Cape Town, October, 2019 - In a bid to improve access to mental health services throughout South Africa (and beyond), TherapyRoute.com has announced opening its online - free to list - mental health service directory to all qualified mental professionals and service providers including non-profits, community clinics, and private practices. TherapyRoute believes that opening their platform, to both private and non-profit services, is an example of how private and community organisations can collaborate to achieve mutual aims more efficiently. For example, equipping the public to locate and access mental health services and professionals like psychologists, registered counsellors, and social workers. Just this year (2019), TherapyRoute served hundreds of thousands of page views (USA, UK, ZA, and AU) and linked thousands of visitors to mental health professionals and services providers. Registering on the platform improves access to services by placing links to these services in front of the people seeking them. It also allows registered organisations and professionals to access tools that they can use to grow their profiles into informative websites and publish high-quality mental-health-related content. Mindful that barriers to access can extend beyond availability and affordability; TherapyRoute includes socially relevant filters (e.g. Black, LGBT+, Armenian speaking, etc.) that help visitors find the best fit mental health professionals for them. The platform also caters for people who are unsure of what to search for by automatically displaying nearby services. According to Enzo Sinisi (founder) "one challenge to improving access is that providers focus on delivery and sometimes lack the resources to ensure that their services, and often even their contact details, are accurately presented online". TherapyRoute recently led a project that saw 1000 hours donated to collecting, verifying, and adding well over 100 low-fee and no-fee South African …
126 million litres of milk consumed “loose” in South Africa every year
126 million litres of milk consumed “loose” in South Africa every year This twentieth World Milk Day on June 1, a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) day, once again encouraged milk and dairy consumption as part of a daily diet. Milk and dairy are important sources of nutrition for many of Africa’s inhabitants yet, in South Africa where more than 1,7 billion litres are produced annually, more than 126 million litres of milk are consumed untreated and unpacked, also known as loose milk, according to BMi Research. “Loose milk cannot be guaranteed safe,” says Stefan Fägerang, MD of Tetra Pak Southern Africa. Milk contains nutritional elements, such as calcium and vitamin D, that help bone and teeth development and strength. It contains a lot of water and is excellent for rehydration, which is why athletes favour it as a post-workout drink. Yet, loose milk, which is poured directly from the milkman’s container into a jar or plastic bag, likely contains harmful bacteria and additives. Just being exposed to light and oxygen either kills some of the nutritional content of milk or fosters growth of pathogens, which are germs that are harmful to humans. “Many people believe that boiling milk sterilises it,” says Fägerang. “But that’s not true. The temperature isn’t high enough to destroy the micro-organisms and bacteria and boiling it for too long destroys the nutrients. That’s why it’s important to use a scientifically-proven process that raises the temperature high enough to kill the pathogens but for a short enough time that the natural product’s nutrients survive intact through the packaging process.” Ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk is heated to between 135 and 140 degrees Celsius for just four seconds before it is immediately cooled. The process takes place in a sealed and commercially-sterile environment. “Our carton packs have six layers to keep the product safe during transportation, when it’s on shelves, and once it’s in …
Jordy Smith A Top Contender for the Corona JBay Open 2019
Jordy Smith A Top Contender for the Corona JBay Open 2019 JBay – the Corona JBay Open, South Africa’s only World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) event is fast approaching, and the best competitive surfers in the world are starting to make their respective moves for the 2019 world title race. The Corona JBay Open is a pivotal event, coming in mid-way through the year-long tour, and a win in JBay could very easily set a competitor up for a world title going into the back half of the year. Currently rated sixth on the Jeep Leaderboard – the rankings board for the Men’s Championship Tour – Durban-born Jordy Smith is looking like a very strong contender for a big result in JBay. Jordy has been in serious focus for 18 months now, working on fitness, diet and technique, in a serious bid for a world title, and his form is evident that he has what it takes to secure a win in JBay. He also has an excellent record at JBay. In his first event as a CT rookie in 2006 Jordy was unstoppable and it looked likely to be a rookie victory, a rare feat in the world of professional surfing. Surfing against Taj Burrow in the semi-final, Jordy needed good score to oust Taj, and he picked up a bomb towards the end of the heat. Nerves got to him however, and he fell on his last turn, losing to the Australian by 0.5 of a point, and placing third in the final results. In 2010 he pushed it further and took the win, defeating Australian Adam Melling in the final with some huge aerial turns in small surf. He repeated this in 2011, this time beating four times event champion and three times world champion Mick Fanning from Australia in the process. Last year Jordy looked like he was lining up for another victory, with some amazing performances throughout the day, but Wade Carmichael from Australia eliminated him in the semi-finals. Jordy has often stated that JBay is his favourite wave, and the town is his favourite stops on the tour, and he always enjoys vocal …
Surfing: Monster Combo Online Video Contest Kicking Off
