CLAUDIA COLAROSSI
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST
M.Ed Psych (US)
HPCSA Reg: PS0143324
Practice No: 0817708
ABOUT ME
I am married with three children. I primarily practice from a home-based office in Claremont, Cape Town.
During school holidays I conduct psycho-educational assessments in Knysna.
I graduated from the Stellenbosch University M.Ed Psych programme in 2018 (cum laude), and was a trainee psychologist in the United Herzlia school system in 2017. I have worked as a school teacher in a Cape Town public primary school, and as a HR practitioner within a large multi-national corporation.
Over the years I have volunteered with a number of non-profit organisations, focusing on child and adult wellbeing.
PRACTICE VALUES
Care, compassion and mindfulness
Supportive, non-judgmental feedback loops
Commitment to listening and learning
MY APPROACH
Building on Urie Bronfrenbrenner’s bio-ecological model of development, my approach pivots on the social and biological systems that enable learning, development, and well-being in children and adolescents. By developing an integrated and holistic understanding of barriers to learning that manifest in one or more of these systems, I work with clients to develop an evidence-based understanding for short- and long-term support strategies.
SERVICES I OFFER
PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENTS
A psycho-educational assessment is a global evaluation of an individual’s cognitive, scholastic, behavioural, and socio-emotional strengths and challenges, which may impact learning, development, and overall well-being.
I assess children from six years and older using the latest assessment instruments. Assessments are conducted in line with the Western Cape Education Department as well as Independent School requirements.
PLAY THERAPY
Play therapy is an opportunity for a child to make meaning of their internal world primarily through play. Play therapy is not only limited to small children, rather the play-model can be adjusted and developed for all ages.
My aim during play therapy is to provide a child with:
a safe and comfortable space for self expression
a space to engage with sometimes difficult emotions, and/or,
a space to construct meaningful understandings of personal experiences.
PSYCHOTHERAPY
I work with teenagers, parents, or adults; primarily individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, and/or attachment-related issues.
I work in-person or remotely via video call.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT ARE THE STEPS IN A PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS?
An assessment process typically consists of the following steps:
A detailed parental questionnaire, covering aspects of the individual’s learning and social history (completed and sent to the psychologist for review before an intake interview)
An in-depth intake interview (40-50 minutes) with the parents and child (if older than 12 years of age).
One-on-one assessments with the child, usually conducted over two mornings (depending on the age of the child and presenting issue this can vary from 5-7 hours in total).
Scholastic data collection and teacher consultation.
Collation and analysis of all assessment material and interview feedback.
Feedback session (50-70 minutes) with parents and child (if older than 12 years of age).
Full psycho-educational assessment report.
WHAT RESULTS CAN PARENTS EXPECT FROM A PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT?
Full report documenting the results of the assessment process as well as suggested recommendations.
Support to children and parents through understanding a child’s strengths and challenges in more detail.
If applicable, the identification and diagnosis of disorders that prevent children learning and developing optimally.
If applicable, issuing exam concessions.
If applicable, referrals to other supporting therapies or interventions.
WHAT SERVICES FALL OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF MY PRACTICE?
Prescribing medication
DO YOU OFFER SLIDING SCALE RATES?
Yes, please contact me on crcolarossi@gmail.com for more information about my rates or to discuss your individual case.
HOW LONG DOES EACH THERAPY SESSION TAKE?
Play therapy: 40 minutes
Therapy: 50 minutes
COVID-19
Protocols are adjusted according to the South African lockdown regulations.
Clients are asked to sign the covid-19 screening questionnaire before entering the consultation room. If a client has any Covid-19 symptoms they are request to cancel in-person sessions.
Online consultations are possible for intake and feedback sessions of the assessment process. As well as for therapy.
- Sanitiser is provided upon arrival.
- Persons are required to wear a mask for in person consultations.
A transparent office desk screen is available for use during the assessment process between the assessor and the client.
Please note: The assessor will take reasonable precautions to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19. Clients participate in assessment processes at their own risk.
COMMON INFLUENCES OF
LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT
Learning and development is multi-layered and complex, with many determining factors or influences such as the role of parenting or specific learning challenges. Individuals learn and develop differently, and I aim to respect the creative and diverse ways in which learning and development can unfold.
As a practitioner, I often encounter combinations of issues impacting on learning and development. I use diagnosis where I am confident it will be useful to an individual's learning and development.
Learn more about some of the commonly identified challenge areas:
LEARNING DIFFICULTIES
Learners with average to strong cognitive abilities could experience a barrier to learning in the way that their brain processes information.
This could affect the way they read, understand numbers and reason mathematically, or coherently write their thoughts on paper. When one of those barriers arises, a Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) may be diagnosed.
A learner needs to have engaged in a targeted intervention aimed at the learning difficulty for at least six months prior to a diagnosis being made.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Health 5th Ed, there are three different domains of SLDs that learners may experience difficulties in:
1. Reading
2. Written Expression
3. Mathematics
More commonly used terms for learning disorders include:
Dyslexia: a reading challenge that may also affect written work.
Dysgraphia: a difficulty with writing coherently, possibly also affecting spelling
Dyscalculia: a mathematical difficulty