Specialist counselling for children of divorce · Cape Town
Make parenting separately easier than it ever was together.
We help children process divorce through play-based counselling designed to reach the feelings they can’t yet put into words. Most parents see their child shift within three weeks.
- Thornton, Cape Town
- ·
- 5.0 on Google
- ·
- 100+ children helped
- ·
- Registered counsellor
Natalie Smith
Founder · Counsellor
Your first call is with me
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re in the right place.
- Your child has gone quiet, and “fine” is the only answer you get.
- Bedtime, mornings, or drop-offs have become a battle.
- They’re acting out at school, or pulling away from friends.
- They cling to one parent and refuse the other.
- They’ve started crying at things that never used to bother them.
- You’ve tried talking. It hasn’t worked. You don’t know what else to try.
None of this means you’ve failed. It means your child is feeling something they don’t have the words for yet. That’s exactly what we help with.
Children who don’t get help processing divorce often carry it into adolescence — as anxiety, school problems, or difficulty trusting close relationships later in life. It doesn’t have to go that way. The earlier a child learns to name and move through what they’re feeling, the less of it they carry forward.
Meet Natalie
We’ve been where you are.
Hi, I’m Natalie. Twelve years ago, I was the parent reading a page like this — wondering whether my son would be okay. He’s now grown up, working alongside me, and together we run Solace Counselling as a mother-and-son team helping other families through what we lived ourselves.
Over the past five years we’ve helped more than 100 children come to terms with divorce — most of them within just three weeks. We work from our Thornton practice and also run school sessions across Cape Town through the Life Matters Foundation. The same approach that helps children in those classrooms is the one we’ll use with your child.
Natalie
Founder · Counsellor · 12 years
How it works
What working with us looks like.
- 01
Free 15-minute call
You speak to Natalie directly. No script, no pressure — just a conversation about what's been happening and whether we're a good fit for your family.
- 02
First session
Your child comes in for a 60-minute session at our Thornton practice. They play, we listen. Afterwards, you get a parent debrief on what we noticed and what to expect.
- 03
Weekly sessions
Each week, your child works through their feelings with us, and you go home with one or two specific tools to try. Most children begin shifting within about three weeks.
In parents’ words
What parents are saying.
Natalie is absolutely phenomenal in her approach with children. She has been so instrumental in helping both my son and I navigate through a very challenging time. Her approach is holistic, responsive, compassionate, honest, safe, and filled with what I can tell is a true passion and calling.
Natalie turned a very reluctant teen into an eager, active participant. Not only did she listen, she also provided coping mechanisms to help my daughter deal with difficult situations and how to reason and problem-solve. I would definitely recommend her services.
He was comfortable, and almost immediately within our first session he opened up. That really impressed me. As a mother, I will be forever grateful for how she helped my son. Thank you for the great service and the tools you provided to deal with his struggles.
Our approach
Why play works when talking doesn’t.
Children don’t process feelings the way adults do. Asking a 7-year-old “how do you feel about the divorce?” rarely works — not because they’re hiding something, but because the words don’t exist for them yet.
Play does. Through carefully designed sessions, your child shows us what they’re feeling — through stories, through choices, through the games they choose and the ones they avoid. We meet them in their language, then help them build the skills to express, regulate, and move through what they’re carrying.
100+
children helped
3 wks
typical first shift
60 min
every session
4–18
ages we work with
“Our techniques bridge the gap between feeling and language — so children can show us what they can’t yet say.”
Natalie Smith, Founder
Pricing
Simple, transparent pricing.
Every session is one hour. Most children make meaningful progress within 6 sessions.
Single Session
- 60 minutes
- Includes parent debrief
- Book sessions one at a time
No card required — just a conversation.
6-Session Package
- 60 minutes each
- Parent debrief after every session
- 25% saving vs paying per session
- Most parents see their child shift within this package
No card required — just a conversation.
Not sure which is right for your family? Book a free 15-minute call and we’ll help you decide.
FAQ
Questions parents often ask.
Take the first step
Let’s talk about your child.
Leave your details and Natalie will personally call or message you within one working day to set up your free 15-minute call. No automated systems, no admin team — just a conversation.
Prefer to message first? Send Natalie a WhatsApp instead.