
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing


ONLINE AND IN-PERSON SESSIONS AVAILABLE
In-person in Wynberg, Cape Town, and online wherever you are.

I have spent three decades working with people, and I still genuinely love what I do.
I know that life can be difficult, sometimes enormously so. I also know that reaching out for help isn’t always easy.
You may be struggling to make sense of what you’re experiencing, feeling overwhelmed, anxious or finding it difficult to cope. Or you may have spent years trying to understand yourself and still feel that something hasn’t changed.
My work begins with meeting you where you are.
I bring many years of clinical experience, training and therapeutic understanding to our work together, but I also bring my humanity.
I believe that the relationship between us matters. Feeling understood, respected and comfortable enough to be yourself is an important part of the therapeutic process.
I take my work seriously, but that doesn’t mean our time together needs to feel heavy or clinical. There is room for warmth, honesty, curiosity, humour and real humanity, alongside the sometimes difficult and delicate work of understanding what has shaped your experience.
For me, therapy is a collaborative process. I bring my clinical experience, training and therapeutic understanding, while you bring your own experience of yourself, your life and what matters to you. Together, we explore what may be shaping your experiences and responses, with curiosity, honesty and compassion, and an interest in what might allow things to change.
I’m interested in the whole person, not just the symptoms or difficulties that brought you to therapy.
Whether you’re struggling to cope, working through painful experiences or wanting to make changes that have felt out of reach, my commitment is to work alongside you with care, experience and a genuine belief in the possibility of change.
“Things that felt tangled begin to make sense”
“I discovered so many sides of myself I actually like”
“Renee has really helped me to try and be the best version of myself!”
“I leave feeling more connected to myself.”
“A transformation that 2020 me hadn’t even begun to imagine.”
“For the first time in many years I could say recently ‘I’m actually a good person’”
“Clearer in my mind. Calmer in my heart.”
“She has always made me feel safe, understood and never judged.”
“I always leave feeling more secure and confident”
“Lighter in my spirit. More empowered.”
“One of the deepest, most rewarding experiences of my life.”
“I feel genuinely seen.”
“I show up differently. I listen differently.”
“Truly life changing.”
“I walk out of the session always grateful for the time spent together”
“I respond differently.”
“She allows me to discover insights for myself”
“A journey of self discovery with the most amazing guide.”
“The impact of what Renee does extends far beyond me.”
“She is incredible at what she does and has helped me through some of the most difficult times in my life”
“I notice a difference.”
“A renewed sense of perspective.”
“I couldn’t be where I am today without her.”
“I have truly valued and appreciated your perspectives, insights and knowledge”
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I think most of us would like to feel more comfortable in our own skin. More alive. More spacious. More able to grow, change and respond to life in ways that feel right for us.
But life doesn’t always feel that way.

I work primarily with adults and young adults, both in-person in Cape Town and online with people living internationally.
People come to therapy for many different reasons.
Some are struggling with anxiety, panic attacks, trauma, grief, depression, burnout, relationship difficulties or significant life changes.
Others may be functioning well in many areas of their lives but feel exhausted by the effort it takes to keep everything together.
You may find yourself repeating patterns in relationships, struggling to set boundaries, feeling overly responsible for others or unable to relax even when life appears to be going well.
Perhaps you’ve done therapy before and have developed considerable insight into yourself, but still experience familiar emotional reactions that seem difficult to change.
Or perhaps you simply know that something in your life needs attention, even if you aren’t quite sure what that is yet.
You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy, and you don’t have to know exactly what you need before we begin.
My approach brings together psychological understanding, trauma therapy, body based approaches and an appreciation of the wider systems that influence our lives.
I qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1997 and have worked across psychiatric hospitals and rehabilitation settings in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Australia, and in private practice in South Africa.
Over the years, I’ve trained extensively in a range of therapeutic approaches, including:
My clinical background also includes working with anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, eating disorders, addiction, grief, stress related conditions and complex emotional and relational difficulties.
I use these approaches as tools rather than rigid formulas.
The work is shaped around the person, not the modality.
I believe that meaningful therapeutic work needs to take account of the whole person, including the psychological, emotional, physical and, where relevant, spiritual dimensions of our lives.


Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing

Trauma tension release exercises

An Ancient Science

Return to Wholeness

Emotional Freedom Technique

Therapeutic method which draws on elements of family systems therapy
Renee has made an incredible impact on my life over the past 7 years. She has guided me to better understand myself and work through traumas. I couldn’t be where I am today without her. Couldn’t recommend someone better to walk alongside you through life’s challenges.
I’ve been working with Renee for the past six years, and her support and guidance have been invaluable. She has helped me tremendously over the years, always providing a safe, supportive and non-judgmental space. She is incredibly insightful, compassionate and professional, and I’m truly grateful for the positive impact she has had on my life. I would highly recommend her.
Renee is in another league of therapist altogether. Her wisdom, intuition and the way she sees exactly what is going on and brings it to you with gentleness and clarity is quite remarkable. Such a safe and non judgmental space. Truly life changing . Anyone looking to change their life and grow-this is your therapist! Thank you Renee
My journey with Renée has been one of the deepest, most rewarding experiences of my life.
Her attentiveness and genuine care for her patients reflects in every session. Cannot recommend her highly enough.
I've been working with Renee since early 2020 and she has walked me through a transformation that 2020 me hadn't even begun to imagine. I am grateful for her wisdom and support and her ongoing desire to continue her own learning. Can highly recommend.
I’ve been seeing Renee for many years now, and I honestly couldn’t recommend her more. She is incredible at what she does and has helped me through some of the most difficult times in my life, especially working through trauma. She has always made me feel safe, understood and never judged. I’m incredibly grateful for her support, guidance, and the safe space she has given me over the years.
I've been seeing Renee for a few years now. At first I was sceptical going into the process but every step of the way Renee has guided me through the good times, and the hard ones. It's been a journey of self discovery with the most amazing guide. From the first session I was hooked and never looked back. Could imagine what my life would look like without her and so happy I took that risk! She's incredible.
Renee has really helped me to try and be the best version of myself! I continue to be amazed at her perspective and methodology in relation to the topic being discussed. She has an unbelievable way of holding the space in the room/between us that the essence of what we are discussing continues to stay relevant.
I walk out of the session always grateful for the time spent together
Highly highly recommended
Thank you Renee for all your help in your EMDR treatment for my birth trauma, as well as psychology sessions for personal my matters. I have truly valued and appreciated your perspectives, insights and knowledge and would highly recommend Renee to anyone looking for psychological expertise and guidance.
If you'd told me a few months ago that I would be in the space I'm in now, I wouldn't have been able to imagine it. I am so so grateful to you for your insight, empathy, patience & just all round awesomeness 😊 thank you for everything that you've done for me, my world is a better place because of you and I miss you already, even though I know I'll be OK without you 🤗
After many recommendations to go to Renee, I finally buckled... and wish I did sooner. Thank you for providing me with the life skills that empower me to move forward in a cognitive way that is healing for myself and others around me. You have shown me that every day is a gift, a solid gift. My life came together after meeting you. Thank you.
I was very lucky to have found Renee Shearing.
When I met her I was suffering terribly with severe anxiety and stress as well as having bi-polar.
I could hardly leave my room.
With Renee’s remarkable treatments like TRE and EMDR as well as her energy work I have made so much progress.
I now have a positive outlook on life and a vibrant and energetic spirit. I’m not shy and withdrawn anymore and for the first time and I’m living life. I’m more confident and independent.
All I can say is thank you sooo much Renee with all your help I’m going from strength to strength.
"I owe a huge part of my success through my 5 years of recovery to Renee. She helped me break the denial that barred me from having a meaningful life. I learnt to trust and take responsibility and I continue to gain support and insight from her." -Grateful Addict
Renee Shearing has changed my life around completely.
I was an addict for over 25 years & with Renee's help, working through a bit of talk therapy as well as a lot of T.R.E.,
I have been clean for a year.
I have had absolutely no wobbles or negative thoughts at all !
I believe this ground breaking treatment that Renee provides has been hugely beneficial to me.
It has changed myself,my family & my friend life.
Renee, thank you so much for allowing me to live again
"Just wanted to write to tell you that I've continued doing TRE by myself. It's working wonders for me...I really feel my body's reaction to my usual phobia triggers have diminished in a big way. It's such a strange feeling. I just inexplicably feel a hundred times less scared. Thank you so much for teaching me about it!"
I met Renee while in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.
I am now 4 years clean, and therapy sessions with her have quite literally saved my life
"Renee has a fresh, no-nonsense approach to life that has helped me see things in a practical way. In addition, however, she has done all the emotional hand-holding I have needed to deal with some of life's biggest challenges. She has sensible advice on relationships and parenting, as well as tremendous experience dealing with addiction and food issues. I can't thank her enough for her humour and warmth, and for 'giving it to me straight' when I needed it."
"Renee, your commitment to my process has been remarkable and to say the least, life changing. I have learnt to embrace life with a newfound integrity, and have overcome many challenging moments with your help and guidance. You have always provided me with a very safe place for to get honest and to share my stuff. Our sessions give me the serenity to deal with life on a daily basis. I feel privileged and blessed. Thank you."
"Hi! Just read your article on exercise addiction in Fitness mag Hope you are well! Thank you for saving my life and my sanity. "clean" and binge-purge free since I last saw you in September. Life is very good and I have transformed into the authentic version of me! Amazing sense of freedom."
I have been seeing Renee over the last year for her shamanic sessions, and have found that they greatly reduce anxiety, provide an immense sense of clarity and healing, and a beautiful connection to the spirit. But what makes these sessions particularly beneficial is the access to Renee’s wealth of experience and knowledge. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone else with such an incredible understanding of trauma, who offers guidance and support in such a non-judgemental and skilled way.
I offer individual therapeutic sessions in Cape Town and online.
I also work with clients living internationally, subject to practical considerations such as time zones, scheduling and individual therapeutic requirements.
If something you’ve read resonates with you, you’re welcome to get in touch.
