Welcome

I’m Dayne Williams, a registered Educational Psychologist offering therapy for adults & adolescents online or in-person Cape Town. I work interactively, adapting our work to your specific needs as I believe that every person is unique and not one approach works for everyone.
My interest areas include ADHD, anxiety-based disorders, process addictions and general life transition difficulties but I work with across other areas such as understanding and recovering from unhealthy relationship dynamics.
Apart from therapy I provide comprehensive Adult ADHD assessments and work alongside my colleague Shannon Willows who administers psycho-educational assessments for primary, high and university students. My practice is situated in Harfield road, Claremont or online. Please have a look around and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Education & Training

I obtained my Bachelor’s degree through the University of South Africa before pursuing a PGCE at the University of Cape Town. I then spent 7 years in the teaching profession while continuing my studies in Educational Psychology. In 2016 I graduated cum laude from the University of the Western Cape writing my thesis on ‘positioning theory within the therapeutic context’ under the late Michael Guilfoyle. In 2017 I attended Stellenbosch University obtaining my MEdPsych degree with my thesis exploring transformation in former model-c schools.  After a year internship at the Bishops Support Unit at Bishops Diocesan College I started my private practice which is now situated in Claremont, Cape Town. I am passionate about my work and strive to extend my knowledge through continued professional development. I also hold myself to a high ethical standard and do not work with patients with whom I feel they may be better served by a colleague with skills that differ from my own. 

Integrative therapy and assessments

Intergrative and individualized therapy for adults and adolescents dealing with a wide range of emotional difficulties.  

Assessments for students from Grades 1 through to University level that are aimed at creating meaningful and purpose-driven interventions in order to better support your child. 

Consultations that combine qualitative and quantitative assessment methods to determine the presence of ADHD in adults.

Connect with me on social media

Blog

Professional Affiliations

Occasionally I am privledged enough to contribute to various media channels on a variety of topics. Click the link above to view some of these publications.

Frequently asked questions

I, like many of my colleagues, tend to intergrate various approaches to therapy. Some therpeutic approaches have been empirically shown to be helpful in certain areas such as Exposure and Response Therapy for OCD or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for anxiety-based disorders. I draw most readily from Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy however tailor my approach to the individual I am working with. I have found that these approaches provide a particularly good balance of theory and practicality. 

The therapeutic approaches I utilize are best suited to adults and adolescents over the age of 16.
Adult ADHD assessments are only suitable for Adults over the age of 18 whom have matriculated from school.
Psycho-educational assessments can be administered to students of any level from Grade 1 through to University level. 

My practice is not contracted into medical aids and therefore invoices are not submitted on your behalf unless you qualify for the PMB benefit. However Upon payment you will be issued with a receipt which can be used to claim back from medical aid (plan and policy permitting). Psycho-educational assessments will likely incur a co-payment.

 

Yes. If you have already had your PMB approved or if you meet the criteria for a PMB then I will apply on your behalf and submit all subsequent invoices directly to medical aid so that you will not need to pay anything. Please note that the PMB is not a guarantee and if you have not been approved previously then I will need to assess whether you meet the criteria. 

All my therapy fees are in line with medical aid rates and can be viewed here for a more specific breakdown
Psycho-Educational assessments will incur a co-payment. 

Assessments for ADHD can be accurate, but their reliability depends on various factors. These assessments involve gathering information from multiple sources and using tools like interviews, questionnaires, and observations. However, they are not foolproof and misdiagnoses can occur. The accuracy of the assessment depends on the clinician’s competence, the quality of the assessment tools, and the information provided. ADHD is diagnosed clinically, meaning there is no specific medical test for it. The assessment process considers symptoms, their persistence and impact, and rules out other potential causes. Seeking evaluation from specialists in ADHD or neurodevelopmental disorders to increase accuracy is key. Thorough assessments involve multiple sources, developmental history, and consideration of co-occurring conditions. This is why comprehensive assessments are always preferable to brief consultations where little information is collected.

In short, these assessments consist of a clinical interview, collection of developmental history, the completion of the Connors Adult ADHD Rating Scale self and observer questionaires, the Comprehensive Executive functioning inventory for Adults and the working memory subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. For a more descriptive look at the process click here.

No. It is generally considered best practice to assess for adolescent ADHD as part of a full psycho-educational assessment. The reason for this, in short, is that there are many factors that can lead to similar symptom profiles and a psycho-educational assessment is the best tool we have to eliminate other potential differentials that may be contributing to the concerns. By doing a full psycho-educational assessment we minimize the risk of a false diagnosis.

A full psycho-educational assessment will differ from student to student as it is tailored to address the unique concerns raised by you and your child. However it will always include a detailed examination of your child’s cognitive functioning, academic abilities pertaining to reading, writing and mathematics as well as emotional functioning,  psycho-motor abilities and attention (particularly when ADHD symptoms are noted). Furthermore as an educational psychologist, I always look into a child’s executive functioning abilities as experience has shown me that this is often a contributing factor for many learning barriers. 

In terms of the actual assessment, this is conducted over one full day, beginning in the morning with one or both parents and your child. We will discuss the concerns together for about 30-60minutes after which your child and I continue on through the various tasks. Generally we finish somewhere between 2 and 3:30pm taking into account breaks for lunch. I then write up a report which takes between 1 and 2 weeks and set up an appointment for feedback.

All children develop and learn differently. Our one-size-fits-all approach to education often means that those not well suited to mainstream schooling get left behind. Sadly this can often be avoided if we are aware of the unique barriers a child faces. 

Some of these barriers are more obviously related to academic work such as reading, spelling, writing and Mathematics while other concerns may be harder to identify such as visual perception difficulties, speech and language barriers, social challenges, ADHD or inattentive-like symptoms. Whatever the reason may be, an educational psychologist is trained to assess students in order to identifying strengths and work with challenges. 

The advantage of a male psychologist, like any psychologist, lies in their individual skills, expertise, and personal qualities, rather than their gender. That being said, some individuals may feel more comfortable discussing certain topics or issues with a psychologist of a specific gender. In such cases, a male psychologist could be advantageous for certain clients who prefer or feel more at ease talking to someone of the same gender. This comfort and sense of rapport can enhance the therapeutic relationship, leading to more open and productive sessions.

Furthermore, male psychologists may bring their unique perspectives and life experiences to the therapeutic process, which can be beneficial in understanding and addressing the concerns of male clients. For example, they may have insight into the specific challenges or societal pressures that men or adolescent boys face, allowing them to provide tailored guidance and support. That being said, many also seek out someone who can add a very different perspective to our lives. Nonetheless the point is that at its core, therapy is about building a trustworthy relationship and for some it is easier to connect with a particular gender which means we need to have a variety of psychologists (male, female or gender neutral) that cater for people with varied backgrounds. 

Extra time is an exam concession otherwise known as an exam accommodation that is applied for through the child’s school and the WCED using the report from your educational assessment and various other bits of evidence the school puts together. As an educational psychologist I will look at all the information gathered during the assessment and consider various accommodations that may be beneficial given the learners unique learning barriers.  Extra-time can be very helpful but a thorough assessment will be able to determine whether it is the best option for the individual or if another accommodation/intervention would be better suited. Ultimately extra time can never be guaranteed prior to an assessment as all accommodations need to be based on the findings detailed in the report.

Location

Sessions are available at:

12 Harfield road, Claremont
or
online via Google Meet