About Me
About Me
I help people find their way through some of life’s hardest moments.
As an HPCSA Registered Counsellor and Intern Clinical Psychologist (Stellenbosch University) in South Africa, I work at the intersection of individual pain and collective healing. Whether I’m sitting across from someone in therapy, mediating a family conflict, administering assessments, or designing community mental health programs, the question is always the same: How do we move from surviving to actually living?
My approach is rooted in person-centered therapy which really just means I trust that people know themselves better than I ever could. My job isn’t to fix anyone. It’s to create the kind of safety where someone can finally exhale, explore what’s true for them, and discover their own resilience. I draw on trauma counseling, polyvagal theory, and a deep respect for how our bodies and nervous systems hold our stories. Some of my clients are children carrying burdens no child should carry. Others are adults trying to parent through their own unhealed wounds. All of them deserve to be met with patience and belief in their capacity to heal.
Beyond the therapy room, I serve as a Court-Annexed Family Mediator for the Pretoria and Middelburg High Courts. Divorce and family disputes are rarely just legal matters they’re emotional earthquakes. I help families navigate the aftermath, crafting co-parenting plans that actually work, finding settlements that honor everyone’s dignity, and protecting children from being caught in the crossfire. The goal isn’t perfect harmony, it’s sustainable peace.
My years in emergency medical services taught me something invaluable, clarity under pressure. When everything is falling apart, you learn to quiet the noise, trust your training, and act. That mindset now shapes how I respond to crises in mental health settings whether it’s a client in acute distress or a family on the brink of collapse.
I’ve also built and managed programs from the ground up, leading three family center branches and training teams to think creatively within tight constraints. Good mental health work doesn’t require endless resources it requires ingenuity, cultural humility, and people who genuinely care. I try to lead in a way that brings out the best in others, because no one does this work alone.
What drives me is a stubborn belief that mental health care shouldn’t be a luxury or an afterthought in South Africa. It should be woven into how we raise children, support families, and build workplaces. I want to live in a country where asking for help is ordinary, where trauma doesn’t define someone’s future, and where every person, regardless of age, race, or background, has a real shot at psychological wellbeing.
That’s the work. And I’m all in.
We Build Together With Results
NQF 8: • Psychopathology • Developmental Psychology • Therapeutic Psychology • Research Psychology • Psychometric and psychological assessment • Personality Psychology • Community Psychology • Career Psychology.
What people are saying
Testimonials
Five star review. Wonderful, gentle, caring person.
Five-star Google review. Outstanding
Mr. Wagner has a knack for young people.
I would recommend him anytime. Very well qualified.
Five Star Google Review
Five Star Google Review
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Disclaimer: I, Jacques Wagner, am a HPCSA (Health Professions Council of South Africa) Registered Counsellor. Although I am currently registered as a student Clinical Psychologist, I only provide professional services within the approved scope of practice for a HPCSA Registered Counsellor in private practice. I offer counselling services, not clinical therapy. My role remains that of a HPCSA Registered Counsellor, and I do not perform any activities outside of this registered scope of practice. Clients should be aware that I cannot provide the full range of services that a qualified Clinical Psychologist can offer. For information on the scope of practice for a Registered Counsellor, see Minimum_standards_for_the_training_of_Registered_Counsellor.pdf (hpcsa.co.za)

