ABOUT

Dr Vicky Downing

Ph.D. (UCT), M.Ed (UNISA), B.A.Hons (RAU), HDE (UNISA)
HPCSA Reg: PS 0124109
SAAM Membership: SAAM1301
0+ years
IN EDUCATION
0+ years
IN PRIVATE PRACTICE

​”I am an Educational Psychologist and the owner of Guiding Hands Therapy.”

University of Johannesburg By Aurobindo Ogra - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

I have been in private practice for over 11 years and have been involved in education for over 25 years.

I started with my undergraduate B.A. (General) through the University of Johannesburg (then Rand Afrikaans University) before completing a B.A. Honours (Psychology) through the same. I also completed a Higher Diploma in Education through UNISA before embarking on a career as a high school teacher, reaching the position of Head of Subject at a private school, and serving as an IEB sub-examiner for the Grade Twelve Examinations for 7 years. During this time, I developed learning programmes for senior grades and was involved with application processes for the IEB accommodations. Towards the end of my teaching career, I studied my B.Ed. Honours in Education (School Guidance and Counselling) before commencing my M.Ed. Education (Guidance and Counselling), both through UNISA.

After completing my internship year working at two schools and an NPO, I qualified as an Educational Psychologist in 2014.

In 2019, I was accepted to read towards my Ph.D. in Psychology through the University of Cape Town and completed the qualification in September 2025. In this research, I researched the prevalence of possible ADHD and attention problems in an under-resourced community following which a Behavioural Training Programme, which I developed, was presented to parents and caregivers of children with possible ADHD and attention problems. I am also involved as an examination concessions approval panel member with a professional board since 2019.

Since 2020, I co-ordinate a monthly reading and supervision groups for psychologists and am involved in peer training and supervision. I qualified and registered as a Family Mediator with the South African Association of Mediators (SAAM) in 2023.

​My Approach And Special Interests:

Working from a systematic and psychodynamic perspective, I acknowledge the influences of different spheres in a person’s life and how these can contribute to current difficulties.

Being trained in:

  • Integrative Brain Based Therapies (IBBA: such as hypnotherapy and eye-position work)
  • Dialectical And Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
  • Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
  • Gestalt Therapies

Allows me to adjust therapeutic approaches according to the client’s needs. I have a special interest in working with children and parents from divorced families, and children and adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), both related to topics of my dissertations for my M.Ed. and PhD.

Other areas of special interest include:

  • Psycho-Educational Assessments, including those for examination accommodations and concessions (school- and tertiary- level for different examination boards)

  • Psycho-Legal Assessments For Children (such as care and contact, abuse and sexual abuse investigations)

  • Play Therapy With Children

  • Psychotherapy With Teenagers And Adults

  • Marriage Therapy/ Couple Counselling

  • Family Therapy

  • Mediation

I conduct training for teachers and have presented a number of talks at schools on different topics.

Affiliated Professional Associations

Educational Psychologists Association of South Africa (EPASSA)
Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)
South African Association of Mediators (SAAM)
South African Council of Educators (SACE)