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Wendy Aimée De Macker

Specialisation

  • Target group: Youth / Adults / Couples / Families
  • Challenges: Destructive Coping / Acting Out Behaviour / Parenting / Attachment Related Issues / Dysfunctional Family Strategies / Relationship Issues
  • Approach: Individual & Systemic Therapy / Cognitive & Behavioural Therapy / Experiential learning / Attachment based
  • Methods: Identity Empowerment / Emotion & Anger Management / Substance Abuse Treatment / Social Skills & Group Training / Gottman Institute / EFT

 

Experience

  • Founder of Vizazi I private practice since January 2018 I Nairobi – Kenya
  • Palmhuis – De Jutters | mental health care institution for youth department of Forensic Psychiatry | The Netherlands
  • De Waag | Forensic Psychiatry health care institution | The Netherlands
  • Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) | Youth Care Foundation I Social worker | The Netherlands

 

Education

Vizazi Training & Counselling Services

‘Professional counsellor in systemic therapy with strong focus on couples and family therapy’

Approach

‘Leading from one step behind’

I am known as a pragmatic and barefoot counsellor. In the process of empowering a person and redesigning their future, I coach my clients closely and carefully in order to create ownership of their life. I always ‘lead them from one step behind’, whereas my proactive, respectful and curious attitude is the most valuable tool in my work. My client’s needs are my starting point and I always include key influencers from the clients’ context who contribute positively to the desirable change.

 

Background

’I worked with the most diverse clients in different settings in Nairobi and the Netherlands’

As trainer and counsellor of Vizazi I challenged myself since my studies in social work by topping up my education with a master’s degree intergenerational therapy, MST (Multi Systemic Therapy) and MDFT (Multi Dimensional Family Therapy). The last years I am specialised in couples counselling being trained in Gottman and EFT. I got out of my comfort zone by travelling through more than thirty countries and exposing myself as a counsellor in the Netherlands, India, Ghana and Kenya.

 

Over 20 years I worked with the most diverse clients in different settings in Nairobi and the Netherlands. I operated in critical circumstances with youth and multi problem families when I was attached for 8 years to the Crisis Team of Youth Care in the Netherlands. Severe neglect, (sexual) abuse and domestic violence were the main issues. The follow up 8 years I practised counselling in the forensic psychiatry specialised in reforming hardcore delinquent and addicted youth by making use of the powers existing in their social ecology. Working with youth and complex systems I discovered that acting out behaviour are mostly symptoms connected to emotional neglect, stress and trauma.

 

Since 2018, I am offering my services as a relationship and family counsellor in my private practice to a broad range of clientele from any background in Nairobi. My latest infatuation is working with couples from an evidence based approach. The human centered angle in combination with experiential learning are giving my clients a new experience in the sessions that will resonate and stick to them as part of making a change in their daily patterns.

 

Next to my experience as a counsellor I incorporated skills on designing & executing training programs, leadership and policy development in variable work settings. Besides this I always took the new professional generation on board to groom them in this dynamic work field. Personal characteristics are being dedicated, warm, directive, analytic and proactive. Integrity as part of my core values are leading. These attributes contribute to a balanced and safe team spirit.

Vizazi I KuZa

‘Working with generations – For generations’

To groom young professionals, to contribute to professionalism in my field of work, to increase the quality of services to clients (especially in the Nairobi context) are several of my aspirations. Creating a safe and secure community in which different worlds come together that will not only lead to sharing of stories, it will create new stories and therefore connections, that is my dream. Westlands meets Eastlands, Theory meet Practise, Human Being meets Being. In this zone, we as Team Vizazi designed a program based on experiential learning: the KuZa program. Through exposure and experience the next generation of professionals will uplift their services for the generations to come. Intrigued? Visit the KuZa page: www.vizazi.org/kuza/