Avri Spilka

Avri Spilka Avri Spilka is a Counselling Psychologist with a special interest in sexual wellbeing and sexual, gender and relationship diversity

I’m a Johannesburg based Counselling Psychologist. I’m registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (PS 0141003) and the Board of Health Care Funders (PR 0776343). I run a private practice based in Johannesburg, South Africa, where I see individuals, couples and throuples for sex, gender and relationship therapy. Before qualifying as a Psychologist, I worked as a psychosexual consultant for many years in the Southern African NGO sector. During this rewarding time, I was involved in outreach, education, research, and activism with sexual, gender and relationship minorities as well as in a harm reduction programme for people who use and inject drugs. I subsequently obtained my Masters in Community-Based Counselling Psychology from Wits University and completed my practical training at the Emthonjeni Centre and Family Life Centre in Johannesburg where I conducted individual, relationship and family therapy with adults and children. I also worked part-time at a drug rehab centre providing individual, group and family therapy for people who struggle with addiction as well as their loved ones. During my journey I was struck by the need for sex positive, informed and accepting therapists and this is what I aim to be. I believe people should have access to a variety of non-judgemental and informed practitioners. To this end I assist the continued professional development of sexual health practitioners in my role as President of the Southern African Sexual Health Association. To enhance public knowledge and awareness of sexual, gender and relationship diversity I have appeared on TV, radio, podcasts, in print and at events.

I'm really looking forward to this year's SASHA conference, Into the Fray, an inspiring, rich space for s*xuality and s*...
25/08/2026

I'm really looking forward to this year's SASHA conference, Into the Fray, an inspiring, rich space for s*xuality and s*xual health providers of all persuasions. Sexuality knowledge, drag, music and art by the ocean. Can't wait.

Here is what three days at SASHA 2026 looks like.

Into the Fray brings together clinicians, therapists, educators, researchers and allied practitioners across three days in Cape Town.

Three pre-conference workshops on s*xual pain, eroticism in chronic illness, and neurodiversity and pleasure.

Eight sessions covering transgender health, s*xual medicine, psychoanalysis and s*xology, s*xual justice, professional pathways, artificial intelligence, and adolescent s*xology.

Alongside the academic programme: oral presentations of accepted abstracts, two film screenings, creative and art pieces, a wellness programme, and an opening performance by the Cape Town Q***r Choir.

Full speaker line-up and session detail: sasha2026.co.za

18 to 20 September 2026, Lagoon Beach Hotel, Cape Town.

⚡ Last Chance to Register! ⚡Are you responding to the teenager in front of you—or to your own unresolved adolescence?Joi...
25/07/2026

⚡ Last Chance to Register! ⚡

Are you responding to the teenager in front of you—or to your own unresolved adolescence?

Join "Who's Afraid of Adolescence?" for a thought-provoking workshop exploring the biology, psychology, and relational dynamics of adolescence through a q***r, decolonial psychoanalytic lens.

📅 26 July 2026
⏰ 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
🎓 CPD Accredited (3 Clinical, 1 Ethics)
💰 R850 (payment plans available)

✨ Small group | Limited spaces remaining

🔗 Register now: https://forms.gle/xCUjH5LJbqpnTQEr7

⚡Adolescence … we all seem to be slightly traumatised by the memory (or prospect) of the chaos, drama, and crises that s...
07/07/2026

⚡Adolescence … we all seem to be slightly traumatised by the memory (or prospect) of the chaos, drama, and crises that seem to signify this important developmental period. But what if adolescence is not “a problem to fix”, but rather a transitional time that shakes things up for everyone involved? And what if shaking things up brings opportunities for new ways of relating to ourselves, to our teenagers (and teenage clients), and the rest of the world?

We’re hosting a half day CPD session for clinicians, educators, social workers, and caregivers. We’ll dig into:
✨ How teens develop across body, brain, s*xuality, and social life
💥 Why adolescence can feel overwhelming — for young people and the adults around them
🌊 Winnicott’s “doldrums,” rites of passage, and how rupture can open space for growth
🪞 How our own teenage experiences show up in the way we parent or support teens
🛠️ Practical ways to support adolescents and families today — including neurodiversity, online identities, and contemporary s*xual cultures

📅 26 July 2026
⏰ 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
🎓 CPD Accredited (3 clin, 1 ethics)
💰 R850 (payment plans available)

Expect a mix of theory and real world practice, facilitated through a q***r, psychoanalytic, decolonial, and developmentally attuned lens. It’s a space for curiosity, nuance, and honest conversation about one of life’s most transformative stages.

👥 Small group format — limited spots.
🔗 Register: https://forms.gle/xCUjH5LJbqpnTQEr7

25/06/2026

Pelvic pain is one of the most underdiagnosed, undertreated presentations in s*xual health practice.

This workshop brings together Prof Corlia Brandt, Monique Koopman and Sue Fuller-Good for a focused pre-conference session on assessment, clinical management and what practitioners can take back into their work. Moderated by Jonathan Cohen.

Friday 18 September, 08:30–11:00. Booked separately from full conference registration.

Register: https://sasha2026.co.za/registration-form/

25/06/2026

Abstract submissions for SASHA 2026 close 30 June.

We're looking for clinical and scientific research, grey research and community work, and creative or embodied approaches to s*xual health. Oral and poster formats are both open.

