Lana Theron- Registered Counsellor- Psychological

24/08/2026

On ethical counselling:
Last week we wrote about what your clients should be able to expect of you, and honesty about your limits was part of that.
This is where that honesty gets tested.
The counsellors we trust most are not the ones who can help with everything. They are the ones who know, clearly and honestly, where their skill ends.

There is an odd idea in this field that being able to handle anything is a sign of strength, that the more you take on, the more capable you must be.
We think it is the other way around.
We know that "I can work with anything you bring to our sessions" is one of the most dangerous things a counsellor can say to their clients.
We know that a counsellor who says "this is beyond what I am trained for, let me help you find the right person", is not failing their clients - it's one of the most skilled and ethical things a counsellor can do.

Knowing your scope is not a limitation, it is a form of respect.
Respect for the person in front of you, who deserves the right help and not simply the help that happens to be available.
And respect for the work, which is serious enough that pretending is dangerous. A good referral is not abandonment. Done well, it is care. It says: you matter enough that I will not experiment on you.

The hard part is that scope is invisible from the outside. A client cannot see where a counsellor's training stops. They trust that the counsellor knows, and will tell them.
It is why knowing your own limits, and being willing to name them out loud, is not a technicality. It is the difference between safe practice and a risk waiting to happen.

Know what you are trained to do.
Know what you are not.
Build the relationships and the referral network that let you hand someone on with confidence rather than reluctance.
Treat "I am not the right person for this" as a sentence you are proud to say, not one you are ashamed of.

Let's keep ourselves to a higher standard.

24/08/2026

💻 eSafety Webinar: How connection and belonging shapes children and young people’s vulnerability online💻

The eSafety Commissioner is hosting a range of free webinars to help parents and carers build the knowledge, skills and confidence to support safer online experiences for young people.

This webinar explores how connection, identity and belonging influence young people's online experiences, and why some children may be more vulnerable to online risks than others.

📅 8 September 2026
🕧 12:00pm
👨‍👩‍👦 Suitable for parents and carers of upper primary and secondary school-aged children.

🔗 Register via the eSafety Commissioner website & explore other upcoming webinars!
https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars

24/08/2026

Speaking up looks different for everyone. For some, it's telling a trusted friend. For others, it's sending a WhatsApp. Making one phone call. Writing everything down.

There is no "right" way to ask for help.
What matters is knowing that your voice matters.

If you or someone you know has been r***d or abused, reach out to TEARS Foundation for free, confidential support.💧

📞Call: 08000 83277
💙WhatsApp: 060 939 1857
🌐Visit: www.tears.co.za
📧Email: [email protected]
📱USSD: *134*7355 #

24/08/2026

The Teddy Bear Foundation's comments come after a 16-year-old boy from Paarl was arrested earlier this week after being linked to an international child sexual abuse network.

13/08/2026

A Gauteng High Court judgment has affirmed the state’s responsibility to ensure that South Africa’s National Child Protection Register is properly maintained and effectively protects children.

13/08/2026

"When Good Schools Aren’t Safe Enough: The Hidden Crisis Facing South Africa’s Children"

The recent Gauteng school-safety findings reinforce that this is a national problem: more than 1,300 schools were assessed and 245 were identified as high-risk, with violence, bullying, substance abuse and sexual harassment among the concerns. Research also shows that substance use is present among learners in fee-paying schools, while mental-health pressures cut across socioeconomic circumstances.

Read the full article by Dr Shaheda Omar here: https://teddybearfoundation.org.za/when-good-schools-arent-safe-enough-the-hidden-crisis-facing-south-africas-children

13/08/2026

Are you a parent or caregiver of a child aged 2–7 years?

TEARS Foundation is pleased to share an opportunity to participate in a doctoral research study focused on developing an early childhood Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Education Toolkit.

The study aims to understand caregivers’ perspectives, needs and preferences so that the toolkit can be practical, age-appropriate and culturally relevant for South African families.

The toolkit will focus on helping caregivers teach young children about important safety concepts, including:

🔹 Body safety and boundaries

🔹 Age-appropriate conversations about consent

🔹 Recognising unsafe situations

🔹 Help-seeking and speaking to a trusted adult

🔹 Building safe, trusting caregiver-child relationships

Who can participate?

You may be eligible if you are:

✔️ A South African parent/caregiver

✔️ Currently caring for a child aged 2–7 years

✔️ Able to communicate in English

Participation includes a one-on-one interview with the researcher and using the toolkit at home with your child for a short period, followed by feedback on its clarity, usefulness and relevance.

Participation is voluntary and confidential, and reimbursement for data/travel costs will be provided.

If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact:

📧 Lana Theron: [email protected]

📱 WhatsApp: 079 482 0487

Please share this post with parents and caregivers in your network who may be interested in contributing to this important research.

By sharing their experiences, caregivers can help inform the development of practical resources that support children’s safety and wellbeing.

Shared by TEARS Foundation on behalf of the researcher. This is an independent research study.

13/08/2026

13/08/2026

One day, your child will have words for what it was like to move through the ending of your relationship.

They may remember two homes, difficult transitions or the strain between the people they loved most. They will also remember who made room for their feelings, who allowed them to love freely and who remained steady when life no longer felt familiar.

Even the most peaceful separation asks a great deal of a child.
Their family is changing shape while their brain, body and emotional capacities are still developing. They experience this change according to their age and stage, which means their behavior may communicate what they cannot yet understand or explain.

When conflict between parents is significant, consciousness becomes even more essential. Pain can distort what we hear. Fear can rush us toward conclusions. A child’s words can become evidence in a grown-up conflict when they were simply trying to express an emotional experience.

Our work is to understand children deeply enough that the way we lead them reflects the truth of their development. It means recognising what belongs to them, becoming accountable for what belongs to us and creating enough emotional safety for their whole inner world to exist without asking them to manage ours.

This requires more than loving our children. It asks us to become aware of the energy, meaning and unspoken loyalties they may be carrying between homes.

In exactly seven days, I will be gathering with parents and families from around the world for my webinar Divorce & Separation: Championing Your Child’s Emotional World.

This live masterclass brings together developmental understanding, consciousness, more than 20 years of professional experience and what I have learned while navigating divorce as a mother of two boys.

We will meet on August 19 at 6:00 p.m. PST for 60 minutes of teaching followed by a 30-minute Q&A. You may submit your question anonymously, and every ticket includes lifetime* access to the replay.

Your family may be changing shape. With awareness, courage and the right understanding, you can help your child move through that change without asking them to carry what belongs to the grown-ups.

I would love to have you with me.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1994389929968?aff=oddtdtcreator