Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
Occupational Therapist | Integrative Therapeutic Practitioner Three decades of clinical experience | Cape Town and Online Internationally
ONLINE AND IN-PERSON SESSIONS AVAILABLE
In-person in Wynberg, Cape Town, and online wherever you are.
Welcome
I have spent three decades working with people, and I still genuinely love what I do.
I know that life can be difficult, sometimes enormously so. I also know that reaching out for help isn’t always easy.
You may be struggling to make sense of what you’re experiencing, feeling overwhelmed, anxious or finding it difficult to cope. Or you may have spent years trying to understand yourself and still feel that something hasn’t changed.
My work begins with meeting you where you are.
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I bring many years of clinical experience, training and therapeutic understanding to our work together, but I also bring my humanity.
I believe that the relationship between us matters. Feeling understood, respected and comfortable enough to be yourself is an important part of the therapeutic process.
I take my work seriously, but that doesn’t mean our time together needs to feel heavy or clinical. There is room for warmth, honesty, curiosity, humour and real humanity, alongside the sometimes difficult and delicate work of understanding what has shaped your experience.
For me, therapy is a collaborative process. I bring my clinical experience, training and therapeutic understanding, while you bring your own experience of yourself, your life and what matters to you. Together, we explore what may be shaping your experiences and responses, with curiosity, honesty and compassion, and an interest in what might allow things to change.
I’m interested in the whole person, not just the symptoms or difficulties that brought you to therapy.
Whether you’re struggling to cope, working through painful experiences or wanting to make changes that have felt out of reach, my commitment is to work alongside you with care, experience and a genuine belief in the possibility of change.
The impact of working with Renée…
“Things that felt tangled begin to make sense”
“I discovered so many sides of myself I actually like”
“Renee has really helped me to try and be the best version of myself!”
“I leave feeling more connected to myself.”
“A transformation that 2020 me hadn’t even begun to imagine.”
“For the first time in many years I could say recently ‘I’m actually a good person’”
“Clearer in my mind. Calmer in my heart.”
“She has always made me feel safe, understood and never judged.”
“I always leave feeling more secure and confident”
“Lighter in my spirit. More empowered.”
“One of the deepest, most rewarding experiences of my life.”
“I feel genuinely seen.”
“I show up differently. I listen differently.”
“Truly life changing.”
“I walk out of the session always grateful for the time spent together”
“I respond differently.”
“She allows me to discover insights for myself”
“A journey of self discovery with the most amazing guide.”
“The impact of what Renee does extends far beyond me.”
“She is incredible at what she does and has helped me through some of the most difficult times in my life”
“I notice a difference.”
“A renewed sense of perspective.”
“I couldn’t be where I am today without her.”
“I have truly valued and appreciated your perspectives, insights and knowledge”
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The goal isn’t to spend your life endlessly working on yourself. It’s to become freer to live it.
I think most of us would like to feel more comfortable in our own skin. More alive. More spacious. More able to grow, change and respond to life in ways that feel right for us.
But life doesn’t always feel that way.
Sometimes things become so difficult that we feel overwhelmed, anxious or frightened by what we’re experiencing. We may feel as though we’re losing our footing, struggling to cope or watching parts of our lives unravel without knowing how to stop it.
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For some people, the struggle is very visible. Life may genuinely feel as though it’s falling apart.
For others, things may look quite different from the outside. You may be managing your responsibilities, maintaining relationships, raising a family or doing well professionally, while privately feeling anxious, exhausted, disconnected or overwhelmed.
From the outside, it might look as though you’re coping. On the inside, you may feel that you’re barely holding things together.
Or perhaps life is going reasonably well, but something still doesn’t feel right. You may feel stuck in familiar patterns, dissatisfied, restless or simply aware that you’re not experiencing your life in the way you’d like to.
You may have been trying very hard to make things better. Perhaps you’ve done therapy before. Perhaps you understand your history, your patterns and why you respond the way you do.
You may even recognise what’s happening while it’s happening.
And yet, it still happens.
You might find yourself asking:
Why am I still responding like this?
Why does this keep happening?
Why, when I understand myself so well, does it still feel so difficult to change?
