From Insight to Action
Occupational Therapy for Mental Health and Daily Functioning
We support individuals who feel overwhelmed, stuck, or not functioning in the way they would like — even when they understand what needs to change.
We help you build the structure, regulation, and capacity needed to follow through in your daily life.
Who We Work With
We work with individuals who are experiencing challenges with their mental health, daily functioning, or overall sense of balance in their lives.
Some people come to us during times of significant difficulty or transition. Others are managing, but not in a way that feels sustainable, consistent, or aligned with how they want to live.
We often support individuals navigating:
- arrow_forwardanxiety and stress-related conditions
- arrow_forwarddepression and low mood
- arrow_forwardburnout and chronic fatigue
- arrow_forwardADHD and executive functioning difficulties
- arrow_forwardneurodivergence, including autism
- arrow_forwardadjustment to life transitions, health changes, or loss
You may be finding that:
- check_circle your days feel harder to manage than they should
- check_circle your energy and capacity fluctuate in ways that are difficult to predict
- check_circle you struggle to maintain routines, structure, or follow-through
- check_circle you feel overwhelmed, anxious, or mentally fatigued
- check_circle you feel flat, disconnected, or less engaged in life
- check_circle you are navigating a period of change, recovery, or adjustment
- check_circle you are unsure how to move forward, or what needs to shift
At times, things may look “fine” from the outside, but internally require significant effort to maintain.
You may already have insight into what is going on, or be working with another professional, but still find it difficult to translate that understanding into consistent change in your daily life. Our work focuses on supporting that process.
What is Occupational Therapy for Mental Health?
Occupational therapy helps you function in your daily life.
In mental health, this includes:
- schedule getting through your day
- battery_charging_full managing your energy and emotions
- grid_view keeping some kind of structure or routine
- task_alt following through on what you intend to do
- work_outline staying engaged in work, relationships, and daily responsibilities
You might understand what needs to change, but still find it difficult to actually do it.
Occupational therapy focuses on helping you put change into practice in your everyday life.
The aim is to help your life feel more manageable, more consistent, and more sustainable over time.
Occupational therapy helps you function in your daily life.
Our Approach
Our work focuses on helping you function in your daily life in a way that feels more manageable and consistent. We look at what is getting in the way, and what would help make things easier to manage.
Many people already understand what they need to do, but find it difficult to follow through.
This is often not about willpower, but about capacity, structure, and regulation.
We draw on approaches such as CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and sensory and nervous system-based work. These are used in a practical way to support how you function in your daily life.
In our work together, we focus on:
- building simple, realistic structure into your day
- creating routines that are possible to maintain
- supporting your energy and capacity
- developing ways to manage overwhelm and emotional intensity
- breaking things down into manageable steps
- finding practical ways to follow through
We work at a pace that fits your current capacity. The focus is not on doing more, but on building something that is sustainable. Where helpful, we also look at your environment — your home, work, and daily demands — to make sure the changes we build actually work in your real life.
The aim is to support steady, practical change that holds over time.
How We Can Support You
We offer individualised occupational therapy support based on your needs, your environment, and what you are working towards.
Individual Occupational Therapy
One-on-one sessions focused on helping you function more consistently in your daily life. This may include support with structure and routine, regulation, and task management.
Home-Based Sessions
Support within your own environment, where daily challenges are often most visible. This allows us to work practically with your space, routines, and day-to-day demands.
Emotional Regulation & Nervous System Support
Support with managing overwhelm, anxiety, and emotional intensity. This includes developing practical strategies for regulation in daily life, as well as Sensory Intelligence® assessments and debriefings for individuals, couples, or families.
Return to Work & Functional Recovery
Support for rebuilding structure, capacity, and confidence following burnout, illness, or a period of reduced functioning. We focus on a gradual and sustainable return to work.
Young Adults & Students
Support with structure, executive functioning, and managing the demands of study, early work life, and transitions.
Older Adults & Family Support
Support for older adults and their families navigating changes in health, independence, and daily functioning. This includes practical guidance and working with families to create sustainable, supportive care environments.
