Paraklesis Counselling

We believe that the central and pivotal mode of care-giving and training  is “Paraklesis”  – coming alongside. The concept is derived from the Greek term for the Holy Spirit (Parakletos), the Counsellor, the  Helper, the Advocate and Comforter. The Holy Spirit is the primary Helper (Counsellor) who facilitates spiritual and personal development in people and helps them to grow into wellbeing and equips them for service. Emulating this, we want to come alongside people in need.

Dr Mervin is a counsellor-educator and a retired psychotherapist and psychopharmacologist. He offered professional counselling therapy for individuals, couples and families, specialising in helping people with medication related counselling issues until his retirement from practice in 2020.

He is still actively teaching online and now concentrates on the training of pastoral and lay counsellors (especially in Africa). Counselling, training, and teaching is done from an integrative faith-based approach and a Christian worldview, but individuals own believe-systems are always respected.

The Paraklesis Counselling Programs and Courses are specifically developed for Christian counsellors interested in caregiving and counselling. The training will enrich you as a person, and will equip and qualify you as a Christian counsellor at the level of your training. Graduates can serve church and/or community as para-professional, or professional Christian counselors.

The Paraklesis Counselling Training Programs are presented at the South African Theological Seminary as an online eLearning program, fully accredited as a higher certificate and graduate degrees.

Students can enroll in an academic program and complete a Higher Certificate in Christian Counselling,  or choose the Professional Training Track, complete a B.Th. with a Counselling Focus, and a B.Th. Honours with a Counselling Focus. Your graduate studies can culminate in a Masters in Christian Counselling.

Paraklesis 

The concept is derived from the Greek “parakletos”, the word used for the Holy Spirit as Helper, Counsellor, and Comforter (John 14: 25, 26). Parakletos literally means: Advocate... one called or sent for to assist another; an advocate, one who pleads the cause of another, one present to render various beneficial service (Analytical Greek Lexicon  1973:303)

Paraklesis Counselling

... was founded in 1992 by Dr Mervin and Hildegard van der Spuy to provide compassionate caregiving with therapeutic excellence. Together they’ve presented the Paraklesis training, courses and seminars. Dr Mervin has provided professional counselling/therapy in his private practice while pursuing his career as a professor of counselling psychology and served as the chair of the counselling department.

Dr Mervin retired from his private practice in 2020 and regrets that he is not able to come alongside you with counselling therapy anymore. He is however continuing as a Senior Lecturer and Counselling Programs Coordinator at the South African Theological Seminary.

Although Dr Mervin does not see clients anymore, the private practice documentation below is still available for student-counsellors to view.