Counselling for Young Adults in South Africa

Support for South African young adults navigating career, relationships, anxiety, identity and the quarter-life transition.

The 20s and 30s are not ‘just figuring it out’

If you are in your twenties or early thirties and reading this, you have probably been told some version of ‘just enjoy it, these are the best years’. They are also, often, the hardest. Career uncertainty, financial pressure, relationship questions, identity work, separation from family of origin — these are real developmental challenges, not a phase to white-knuckle through.

Stephanie de Raay is a counselling psychologist (HPCSA — PS 0154580) whose practice is built around adolescents and young adults. Sessions take place by scheduled video call from anywhere in South Africa, around your work schedule, on your own device, in your own space.

What young adults bring to therapy

Anxiety and chronic overwhelm

The high-functioning version that does not show up at work but lives in the body. Tension, sleep disruption, the inability to switch off, the sense that everything is too much even when nothing specific is wrong. The work is on giving the system a way to actually rest.

Low mood and burnout

Especially common in the post-graduate or early-career window. The driven young adult who has stopped feeling driven, the one whose energy disappeared months ago and has not come back. Therapy looks at what is depleting the system — and what could rebuild it.

Career direction and meaning

‘I am not sure I am in the right field’ is one of the most common opening lines. Therapy is not career counselling, but it is the space to look at what is actually underneath the question — values, fear, comparison, identity, family expectation.

Relationships and intimacy

Dating, cohabitation, choosing a long-term partner, breakups, infidelity, the conflict patterns you noticed last year and are seeing repeat. Therapy is a space to look at your own part in those patterns without blame.

Family of origin and individuation

Separating from parents as an adult while still being in relationship with them is one of the quieter struggles of the 20s and 30s. Boundaries, expectations, money, distance — these are common themes.

Identity, sexuality and self-knowledge

Sometimes the first space to look at this seriously. Stephanie’s room is non-judgemental and confidential.

Finances, ambition and the comparison trap

Including the social-media-fuelled version where everyone else seems to be ahead. Therapy untangles what is your actual goal from what is the borrowed one.

Why video sessions fit young-adult life

Hybrid work. Irregular hours. Moving cities. Travelling for work. Living with flatmates or a partner where finding a private moment in a Sandton office building is impractical. Video sessions remove all of that. You log in from your room, from your laptop, in your headphones. The session happens whether you are in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Stellenbosch or back at your parents’ for the long weekend.

It also means continuity. The same psychologist stays with you through job changes, moves, breakups, big decisions — exactly the moments where consistency in therapy makes the most difference.

Meet Stephanie

Stephanie de Raay is a licensed Counselling Psychologist registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA — PS 0154580). Her practice is built specifically around adolescent and young-adult mental health.

Her clinical work draws on DBT-informed therapy (emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness), BWRT (BrainWorking Recursive Therapy) for reducing automatic stress responses, and person-centred therapy — chosen and combined according to what each client needs. The pace and approach are tailored to where your teen or young adult is, not adapted down from adult therapy.

How sessions work

The first call — a free intake conversation

Before any paid session, you have a free 15-minute call with Stephanie. She gets a brief picture of what is going on, you ask any questions, and you both decide whether the practice is the right fit. There is no charge and no pressure to book afterwards.

Session length, format and platform

Each session is 55 minutes. Sessions take place over a secure video platform from any device — laptop, tablet or phone. You need a quiet, private space and a stable internet connection.

Confidentiality

Sessions are confidential. What is said in the room stays in the room. The single exception is when there is a genuine, immediate risk of harm — to the client or someone else — at which point appropriate next steps are taken.

This rule is explained openly in the first session. It is what makes the work work; without it, clients cannot speak freely.

Fees and medical aid

The practice operates as a cash practice — payment is due on the day of your session. A detailed invoice is issued for you to submit directly to your medical aid for reimbursement. Most major South African schemes (Discovery, Bonitas, Momentum, Medshield, GEMS, Bestmed, Polmed) reimburse psychology sessions; the level of cover depends on your specific plan and out-of-hospital benefits.

Practice details: HPCSA PS 0154580 · BHF Practice 1069802.

Book a session

The best way to know whether Stephanie’s practice is right for you is a no-pressure 15-minute call.

Phone 079 565 1779 or email info@stephaniepsych.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need therapy if I am ‘just stressed’?

Stress that is sticky, that affects sleep, focus, mood or relationships, is worth addressing before it becomes a bigger problem. You do not need to be at crisis point to benefit from a few sessions of focused work.

How is therapy by video different from in-person?

Outcome research over the past decade shows that for the most common presenting issues — anxiety, depression, relationship work and life transitions — therapy by video is comparably effective to in-person. What you gain is convenience and continuity wherever you are.

Can I do therapy around a full work schedule?

Yes — evening slots are available, and rescheduling around work pressure is supported. The whole point of video sessions is making therapy fit the life you actually have.

How does payment and medical aid work?

The practice operates as a cash practice — payment is due on the day of your session. A detailed invoice is issued for you to submit to your medical aid for reimbursement. Most major SA schemes (Discovery, Bonitas, Momentum, Medshield, GEMS, Bestmed, Polmed) reimburse psychology sessions. HPCSA PS 0154580 · BHF Practice 1069802.

How long does therapy take?

It varies. For a single defined issue — a breakup, a work decision, a season of anxiety — six to ten sessions is often enough. Longer-term work on patterns, identity or relational dynamics typically runs over a year or more, at a pace that suits you.

Counselling for young adults across South Africa

Because sessions are by video, Stephanie works with young adults from across South Africa. Existing area pages with young-adult relevance include Vereeniging and Sasolburg, with a Rosebank young-adult page being added in September 2026.

If you’re looking for support in a related area, you may also find these pages helpful:

• Young adult psychologist in Vereeniging — support for young adults navigating career, anxiety and life transitions
• Young professionals therapy in Sasolburg — career and life support for early-career adults in the Vaal Triangle
• Counselling for teenagers in South Africa — the previous life-stage page if your concern relates to your teen years