Dr Keitumetse Mashego clinical and sports psychologist

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr Keitumetse "Tumi" Mashego who is a clinical and sports psychologist in private practice. Dr. Mashego offers some strategies to help people fulfil their goals, partly through managing expectations and showing ourselves grace. She shares a useful breathing technique to bring one back into the present and be more mindful, which overcomes autopilot mode. Striking a balance between home and work commitments can be a challenge, especially for women living in a patriarchal society. Under these circumstances Dr. Mashego encourages women to value the capabilities that they bring to the table, to be self-aware and not fall prey to internalised inferiority complexes. She reminds us that perfection is an illusion and that we are constantly a work in progress. To this end we should treat mental health with the same attention that we give our physical wellbeing, look after the mind, nurture it and give it a rest. Some people may be more predisposed to mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, for others mental health disorders may be a consequence of environmental circumstances, where they are subjected to negative interactions of others. Many women in South Africa are unfortunately victims of gender-based violence. The Q2 crime stats in 2023/2024 reported that South Africa recorded 10,516 rapes, 1,514 cases of attempted murder, and 14,401 assaults against female victims. While the ideal scenario is for women to leave these situations, but sometimes financial and psychological dependencies prevent them from leaving. In dealing with these situations Dr. Mashego suggests that the first step is recognising the abuser’s motivations for their abusive behaviour and in subsequent steps it is healing yourself and taking back your power. Tune in for more…