My journey
My journey of wanting to ease people's suffering started as a young child where I found myself wanting to find solutions for people's problems. After school I became a personal trainer and pilates instructor in an attempt to help people meet their health and fitness goals. I also worked as a basic life support practitioner in the emergency services and it was in this chapter of my life that I witnessed great suffering (physical, emotional, social and spiritual) and was also forced to face my own losses and mortality. Wanting to do more than merely attending to physical suffering, and in my search for greater purpose and meaning I then did various counselling courses before embarking on a social work degree at which point, the values of the profession, and my core values aligned. One core value which stood out for me the most was ‘respect for persons' worth and dignity’. Areas in which I witnessed loss of dignity were the elderly and ill and in an attempt to address this issue I completed a Diploma and then a Masters Degree in Palliative Medicine. Palliative care promotes dignified care and aims to enhance quality of life and the principles of palliative care can be transferred to many other aspects of our lives. Years later I am fulfilling my dream; to serve others on their journey of healing and growth, although I now know that it is not I who can find the solutions for people, but rather I who can provide a safe space and promote thought so that people can find their own solutions.
About Me
Hello, my name is Rebecca Lazarus
Qualifications and experience
Serving clients since 2012, I have worked with individuals and families requiring social and therapeutic interventions. Currently, in the private sector, I offer general counselling, life coaching, and medical social work services. In the state sector, I work with adolescents with chronic illnesses, supervise mentors and bereavement counsellors, and contribute to developing/reviewing palliative care psychosocial content for courses, guidelines, and policies.
My qualifications include an Honors degree in Social Work (majoring in psychology), a Post-Graduate Diploma, and a Master of Philosophy in Palliative Medicine. I hold certificates in Counselling and Communication, Coaching and Mentoring, as well as various certificates in bereavement and trauma counselling. Currently I am pursuing a Master's Degree in Clinical Social Work at UCT with a focus on psychiatry and psychotherapy, and I am also enrolled in a Logotherapy course through the Viktor Frankl Institute of South Africa.
"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples"
Mother Teresa