After graduating from UCT as an Occupational Therapist, Bridget spent a year in South Africa gaining general clinical experience. She then moved to London for two and a half years where she worked in the mental health sector facilitating group therapy sessions for adolescents and young adults.

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When she returned to South Africa to work at Red Cross Children’s Hospital and Tafelberg Remedial School, she continued to develop a passion for using Group Therapy as a treatment modality for children. It was at Red Cross, working at the Therapeutic Learning Centre, that Bridget obtained invaluable experience as part of a multi-disciplinary team treating children with significant emotional and behavioural difficulties.

 

After being immersed in this environment for over five years and starting a family of three boys, Bridget decided to start her own Private Practice, focusing exclusively on Group Therapy for children and young adolescents.

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Since 1999, Bridget has run over 1 800 Group Therapy sessions with groups of between 8 to 12 children. These sessions have included children from a wide range of schools across Cape Town, referred by psychiatrists, psychologists, school teachers, OTs, physiotherapists, speech therapists, school counsellors and parents. Children who attend Group Therapy may have some traits of attention difficulties, anxiety disorders, oppositional defiance and high-functioning autism, which may impact their social skills.

 

Bridget regularly undertakes school visits to assess individual children’s interaction in the classroom and playground environments. During this time she liaises with the teachers, referring practitioners and parents, on strategies to promote optimal learning and interpersonal relationships.

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Over the past few years Bridget has been approached by various schools, across the Cape Peninsula, to use group work to address social difficulties within the classroom environment. Bridget has worked with teachers at Auburn House, Springfield and the International School of Hout Bay on interventions at the classroom level to assist with developing empathy amongst class mates helping them to better understand one another, problem solve and manage conflict.