Beloved mental health expert bids Edenvale adieu

After 23 years of providing mental health care to the community, counselling and educational psychologist Colleen Johnston bids Edenvale farewell as she embarks on the next chapter of her life.

Colleen has immigrated to Australia where she will fulfil the role of lead psychologist at the Allied Health Hub, a multidisciplinary consortium of medical professionals.

“They want me to take up this role, almost in a supervisory capacity,” explained Colleen.

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“I had to jump through hoops registering with the Australian Health Professional’s Council, only to be told I needed to write their board exam.”

Colleen who was not fazed by the red tape, said she could not expect to go to Australia and expected to understand their culture and medical practices without some form of assimilation.

Colleen said after being in private practice for 23 years, one of the biggest challenges she thinks she would face is she will no longer be her own boss.

Explaining how she became a psychologist Colleen said she arrived in Edenvale in 1986.

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Colleen, a former Springs Girls High learner started her career as an English teacher at Edenvale High.

“As a former Springs girl initially I was not too happy because we used to compete against Edenvale High and the competition was fierce,” said Colleen.

“I taught at Edenvale High for 16 years and those years were some of the best in my career. I loved the children; they were a special calibre of learners and I enjoyed teaching them.”

Following her time at Edenvale High, Colleen taught for four years at Highlands North Boys High School.
As a senior science teacher, Colleen said she enjoyed teaching at an all-boys school.

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“It was very different, but a wonderful experience.”

Colleen said it was at Highlands North that she started studying psychology following a divorce.

“I loved teaching but my home circumstances changed. After this, I recognised that I would not be able to provide for my children on a teacher’s salary and the dynamics changed.”

One of the key reasons Colleen chose to study psychology was to help others.

In 1997 Colleen was offered the senior science position at Holy Rosary School.

“When I arrived at Holy Rosary I just completed honours and had been selected for the master’s programme.”

“The headmistress at the time Myriam Dé Andrea arranged and facilitated my timetable so that I could study my masters and teach at the same time.”

At the end of 2000, Colleen completed her master’s and opened her practice in 2001.

“It came to a point when we realised I couldn’t do both; I was dropping balls all over the place.

“The school offered me the position of school psychologist on a part-time basis and allowed me to use their facilities to run my practice.

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Since starting her practice, Colleen qualified in forensic psychology and neuropsychology.

Colleen said during her years in psychology she has always stood by her mantra which is ‘What is in the best interest of my client or the child?’

Speaking about Edenvale, Colleen said she feels blessed.

“I have been part of the Edenvale community since I arrived. The community fully embraced and supported me.”

When asked about the current mental state of Edenvale, Colleen said community members appear to present more anxiety and depression.

“I think this is due to current affairs in the country. I always believed South Africa’s level of PTSD was almost equivalent to a country at war.

“People are always in this constant state of hypervigilance, awareness that something could change in an instant, and not always necessarily for the good,“ she said.

Colleen said despite this there is a lot of positivity, hope and courage.

“I think people are very courageous. You don’t find people like South Africans anywhere in the world, and we are a unique group of people.

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“South Africans have a unique energy, creativity and if we look at the circumstances people face in the country they are extremely courageous and try their best often with a lot of humour.

“Humour is used by South Africans to deal with adverse circumstances.“

Colleen said one of the greatest things she will miss is the friendships she has made over the years.

She said being welcomed and accepted into Edenvale and the Holy Rosary community many of her colleagues became friends over the years.

“I am going to miss South Africa. My soul is African and I will be back.

“I am not leaving South Africa because I am disenchanted I am just pursuing an opportunity to grow.”

Thanking her friends and colleagues for their support Colleen gave special thanks to Jean Baillie, Derek Tarpey, Myriam Dé Andrea, Deon Oeson, Belinda Damhuis and Natalie Meerholz.

Following Colleen’s departure educational psychologist Bessie Venter van Zyl and her daughter Reinit Venter took over the practice.