Rooted in Love Counselling
Dr. SIMONE Michelle Poppleton
​Chartered Counselling Psychologist (PSI M12085C) & Registered Counsellor (HPCSA; PRC 0031887; Practice No.: 0716049)
D.Counselling Psychology (Trinity College Dublin); MPhil in Social and Developmental Psychology (Uni. of Cambridge);
BEd Hons (Edu Psychology) (Pretoria); PGCE (WITS); BA Psychology (WITS)
MY COUNSELLING SERVICES
"People start to heal the moment they feel heard".
~ Cheryl Richardson

INDIVIDUALS
For me, therapy is first and foremost a relationship between therapist and client—a safe and compassionate space where healing and change can take root. Together, we explore where you’ve come from, how past experiences have shaped you, and the patterns and defences that may once have protected you but are now perhaps no longer serving you and holding you back.
Because we are often wounded in relationships and healed in relationships, I view therapy as a safe place where clients can reclaim their connection to their bodies, emotions and sense of self while developing more flexible, adaptive, life-giving ways of being outside of the therapy space.
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My approach is trauma-informed, relational, and somatic, helping you process the past while cultivating safety, resilience, and a more compassionate understanding of yourself in the present so that you can learn to navigate the transitions of life with courage and confidence.
In our sessions we will explore the unconscious childhood ROOTS that shape adult patterns of thinking and relating. Together, we address the ROOT of problematic cycles often influenced by intergenerational dynamics, so as to nurture new ROOTS—grounded in resilience, connection, and love.

COUPLES
Relationships are one of the most powerful places of both wounding and healing. We are wired for connection, yet our closest relationships often stir up old attachment patterns, unmet needs, and protective strategies that can leave couples feeling disconnected or stuck in painful cycles.
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By slowing down and learning to tune into what’s really happening underneath the surface, couples can begin to shift from cycles of disconnection toward curiosity, compassion, and deeper connection.
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My practice philosophy is based on the belief that the quality of our lives is shaped by the quality of our relationships, and that all behaviour is an expression of deeper emotions and unmet needs longing for connection.
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My work is informed by Emotion-Focused Therapy, Schema Therapy, Trauma-Informed Practice, and Polyvagal Theory and I help couples:
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Identify and understand their interactional cycles
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Explore attachment needs and styles
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De-escalate recurring conflicts and disconnection
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Restore closeness, rebuild trust, and strengthen their bond
I take a holistic and systemic view of couples. I have a particular interest in supporting couples in times of adjustment or transition and those who are navigating cross-cultural dynamics and how cultural, ethnic, linguistic, religious, or socio-economic differences and dynamics shape relational patterns. I work with couples at all stages of relationship—dating, premarital, newly or long-term committed.
Where love always hopes, always perseveres.
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