If you are unsure whether occupational therapy is the right fit, we offer a short screening call to help guide you. We often work alongside psychologists, psychiatrists, and other professionals, supporting the practical implementation of care in daily life.
If you're not sure where to start, we can help you figure that out.
Meet the Practice
C. Valentine Inc. is a mental health-focused occupational therapy practice based in Cape Town.
We are a small, experienced team, working collaboratively to support clients in functioning more effectively in their daily lives. Our work is practical, thoughtful, and grounded in each person's unique context.
Cath Valentine
Director & Occupational Therapist
mailEmail CathCath is the founder and director of the practice, with extensive experience in mental health, individual and group therapy, and psychosocial rehabilitation.
She is an intuitive and empathic practitioner who works with clients on a practical level, supporting them to manage the demands of maintaining emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. Her work focuses on helping clients move from insight into action, with a strong emphasis on behavioural activation and the development of sustainable habits, routines, and structure.
Cath works particularly well with individuals who are motivated for change and seeking a different way of functioning. She offers a steady, supportive space alongside active engagement and accountability to support follow-through in daily life.
Qualifications & Registration: BSc Occupational Therapy (UCT) • ACC Certified Coach (UCT) • Registered with HPCSA
Minkateko Wicht
Occupational Therapist
mailEmail MinkatekoMinkateko works with individuals experiencing a range of mental health challenges, with a particular interest in burnout, anxiety, and daily functioning.
Her practice is grounded in a trauma-informed approach, with a focus on the mind-body connection and its role in regulation, resilience, and recovery. She supports individuals in building awareness, developing practical strategies, and engaging more consistently in everyday life.
Minkateko also works with individuals returning to or struggling within the workplace, supporting the development of structure, capacity, and sustainable ways of functioning.
She brings a warm, strengths-based approach and incorporates Sensory Intelligence® to support nervous system regulation and greater self-understanding.
Qualifications & Registration: BSc Occupational Therapy (UCT) • MSc Occupational Therapy (UCT, with distinction) • Certified Sensory Intelligence® Practitioner • Registered with HPCSA
Jordyn Shefer
Occupational Therapist
mailEmail JordynJordyn works with adolescents and young adults navigating challenges related to neurodiversity, identity, and emotional wellbeing.
Her work is grounded in neurodiversity-affirming, and identity-affirming principles. She supports individuals in developing emotional regulation, executive functioning, and practical strategies for managing daily life, including school-based demands and transitions.
Jordyn integrates creative and evidence-based approaches, including mindfulness, expressive arts, and somatic work, to support self-understanding and participation in meaningful roles and routines.
She brings a compassionate and inclusive approach, and works collaboratively with families, schools, and other professionals to support sustainable change.
Qualifications & Registration: BSc Occupational Therapy (UCT, with distinction) • Registered with HPCSA
Caroline Powell
Occupational Therapist
mailEmail CarolineCaroline works with individuals across the lifespan, with a particular focus on supporting older adults, their families, and those experiencing caregiver strain or burnout.
She brings a background in occupational therapy and community-based work, with experience across rehabilitation, mental health, and group facilitation. Her work supports individuals and families through periods of transition, including changes in health, roles, relationships, and life direction.
Caroline incorporates coaching, nervous system regulation, and trauma-informed approaches to support individuals in managing stress and building more sustainable ways of functioning.
She also contributes to the practice through group facilitation and support for clients navigating complex life transitions.
Qualifications & Registration: BSc Occupational Therapy (Stellenbosch) • Research Masters in Theology • Registered with HPCSA
You are welcome to work with a specific therapist, or we can guide you toward the best fit.
All therapists in the practice work with a range of clients, and we will match you with the most suitable therapist available at the time of your referral. You will have the opportunity to connect with them during your screening call.
Getting Started
If you're considering reaching out, you're welcome to get in touch.
You can book an initial consultation, or request a short screening call if you'd like to talk things through first.
7 Constantia Main Road, Plumstead, Cape Town, 7800