The Monster Combo is really getting going, with 25 entries for the month of April alone as it goes into the fourth month of competition. April has been a good month for waves and clips, and the clips have been dropping non-stop! There's an entry from Matt McGillivray, a couple from Dale Staples, Shane Sykes, Eli Beukes, Josh Redman, Davey Van Zyl, and there's even an entry from Warwick Wright! Can Josh do it? is Dale the man? Check out the latest entries here: April Entries ekse. Hail Mary’s Are so Last Year One Turn Wonders are so last year: Combos are in. We don’t just want to see how you landed a full roat, we wanna see how you got there. We want to see multiple big manoeuvres on one wave! We want to see big turns, big airs and big barrels all on one wave. Give to us! And deliver it upsized. Waves and Surfers From All Corners of South Africa South Africa has an abundance of waves. Yet we often see imagery from surf zone hubs. We’d like to see content from underground surfers who exist off the beaten track. Maybe we’ll even see an entry from someone on an asymmetrical board at The Ledge or maybe even a longboarder at Pipe in PE. Who knows! Anything is possible. The Prizes are Dank: R20 000 cash. Channel Islands Surfboard for every month. A free surf trip. R10 000 for the winning videographer. Christmas come early baby, and the forecast looks surfy AF! CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. More Info on Surfing: Monster Combo Online Video Contest Kicking Off here: …
Nic Von Rupp: XXL Nominee On Surfing The Left At Mavericks
The legendary wave at Mavericks is a notorious beast, where some of the most famous rides in history have been claimed off the Northern Californian coast. Heading to tame the infamous wave, Nic Von Rupp lined up a trip of his dreams and along the way managed to pull of a historical feat that few before him have conquered. Mavericks is a raging A-frame wave with a chunky lip that is challenging and fast, even for the world’s best big wave surfers. Famously a left, the cold-water spot can produce a rare left and it was this challenge that Nic set his sights: “On my way to Mavericks, the only thing I could think of was going left out there.. that wave has so much potential, probably the meanest, biggest paddle approachable slab around. After 3 sessions out there, I quickly saw my dream of slipping into one of these beasts diminishing. So much risk involved.. you gotta be under it, dodging 20ft sets.. seems like all the energy of the right bends into the left and dumps into edge of the ledge. You get pounded, you go to deep dark places, scraping for your life. What about trying to knife a 9.9 into a steep ledge like this. But that’s what makes it special.”- Nic Von Rupp YouTube: https://youtu.be/AQHXXw_prlA CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. …
Making it Easy to Find Therapists and Nearby Mental Health Services
Cape Town, March, 14, 2019: There are many barriers to mental health services throughout the world. Stigma (awkwardness at approaching doctors), limited public awareness, lack of resources, prohibitive costs, and challenges around finding the right service, and even phone number, are real. The internet has helped many by offering a private way to reach out that sidesteps the need first to overcome one's reluctance to share embarrassing and personal details with your doctor. Unsurprisingly, more and more people turn to the internet to find nearby therapists and clinics. Unfortunately, many of the directories and online resource lists available are plagued by problems. They are often managed by people outside of the mental health profession and hence are prone to misrepresenting critical aspects of the field. Others prove unreliable in that they contain outdated information or run on ancient technology that renders them difficult to navigate. TherapyRoute.com, a South African start-up, is changing this by developing a sophisticated online global platform that automatically displays your nearest therapists and other mental health service providers. The database includes clinicians and providers from all around the world. Search results are cleverly listed by distance from the visitor and are easily refined. TherapyRoute.com founder, Enzo Sinisi notes that "many people looking for services don’t know what kind of help they need. Reaching out can be confusing, and this is why we have placed a huge focus on developing an easy and relevant search that does not offer a ton of intimidating options". Results can be refined by the kind of therapist, the client group, issues treated and, perhaps most importantly, language. Communicating in your mother tongue can make therapy less daunting. The site also indicates which providers offer online services and allows users to filter results by private and non-profit facilities. According to Sinisi, "for a directory to truly …
Premium Eating Disorder Treatment Facility Opened in Cape Town
Cape Town, January, 31, 2019: EDSA is an outpatient treatment centre for individuals with eating disorders or who have suffered from various forms of trauma. The centre will open in Constantia Cape Town in March at 8, Klein Constantia Road under the Recovery Direct banner. “I wanted a central location so we can reach as many people as possible,” says marketing manager Doug Kemp, who has a played an intergral role in the establishment of the Recovery Direct treatment centres for non-12step addiction treatment facilities. Though treating eating disorders will be a particular focus, Kemp says he wants the centre to be “for any person that has trauma that they’re wanting to work through.” That could be a physical trauma or something that’s manifested as anxiety, anger or depression. Kemp says that healing trauma that’s been stored in a person’s body “is something that is new in the field and far more innovative and constructive and effective than the majority of treatments presently offered within the industry in South Africa.” Staff members will include a variety of professionals, such as psychologists, dieticians, nurse practitioners, psychotherapists that are what Kemp calls a “trauma-informed” specialists in their field. The centre will have a soft opening in early March 2019. Updates can be found on the dedicated Eating Disorders Website or on the following pages associated to the Eating disorders community in South Africa. (Residential ED private care treatment centre) (National ED awareness programme and outpatient help centre) (Free dedicated national help line) "The distinctions between Recovery Direct Eating disorder residential programme and the other residential treatment programmes offered in South Africa are that Recovery Direct's centres do not follow the 12 step treatment model. Recovery Direct's focus is on delivering far more intensive evidence based (one on one treatment sessions) via the registered psychologists and …
