling for teenagers in South Africa.
Work stress and burnout (adults)
For adults, stress often builds slowly into burnout — exhaustion that sleep does not fix, cynicism about work you used to care about, and a sense of just going through the motions. You do not need to reach the point of collapse, or check into an expensive retreat, to get help. Counselling gives you a place to understand what is driving it and to make practical changes. There is more on counselling for adults in South Africa.
How Stephanie works with stress
Stephanie combines DBT-informed tools for calming an overloaded nervous system, BWRT® for easing automatic stress reactions, and person-centred therapy to get to what is underneath the pressure. The focus is practical: small, workable changes that add up. More about Stephanie and her approach.
How sessions and fees work
Sessions are 55-minute secure video calls, and everything starts with a free 15-minute intake call. Full detail on how sessions run, fees and medical-aid reimbursement lives on the therapy FAQs page.
Support wherever you are
Because everything is by scheduled video call, you can work with Stephanie from anywhere in South Africa — see the areas we serve. Stress and worry often overlap, so many people also find counselling for anxiety helpful.
Frequently asked questions
Isn’t some stress normal — when does it become a problem?
Normal stress eases once the pressure lifts. It becomes a problem when it stops switching off, affects your sleep, mood, body or performance, or does not improve even when circumstances do. The free intake call is a good place to gauge where you are.
Can you help my matric child who has stopped trying?
Yes — that “giving up” is often stress and fear wearing a mask of not caring. Stephanie works with the pressure and the thinking behind it, and can often see high-priority families quickly during exam crunches.
Is this burnout, or am I just tired?
Tiredness lifts with rest; burnout does not, and it usually comes with cynicism, detachment and dropping performance. If a good weekend no longer touches it, it is worth talking through.
Can we fit sessions around a busy work schedule?
Yes — sessions are by video from wherever you are, which removes travel time and makes it far easier to fit therapy into a full week.
A note on safety
If you or someone you care about is in immediate danger, talking about suicide, self-harm, or in crisis, please seek urgent in-person emergency help immediately (local emergency services or your nearest hospital). Therapy is not a replacement for emergency care.
Book a free intake call
The easiest place to start is a free 15-minute intake call to see whether this is the right fit. You can reach Stephanie directly:
📞 079 565 1779
📧 info@stephaniepsych.com
Book a session
You can also explore counselling for teenagers and counselling for adults in South Africa.
depression and
mood concerns
anxiety
adjustment
pregnancy and
post-partum
loss and grief
divorce
life transitions
trauma
emotional dysregulation
relationship difficulties
self-esteem
school and
work stress
It is important to note that online therapy is not suited to everyone. For individuals who are in crisis, with self-harm or suicidal risks, or in need of in-patient admission, it is strongly advised that they seek therapeutic intervention with an in-person psychologist. If requested, I will be able to provide a list of recommended psychologists in your area. If at any time during the therapeutic process I feel that online therapy is no longer suitable or clinically adequate, I will refer you to a trusted colleague who can take over your therapeutic process in-person.
Therapy sessions are scheduled for 55 minutes and fees are aligned with current medical aid rates. Please note that this practice operates as a cash practice, requiring payment on the day of your session and I do not claim on your behalf from your medical aid. I will issue you with an invoice which you can then submit to your medical aid for reimbursement.
For more, see our therapy FAQs.
Sessions available via secure video call
website by Bunnypants Graphic & Web Design Studio | 2025