Michael de Villiers has chosen Aberdeen as a town in which to settle, bringing with him incredible amounts of knowledge and understanding in dealing with humanity, where qualified expertise and an understanding of human frailty are most needed.Michael qualified at Stellenbosh University with a B.A. degree, majoring in psychology and social work and then worked for a while in the Government Department of Health. He then transferred to work in a psychiatric hospital at Valkenberg in the Cape and realized he was very interested in psychiatry; he then proceeded to do his Master’s Degree in Psychiatric Social Work. This was the first time a course had been constructed to give a Master’s Degree with a Psychiatric slant.
At the age of 30 Michael was offered the position as Head of the Department of Social Work at Groote Schuur Hospital managing and training 40 staff.
He preferred the clinical side of this work, where he studied stress, related to skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis. After ten years of working in this field, during which time he had become an expert, Michael presented papers both internationally and locally, and became the Chairman of the Psoriasis Association for the Western Cape. Working so closely with the medical profession he was able to identify other problems connected to skin diseases that Dermatologists were not always aware of, and therefore did not always recognize.
Michael then went into Jungian analysis for two years for his own personal journey, before practicing this method.
He also worked in the first H.I.V. Clinic at the hospital, counseling people in their pre- and post testing periods. After 10 years of this work he took an early retirement package as he felt he had accomplished his work in this area.
During this 10 year period, he had begun voluntary work in the evenings to assist people with gender confusion. This was a big learning curve, but very rewarding to see people successfully come through a crisis in their lives.
He then lived in Natal for 3 years. There he worked with mentally challenged children and counselled their parents after which he went into private practice for 10 years.
In Cape Town his private practice dealt with couple counseling as well as stress related diseases, where he worked in conjunction with a Cape Town Psychiatrist with regard to medicinal treatment.
Michael then moved to live in Sedgefield and practice in Knsyna and Plettenberg Bay, where he mentored to Hospice care givers and Aids and H.I.V. councillors. He also supervised drug councillors at a drug rehabilitation centre in Plettenberg Bay.
Whilst in Knysna he took a course in Swedish massage, proving the incredible diversity and versatility of the human mind.
In 2007, Michael bought a house in Aberdeen, and then sold the house to buy an Aberdeen B&B. Michael has kept up to date with his profession by taking selected courses, he has also done an advanced course in Hypnotherapy, but his main interest remains in working with individuals and couples with emotional and general issues. He still spends one week a month working in Knsyna and Plettenberg Bay, when he is not busy restoring the B&B.
Article By: Joan Tinker