Freeride Mountain Biking – DarkFEST Returns
DarkFEST Episode III - Return of the Send Vuurberg Farm, Stellenbosch - We’re calling on you to join the action as DarkFEST announces its return to South Africa for the third episode of pure freeride mountain biking mayhem. All set to hit Stellenbosch in February 2019, DarkFEST is an action-packed event, with huge sends, brutal slams and massive hits with the best crew in MTB. Fronted by bossman Same Reynolds and his legendary build team consisting of Belgian trail building specialist Nico Vink and all-round Austrian powerhouse Clemens Kaudela, all have one common goal, to go bigger than ever before, if that's even possible. The year of 2019 is set to be kicked off in high gear, with some gnarly new additions planned to this already mammoth course. Sam and the boys will begin remodelling the Vuurberg farm in early January to prepare for the arrival of the invited riders and the insanity that’s sure to follow. DarkFEST dates will run through the first week of February 2019 with more public days and additional viewing sessions throughout. If you can make it out to Stellenbosch to witness the shred, bookmark the 8th and 9th of February in your calendars. The public days at DarkFEST don't disappoint either, if you want to get a taste of the excitement. "We're inviting some of the worlds best riders again, many returning faces from last year and maybe a couple other legends as well," - Sam Reynolds. The full list of riders is to be announced soon. For now we can confirm: Sam Reynolds (GB) Adolf Silva (ES) Ethan Nell (USA) Tom Vam Steenbergen (CAN) Brendan Faiclough (GB) Theo Erlangson (ZA) "We always want to make it bigger and better and it was already pretty damn big and pretty damn good last year, so it's going to be a real challenge to make something better than that. We are totally up for it and I know I've got the two guys for the job!" Sam Reynolds. So there you have it, the 2019 edition of DarkFEST is locked and loaded and …
Mental Health First: Preparing for the Holidays
While many experiences the year ending as a time filled with exciting thoughts of the upcoming holidays' others have an entirely different experience. For some, it’s filled with the dread of being exposed to the hole left by the absence of work while others are confronted with memories of lost loved one and better years. There are many things which can taint our experience of the holidays. Fortunately, all of them can be worked through or managed, and therapy helps. If you have the sense that this might apply to you, then now is the time to plan and set up the support you’ll need. First prize is to have a schedule that ensures you spend time with people who love you and who can be there for you. If this is not available, you need more, or can’t bear the thought of leaning on others; there is still time to arrange professional help. Establishing contact with a therapist is enormously helpful, even if you can’t begin sessions immediately. Merely knowing that you have started looking into a healing process or book a meeting for next year can produce enough hope and relief to carry you through. But where does one find this help? If you have access to private medical care, then you can consider approaching your GP and asking them to refer you to a counsellor or psychologist in your area. Those who don’t have such access can visit their local community clinic and ask the attending sister to please place you on the psychology waiting list or to refer you to a nearby clinic that can provide the necessary help. The very idea of approaching a doctor or sister is often so daunting that some people never take this first step. If this applies to you, you’ll be happy to know that several websites help you find the services you need. TherapyRoute.com is a good place to start. This platform includes informative articles, lists private practices as well as non-profit and community service facilities, automatically displays the services nearest to you and helps you …
Calling all teachers: Show our forests some love and win a trip to Rome!
JOHANNESBURG, DECEMBER 3, 2018 - Trees are very important as they provide our planet with essential environmental services while also giving us jobs, products and fun. To celebrate the many fantastic things about forests, both natural and planted, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is running a competition ahead of International Day of Forests on 21 March 2019. The prize: a trip to Rome! According to FAO, "the 2019 theme for the International Day of Forests is ‘Forests and Education’ and we want the world to know how you educate children and youth about the importance of trees and forests. Today, when more than half the world’s population lives in cities and are increasingly disconnected from nature, it is more essential than ever to bring an understanding and awareness of forests and their benefits into children’s lives at an early age.” FAO is inviting teachers, educators and parents to produce and submit a short one-minute video that shows how you impart a better understanding about the importance of forests and trees for our planet’s future. This could be a video of a traditional class, nature walk into a wooded area or plantation, a local park with trees, an artwork, a song or music lesson or even an exercise class. The Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) and Forestry South Africa have put together some resources with specific facts on the South African forestry and forest product sector. Visit the special page on www.forestryexplained.co.za for more information. Deadline for entries is 15 December 2018. (We recognise that this is after schools break up for the SA summer holidays. It could however be a fun activity for these last few weeks of school.) How do I enter? To enter the contest, just follow these steps: Make a short video that shows how you teach children and youth about the importance of forests. The video should not exceed 1 minute and can be produced with any professional or non-professional device …