Sometimes you don’t need another explanation of why you are the way you are.
You just want something to change.
When understanding isn’t enough
I don’t believe the answer lies in finding another list of things that are wrong with you.
Life is challenging, and most of us are doing the best we can with the resources and experiences we’ve had.
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We adapt, cope and develop ways of functioning for very good reasons.
So I’m not particularly interested in judging or pathologising the response.
I’m interested in what’s creating it.
I like to think of this as our operating system.
Beneath our conscious understanding is an intricate system of nervous system responses, emotional learning, early experiences, trauma, personality, family dynamics and adaptations that have developed throughout our lives.
Many of these responses once served an important purpose. They may have helped us feel safe, maintain relationships, belong or manage difficult circumstances.
But what once helped us may no longer serve us.
And understanding why we respond in a particular way doesn’t necessarily change the response itself.
That’s where I like to work.
My approach is integrative. I draw on three decades of clinical experience and extensive training across psychological, somatic, trauma informed, relational and systemic approaches.
I don’t believe one therapeutic model explains everything, or that one method is right for everyone.
I work with the person in front of me, paying attention to the whole system: what you’re thinking and feeling, how your body and nervous system are responding, the experiences that have shaped you and the deeper patterns that may still be influencing your life.
Rather than endlessly trying to manage ourselves at the surface, we become curious about what’s happening underneath.
And sometimes, when something shifts at that deeper level, change can feel surprisingly natural.
You may find yourself responding differently without having to consciously remember to do so.
Something that once triggered you may no longer have quite the same hold.
You may feel more comfortable in your own skin, more at ease in your relationships or more able to make choices that feel right for you.
Sometimes the change is gradual. Sometimes it feels quite profound.
And sometimes you simply notice that something which used to be difficult isn’t difficult in quite the same way anymore.
More freedom to live your life
Ultimately, I’m not interested in helping people become endlessly better at managing themselves.
I’m interested in greater freedom.
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More freedom to respond rather than automatically react.
More freedom to make choices without being driven by old fears or patterns.
More freedom to experience difficult emotions without being overwhelmed by them.
More freedom to enjoy your relationships, explore possibilities and engage with the life you’re living.
Not perfection. Not a life without challenges.
And certainly not a lifetime spent examining everything that might still be wrong with you.
Just more freedom to be yourself, and to live your life with greater ease, choice and enjoyment.
Because the goal isn’t to spend your life endlessly working on yourself.
It’s to become freer to live it.
Who I Work With
I work primarily with adults and young adults, both in-person in Cape Town and online with people living internationally.
People come to therapy for many different reasons.
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Some are struggling with anxiety, panic attacks, trauma, grief, depression, burnout, relationship difficulties or significant life changes.
Others may be functioning well in many areas of their lives but feel exhausted by the effort it takes to keep everything together.
You may find yourself repeating patterns in relationships, struggling to set boundaries, feeling overly responsible for others or unable to relax even when life appears to be going well.
Perhaps you’ve done therapy before and have developed considerable insight into yourself, but still experience familiar emotional reactions that seem difficult to change.
Or perhaps you simply know that something in your life needs attention, even if you aren’t quite sure what that is yet.
You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy, and you don’t have to know exactly what you need before we begin.
- Trauma and its lasting effects What happened may be recent or long ago, and it may still shape how you feel, react and relate to other people. Trauma and Its Lasting Effects
- Anxiety, panic and persistent fear Anxiety can sit in the background of every day or arrive suddenly as panic, and it can make ordinary life feel unsafe. Anxiety, Panic and Persistent Fear
- Hypervigilance and feeling constantly on edge Part of you may stay braced for danger even when you know you are safe. Trauma and Hypervigilance
- Emotional distress and feeling unable to cope Life may feel like too much right now, and part of you may want to withdraw, escape or hide. Feeling Unable to Cope
- Burnout, chronic stress and exhaustion You may have been holding everything together for a long time and now feel exhausted in body and mind. Burnout and Over-Responsibility
- Repeating responses and deeper change You may be functioning well and understand yourself, yet find the same responses and relationships returning. Recurring Relationship Dynamics
My Therapeutic Approach
My approach brings together psychological understanding, trauma therapy, body based approaches and an appreciation of the wider systems that influence our lives.
I qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1997 and have worked across psychiatric hospitals and rehabilitation settings in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Australia, and in private practice in South Africa.
Over the years, I’ve trained extensively in a range of therapeutic approaches, including:
- EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing
- TRE®: Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises
- Family Constellations
- EFT: Emotional Freedom Techniques
- Compassionate Inquiry: Training in Gabor Maté’s approach
- Somatic, relational and systemic therapeutic approaches
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My clinical background also includes working with anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, eating disorders, addiction, grief, stress related conditions and complex emotional and relational difficulties.
I use these approaches as tools rather than rigid formulas.
The work is shaped around the person, not the modality.
I believe that meaningful therapeutic work needs to take account of the whole person, including the psychological, emotional, physical and, where relevant, spiritual dimensions of our lives.
Trauma tension release exercises
SHAMANIC ENERGY HEALING
An Ancient Science
ONE TO ONE THERAPEUTIC WORK
Return to Wholeness
Emotional Freedom Technique
Therapeutic method which draws on elements of family systems therapy
Renee has made an incredible impact on my life over the past 7 years. She has guided me to better understand myself and work through traumas. I couldn’t be where I am today without her. Couldn’t recommend someone better to walk alongside you through life’s challenges.
I’ve been working with Renee for the past six years, and her support and guidance have been invaluable. She has helped me tremendously over the years, always providing a safe, supportive and non-judgmental space. She is incredibly insightful, compassionate and professional, and I’m truly grateful for the positive impact she has had on my life. I would highly recommend her.
Renee is in another league of therapist altogether. Her wisdom, intuition and the way she sees exactly what is going on and brings it to you with gentleness and clarity is quite remarkable. Such a safe and non judgmental space. Truly life changing . Anyone looking to change their life and grow-this is your therapist! Thank you Renee
My journey with Renée has been one of the deepest, most rewarding experiences of my life.
Her attentiveness and genuine care for her patients reflects in every session. Cannot recommend her highly enough.
I've been working with Renee since early 2020 and she has walked me through a transformation that 2020 me hadn't even begun to imagine. I am grateful for her wisdom and support and her ongoing desire to continue her own learning. Can highly recommend.
I’ve been seeing Renee for many years now, and I honestly couldn’t recommend her more. She is incredible at what she does and has helped me through some of the most difficult times in my life, especially working through trauma. She has always made me feel safe, understood and never judged. I’m incredibly grateful for her support, guidance, and the safe space she has given me over the years.
I've been seeing Renee for a few years now. At first I was sceptical going into the process but every step of the way Renee has guided me through the good times, and the hard ones. It's been a journey of self discovery with the most amazing guide. From the first session I was hooked and never looked back. Could imagine what my life would look like without her and so happy I took that risk! She's incredible.
Renee has really helped me to try and be the best version of myself! I continue to be amazed at her perspective and methodology in relation to the topic being discussed. She has an unbelievable way of holding the space in the room/between us that the essence of what we are discussing continues to stay relevant.
I walk out of the session always grateful for the time spent together
Highly highly recommended
Thank you Renee for all your help in your EMDR treatment for my birth trauma, as well as psychology sessions for personal my matters. I have truly valued and appreciated your perspectives, insights and knowledge and would highly recommend Renee to anyone looking for psychological expertise and guidance.
If you'd told me a few months ago that I would be in the space I'm in now, I wouldn't have been able to imagine it. I am so so grateful to you for your insight, empathy, patience & just all round awesomeness 😊 thank you for everything that you've done for me, my world is a better place because of you and I miss you already, even though I know I'll be OK without you 🤗
After many recommendations to go to Renee, I finally buckled... and wish I did sooner. Thank you for providing me with the life skills that empower me to move forward in a cognitive way that is healing for myself and others around me. You have shown me that every day is a gift, a solid gift. My life came together after meeting you. Thank you.
I was very lucky to have found Renee Shearing.
When I met her I was suffering terribly with severe anxiety and stress as well as having bi-polar.
