About Zehira-Kedesh
Zehira-Kedesh is a trauma and addiction counselling centre that was founded in 2019 with the aim of providing counselling that promotes holistic well-being in body, mind and spirit. Counselling sessions and therapeutic homework aspire to create a lasting change that is in accordance with the values, principles and beliefs of the client.
Names are extremely important as it contains elements that are spoken over your life every time it is said out loud. For this reason Zehira-Kedesh (pronounced Zeh-hee-rah Kuh-desh) was named with its purpose in mind. The combined words in the name "Zehira-Kedesh" means holy, sacred and protected sanctuary and the logo symbolises the emotional safety that our counselling center provides to our clients during sessions.
Like the centre, you were created and designed in a particular format with a special purpose in mind. Each person was created for a unique task and it is up to us to discover what that purpose is and how we are supposed to live in accordance with it. You were planned on purpose and with purpose - never forget that!
About Madeleine
Madeleine Swart is an expert in the field of sex addiction and betrayal trauma. She is currently the only dual IITAP qualified Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) and Certified Partner Trauma Therapist (CPTT) in South Africa and assists individuals, couples and adult children of sex addicts (ACSA) to navigate the impact of trauma caused by sexual addiction.
Madeleine also has nearly ten years of experience in managing the impact of trauma and stress within the context of domestic violence and sexual assault counselling, most of which was obtained through volunteer work at counselling centers and Police Stations (in the capacity as victim support counsellor) in Port Elizabeth. In the capacity of Specialist Wellness Counsellor (designated by the ASCHP), Madeleine also supports survivors of other crime-related trauma (including home invasions) and survivors of general trauma.
Born into a First Responder home, Madeleine is passionate about helping First Responders and their families with trauma and general counselling. She understands the stressful nature of their work and the way that it influences the family system from a lived perspective as well as a psychological one. She is an Emergency Services Chaplain (with the ESCSA) that voluntarily shares her time and knowledge with local police stations and other branches of the emergency services in Port Elizabeth.
In terms of education, Madeleine completed her Bachelor of Social Science and her Bachelor of Social Science Honours in Psychology degrees at SACAP. She graduated the latter with Cum Laude and obtained the Academic Dean's Merit Award. She also completed two higher certificates in Counselling and Communication Skills AND in HIV/AIDS Counselling and Management (Summa Cum Laude).
Additional specialized training was received in the areas of trauma debriefing facilitation, trauma informed coaching, sexual assault counselling, domestic violence advocacy, pastoral support, supporting women in crisis pregnancy situations and more.
