The man behind the key
Cornell Pretorius | Counselling Psychologist
I have been in this trade for 16 years. In that time I’ve sat with hundreds of people across every season of life — couples on the edge, teenagers who’ve lost themselves, professionals who’ve lost their voice. And I’ve noticed something consistent.
The presenting problem is almost never the real problem.
The real problem is nearly always relational. Something has broken down between people — between partners, between parent and child, between a person and the world they work in. When we fix the relationship, we fix the life.
This is what drives my work: Life = Relationships. Quality of Life = Quality of Relationships.
What my clients say
They tell me they feel heard. Not just listened to — actually heard. They say there is congruency between what I say and how I show up. That I am genuinely interested in them as people, not just as problems to be solved.
Consistent feedback from clients over 16 years
That is the work I care about. Not checking boxes. Not producing reports. Being present with another human being and helping them find a key that unlocks something they thought was permanently closed.
Background & credentials
- Masters in Social Work — University of Houston
- Masters in Counselling Psychology — University of Stellenbosch
- 16 years in private practice
- Practices in Somerset West (Tranquility Centre, 1 Rhodes Street) and Kraaifontein
- Experience spanning marital health, family dynamics, trauma, workplace issues and adolescent development
My philosophy
We all operate from a set of values. Those values produce our actions. Good roots, good fruit. Bad roots, bad fruit. Much of what I do is help people examine the roots — the beliefs and values driving their behaviour — and decide whether those roots are producing the life they actually want.
I take an eclectic approach. No single method fits every person. I work with what the individual brings and tailor the approach accordingly.