In South Africa, women are five times more likely than the global average to die at the hands of a partner. To combat gender-based violence (GBV), Phola, a pioneering project, has turned to psychologically creative therapy methods. Founded by psychologist Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo, the project uses the Tree of Life psychotherapeutic method developed by Ncube-Mlilo, itself adapted from narrative therapy, to make therapy more accessible to women, children, and communities in need. Shipping containers are being repurposed into therapy rooms, and a travelling caravan brings the therapy to some of Johannesburg’s most deprived and violent townships.
The belief of the project’s staff of 22 is that people affected by adversity, abuse, and trauma possess the knowledge and skills to overcome their problems. Phola seeks to tackle GBV’s root causes, which can be found in South Africa’s culture, homes, and workplaces. While rates of mental illness here are over twice those of Brazil and the country has approximately 360 mental health workers per 100,000 people, there is a vast inequality of access to mental health resources, with a mere quarter of people experiencing anxiety and depression able to access the necessary healthcare. Childhood trauma and poor mental health often lead to cyclical poverty and brutality, which in turn continue to trap affected generations in a vicious cycle.
Ncube-Mlilo’s therapy methods acknowledge the importance of culture in shaping appropriate psychological solutions to trauma. Culture and context vary greatly around the world, underscoring the importance of adapting therapy approaches accordingly. Children in Zimbabwe were similarly unresponsive to traditional talking therapy methods to process trauma. The Tree of Life method, with its narrative framework based on a tree as a metaphor for the individual (roots, branches, fruit, etc.), proved to be a more effective method of therapy for these children. Trained Phola counsellors have brought about significant change to the lives of those whom they have counselled, from being able to open up in a safe environment, to enabling personal revelation such as when Phindi Ngele’s depression was first recognised in a Phola therapy room
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