I could hardly leave my room.
With Renee’s remarkable treatments like TRE and EMDR as well as her energy work I have made so much progress.
I now have a positive outlook on life and a vibrant and energetic spirit. I’m not shy and withdrawn anymore and for the first time and I’m living life. I’m more confident and independent.
All I can say is thank you sooo much Renee with all your help I’m going from strength to strength.
"I owe a huge part of my success through my 5 years of recovery to Renee. She helped me break the denial that barred me from having a meaningful life. I learnt to trust and take responsibility and I continue to gain support and insight from her." -Grateful Addict
Renee Shearing has changed my life around completely.
I was an addict for over 25 years & with Renee's help, working through a bit of talk therapy as well as a lot of T.R.E.,
I have been clean for a year.
I have had absolutely no wobbles or negative thoughts at all !
I believe this ground breaking treatment that Renee provides has been hugely beneficial to me.
It has changed myself,my family & my friend life.
Renee, thank you so much for allowing me to live again
"Just wanted to write to tell you that I've continued doing TRE by myself. It's working wonders for me...I really feel my body's reaction to my usual phobia triggers have diminished in a big way. It's such a strange feeling. I just inexplicably feel a hundred times less scared. Thank you so much for teaching me about it!"
I met Renee while in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.
I am now 4 years clean, and therapy sessions with her have quite literally saved my life
"Renee has a fresh, no-nonsense approach to life that has helped me see things in a practical way. In addition, however, she has done all the emotional hand-holding I have needed to deal with some of life's biggest challenges. She has sensible advice on relationships and parenting, as well as tremendous experience dealing with addiction and food issues. I can't thank her enough for her humour and warmth, and for 'giving it to me straight' when I needed it."
"Renee, your commitment to my process has been remarkable and to say the least, life changing. I have learnt to embrace life with a newfound integrity, and have overcome many challenging moments with your help and guidance. You have always provided me with a very safe place for to get honest and to share my stuff. Our sessions give me the serenity to deal with life on a daily basis. I feel privileged and blessed. Thank you."
"Hi! Just read your article on exercise addiction in Fitness mag Hope you are well! Thank you for saving my life and my sanity. "clean" and binge-purge free since I last saw you in September. Life is very good and I have transformed into the authentic version of me! Amazing sense of freedom."
I have been seeing Renee over the last year for her shamanic sessions, and have found that they greatly reduce anxiety, provide an immense sense of clarity and healing, and a beautiful connection to the spirit. But what makes these sessions particularly beneficial is the access to Renee’s wealth of experience and knowledge. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone else with such an incredible understanding of trauma, who offers guidance and support in such a non-judgemental and skilled way.
Working Together
I offer individual therapeutic sessions in Cape Town and online.
I also work with clients living internationally, subject to practical considerations such as time zones, scheduling and individual therapeutic requirements.
The therapeutic relationship matters to me, and finding a good fit is an important part of the process.
If something you’ve read resonates with you, you’re welcome to get in touch.
We can explore what you’re looking for, what you may need and whether working together feels appropriate.
At a glance
- Who
- Renée Shearing, occupational therapist, BSc (OT); HPCSA OT 0032638; qualified in 1997, nearly three decades of clinical experience in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Australia
- Training
- EMDR, Certified Level 2 TRE® Practitioner (TRE LLC, 2014), Family Constellations, EFT, Motivational Interviewing, shamanic energy work (Four Winds), Compassionate Inquiry (Gabor Maté’s programme)
- Ways of working
- One to One Therapeutic Work, EMDR, TRE®, EFT, Family Constellations, Shamanic Energy Healing
- Where
- 7 Constantia Main Rd, Wynberg, Cape Town
- Online
- Online sessions from anywhere, in any country, by Zoom or another platform the client prefers; available for sessions Monday to Friday, 07:00 to 18:00, South Africa Standard Time (SAST, UTC+2)
- Sessions
- 50 minutes, individual; US$250 per session.
Clients living in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa: R2,000 per session. - Office hours
- Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:30
- To book
- WhatsApp, renee.shearing@gmail.com or the Contact page
- Last updated