👉 Submission guidelines: sasha2026.co.za/call-for-submissions

👉 Submit your abstract: sasha2026.co.za/abstract-submission

👉 Submit a creative showcase: sasha2026.co.za/creative-showcase-submission

Into the Fray: Provocations, Possibilities and Clinical Applications in Sexual Health

18–20 September 2026 | Lagoon Beach Hotel, Cape Town

A few spots left! An Introduction to Non-MonogamiesThe arrival and practice of non-monogamous love can be provocative an...
28/05/2026

A few spots left! An Introduction to Non-Monogamies

The arrival and practice of non-monogamous love can be provocative and mystifying: Excitement, panic, agony, flights of fantasy, unbinding experiences, and radical grief. Can people really be involved with more than one person simultaneously?

🗓️ 31 May 2026 | 08:00–13:00
💻 Zoom
💰 R850
🎓 4 CPD Points (1 Ethics, 3 Clinical)

Key Focus Areas:
• Mononormativity and the regime of s*xual and familial normalcy
• Love outside the box: The saints and sinners of love, psychic relationship anarchy, playing with fire and polymorphous relational possibilities
• Defining non-monogamies: unpacking the terminology, relational architectures, the social science, and resisting foreclosures on meaning
• The ethics of multi-partner intimacy – The tyranny of transparency, honesty projects, and limit consent, travelling with our unique relational and self-poetics, and what do we owe each other?

We are excited about this thought-provoking content and look forward to engaging with you on the erotics of loving more (and more).

We offer a lens that is q***r, critical and psychoanalytically flavoured; and a guided exploration shaped by extensive immersion in the research and literature on CNMs and over two decades of professional and personal experience with a life ‘q***rly lived.
This workshop is part of our 2026 series on rethinking love and family.

REGISTER here:
https://forms.gle/xCUjH5LJbqpnTQEr7

Facilitated by Avri Spilka and Elliott Kotze, South African Counselling Psychologists
Contact Avri for any questions: [email protected] / Whatsapp on 0725442348

INTRODUCTION TO NON-MONOGAMIES WORKSHOP!This introductory workshop is intended as a starting point for thinking about no...
20/05/2026

INTRODUCTION TO NON-MONOGAMIES WORKSHOP!

This introductory workshop is intended as a starting point for thinking about non-monogamies. The arrival and practice of non-monogamous love can be provocative and mystifying: Excitement, panic, agony, flights of fantasy, unbinding experiences, and radical grief. Can people really be involved with more than one person simultaneously?

31 May 2026 | 08:00–13:00
Zoom
R850
4 CPD Points (1 Ethics, 3 Clinical)

Key Focus Areas:
• Mononormativity and the regime of s*xual and familial normalcy
• Love outside the box: The saints and sinners of love, psychic relationship anarchy, playing with fire and polymorphous relational possibilities
• Defining non-monogamies: unpacking the terminology, relational architectures, the social science, and resisting foreclosures on meaning
• The ethics of multi-partner intimacy – The tyranny of transparency, honesty projects and limit consent, travelling with our unique relational and self-poetics, and what do we owe each other?
We are excited about this thought-provoking content and look forward to engaging with you on the erotics of loving more (and more).

We offer a lens that is q***r, critical and psychoanalytically flavoured; and a guided exploration shaped by extensive immersion in the research and literature on CNMs and over two decades of professional and personal experience with a life ‘q***rly lived.
This workshop is part of our 2026 series on rethinking love and family.

Deep gratitude and credit to the revolutionary work of Avgi Saketopoulou and Ann Pelligrini whose fierce thinking is laced through our work and has screwed, provoked, and inspired us.

REGISTER here:
https://forms.gle/xCUjH5LJbqpnTQEr7

Facilitated by Avri Spilka and Elliott Kotze, South African Counselling Psychologists

Contact Avri for any questions: [email protected] / Whatsapp on 0725442348

For psy-clinicians and allied s*xual / health care workers. Feel free to share.
13/05/2026

For psy-clinicians and allied s*xual / health care workers. Feel free to share.

This introductory workshop is intended as a starting point for thinking about non-monogamies. The arrival and practice ...
06/05/2026

This introductory workshop is intended as a starting point for thinking about non-monogamies.

The arrival and practice of non-monogamous love can be provocative and mystifying: Excitement, panic, agony, flights of fantasy, unbinding experiences, and radical grief.

Can people really be involved with more than one person simultaneously?

We are excited about this thought provoking content and look forward to engaging with you on the erotics of loving more.

We will cover the basics - but this is not just an intro to poly 101. This workshop steps into a gap when it comes to thinking about the experience of non-normative intimacy.

We offer a lens that is q***r, critical and psychoanalytically flavoured; and a guided exploration shaped by extensive immersion in the research and literature on CNMs and over two decades of professional and personal experience with a life ‘q***rly lived. This workshop is part of our 2026 series on rethinking love and family.

Who is this for:

* If you are curious about learning more about non-monogamies for personal, academic, or professional reasons

* Foundation workshop for those wanting to attend the workshop on working clinically non-monogamies.

REGISTER here:
https://forms.gle/xCUjH5LJbqpnTQEr7

Facilitated by Avri Spilka and Elliott Kotze, Counselling Psychologists

Contact Avri for any questions: [email protected] / whatsapp on 0725442348

Back in the room! After an extended and restorative medical leave my practice is open full time as of 1 May 2026. I have...
04/05/2026

Back in the room!

After an extended and restorative medical leave my practice is open full time as of 1 May 2026.

I have some newly available session slots and welcome adults for individual and couple+ therapy.

Please contact me via whatsapp on 072 544 2348 or email me [email protected]

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Johannesburg

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00

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