Cath Rackstraw Counselling

Cath Rackstraw Counselling Cath Rackstraw works in private practice and is a registered counsellor with the Council for Counsellors in South Africa.

Cath Rackstraw works in private practice and is a registered counsellor with the Council for Counsellors in South Africa and works with individuals, couples and families. Cath has a BA (Honours) and an MA from UCT. After many years of experience in corporate environments, she refined her counselling experience and specialized in the areas of trauma and bereavement through her qualification as a Sacap qualified counsellor. Her experience includes working as a trauma and crisis counsellor at the Rondebosch Police Station and as a bereavement support counsellor at St Luke’s Hospice. She has a particular interest in trauma and adjustment issues arising from health complications. e: cath@cathrackstraw.com
c: +27 78 091 1502

She brings a wealth of experience to her clients and works with individuals, couples and families who have
experienced or may be experiencing:
~Trauma
~ Grief & Loss
~ Physical Health Challenges
~ Life Transitions
~ Life and Relationship Challenges

Cath is also a qualified TIRA facilitator through Applied Metapsychology International (USA) which enables her to utilise Trauma Incident Reduction and related techniques where appropriate in order to facilitate emotional healing.

09/01/2025

Following on from our previous post about the new developments in 2025, Cath is thrilled to announce the launch of her new website -

www.cathrackstraw.com

My counselling focus remains in the areas of trauma, loss and grief. I work face to face from my practice in Llandudno but also have an international practice which extends around the world via online zoom sessions.

Please see my website for further contact and biographical details as well as details on how I work.

Cath Rackstraw works in private practice and is a registered counsellor with the Council for Counsellors in South Africa and works with individuals, couples and families.

MNR is undergoing some significant changes in 2025. Ever since covid presented us with new working options, Cath and Jad...
09/01/2025

MNR is undergoing some significant changes in 2025.
Ever since covid presented us with new working options, Cath and Jade have been working from independent premises.
As of the beginning of 2025, we will each continue in our own separate practices.
Further info on how to contact us will follow …

01/08/2022

Helping your child through the death of a pet, family member or friend, is challenging for almost all parents. Join Cath Rackstraw, experienced grief and trauma counsellor, as she shares ideas and knowledge for parents to assist children in navigating grief.
Tickets are available here (R55): https://qkt.io/ParentEdNavigatingGrief

This is a useful tool in identifying the key steps needed to transform shame with self compassion. If one is mired in sh...
08/02/2022

This is a useful tool in identifying the key steps needed to transform shame with self compassion.

If one is mired in shame, it is often difficult to find a way out of it. The very idea of being kind to oneself can feel undeserved and uncomfortable.

Please seek support to assist you if you are living with shame that is weighing you down.

We recognize that this is a challenging time for many and it is often the time that we neglect those self care practices...
24/12/2021

We recognize that this is a challenging time for many and it is often the time that we neglect those self care practices that we need the most.
Take extra care of yourself with extra self compassion if you are feeling low and vulnerable during this period.
And please reach out for support if needed.

Stress and anxiety are one of the dominant themes that are present for many of our clients.These four key strategies are...
13/11/2021

Stress and anxiety are one of the dominant themes that are present for many of our clients.

These four key strategies are a useful tool kit for assisting us to shift our relationship with anxiety away from fear and worry.

Please contact us or a mental health provider if your anxiety feels overwhelming and unmanageable.

An excellent summary from Dr Solomon highlighting the way our past influences our present in relationships. The first st...
02/08/2021

An excellent summary from Dr Solomon highlighting the way our past influences our present in relationships. The first step in changing these dances, is to be aware of the patterns.

We are the sum total of the experiences that brought us to this very moment. The past comes with us. When we fall in love, our past gets stirred within us. ⁣
⁣
There is NO getting around that. ⁣
It's necessary vulnerability. ⁣
It's part of the process. ⁣
It happens. ⁣
⁣
The ONLY questions, is what will you DO when your past is stirred~~ when ghosts from long ago threaten to shift you from open to closed, from loving to afraid, from calm to controlling. ⁣
⁣
The most important quality to look for in a partner is someone who can sit with you in that stir... ⁣
your stir AND their stir. ⁣
Choose someone who is ready, willing, and able to recognize when their past takes the wheel and begins to drive. ⁣
⁣
You will be, as my brilliant friend Esther says, cast in a play that you didn't audition for. That is going to happen…⁣
⁣
You'll ask him to throw the laundry into the dryer, and you'll watch him bristle. ⁣
And you won’t know why. ⁣
And the question is this: Can he be courageous enough to PAUSE, turn his attention inward, and figure out why your request triggers him? ⁣
Can he say some version of this: "Ahh... it's my childhood wound getting in our way again. You know, one in which I 'cast' you in the role of my demanding father in whose eyes I could never measure up. That's not what you're doing, is it? You need some help. You feel stressed out. I can help. Here I am. Here for you." ⁣
And you will both exhale.⁣
And connection will be restored.⁣
And the little boy who felt like he never measured up recedes to the background and the empowered adult reaches for his partner in the service of love.⁣
And you will say, “Thank you for owning your piece of our dance. I commit to doing the same when the little boy/girl/child who lives in me gets stirred.”⁣
⁣
(Choose the pronouns that fit the protagonists of your love story 🥰)⁣
⁣
That's the best we can do.... work again and again to liberate ourselves and our partners from wounds we didn't ask for but are tasked to heal.

Address

Llandudno
Cape Town
7806

Telephone

+27780911502

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cath Rackstraw Counselling posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Our Story

Jade Maxwell Newton and Cath Rackstraw work in private practice in Claremont and are registered counsellors with the Council for Counsellors in South Africa. Jade qualified in counselling and communications at the South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP). She has worked as a trauma and crisis counsellor at the Claremont Police Trauma Room and at St Luke's Hospice working as the Bereavement Team Manager and Referrals support counsellor. e: jade@mnrcounsellors.com c: +27 83 344 0245 Cath has a BA (Honours) and an MA from UCT. After many years of experience in corporate environments, she refined her counselling experience and specialized in the areas of trauma and bereavement through her qualification as a Sacap qualified counsellor. Her experience includes working as a trauma and crisis counsellor at the Rondebosch Police Station and as a bereavement support counsellor at St Luke’s Hospice. She has a particular interest in trauma and adjustment issues arising from health complications. e: cath@mnrcounsellors.com c: +27 78 091 1502 Jade and Cath bring a wealth of experience to their clients and work with individuals or families who have experienced or may be experiencing: -Adjustment challenges -Bereavement -Health complications -Relationship difficulties -Traumatic events Cath is also a qualified TIRA facilitator through Applied Metapsychology International (USA) which enables her to utilize Trauma Incident Reduction and related techniques where appropriate in order to facilitate emotional healing.