Something About Me
I am Dr Robyn Lesley Fasser, an English speaking Clinical Psychologist practicing in the Johannesburg area of South Africa. I am primarily trained as a family therapist and therefore qualified to assess and evaluate adult individual relationship problems and those relating to children and how these may manifest in the family. A large portion of my practice concerns child custody evaluations for forensic purposes. As a result I am passionate about helping and making a difference in the lives of those with personal issues, but in particular those in relation to the family. As the listing of my services will tell you, however, I also supervise and train other Psychologists and help prospective adoptive parents.
Education/Qualifications
Education and Qualifications
I am a Clinical Psychologist registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa.
I hold the degrees of B.A. (hons) (SA), M.A. (Clin. Psych) (Cum Laude) (SA) DLitt et Phil (Psychology) (SA). These were attained between 1975 and 2014 at the Universities of the Witwatersrand and the University of South Africa. My internship was served at One Military Hospital in Pretoria. I have been in private practice since 1991 and achieved my DLitt et Phil (Psychology) (SA) in 2014.
Theses
Preparation
My Masters’ thesis concerns incest (cited in a current textbook, Personology – From individual to ecosystem Werner, M, Moore, C & Viljoen, H, 2003, p 479). The title of my thesis is A Constructivist Approach to Incest.
My D.Litt et Phil degree concerns child custody evaluations. The title of my thesis is Conflicted Custody: The unfolding of a problem-determined system.
Publications
Publications
Snyman S. H. and Fasser, R. L. (2004). Thoughts on ethics, psychotherapy and postmodernism. South African Journal of Psychology, Vol. 34 No. 1.
Snyman, S. H. and Fasser, R. L. (2008). Borderline Personality Disorder: A mal du siecle? New Therapist Journal; July/August 2008.
The following publication is pending:
Robertse, I., Townsend, A., & Fasser, R. (2017). Introducing a Proposed Dimensional Model of Parenting Ability to Guide Intervention in Child Custody Evaluations. Family Law Review (In Peer Review; Publication Pending).
Presented Papers
Presented Papers
I have been invited to present at four annual conferences of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts of America. These include:
Descriptions of Rigid Family Patterns: A Challenge to the Alienation Label. 47th Annual Conference of the Association Of Family and Conciliation Courts, Denver, Colorado, USA; Traversing The Trail of Alienation from 2-5 June 2010. (This workshop and a personal interview with me were cited in Children Who Resist Postseparation Parental Contact: A Differential Approach for Legal and Mental Health Professionals (American Psychology-Law Society) by Fidler, B. J., Bala, N. & Saini, M. A., 2012, pp. 24, 49 & 79).
Assessing Middle Childhood Attachment: Adapting Conventional Assessment Tools. 49th Annual Conference of the Association Of Family and Conciliation Courts, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Attachment, Brain Science and Children of Divorce: The ABCDs of child Development for Family Law from 6-9 June 2012.
Conflicted Custody: The Unfolding of a Professional Problem Determined System. 52nd Annual Conference of the Association Of Family and Conciliation Courts, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Children in the Court System: Different Doors, Different Responses, Different Outcomes from 27-30 May 2015.
Introducing a methodology to assess parenting to guide interventions. 54th Annual Conference of the Association Of Family and Conciliation Courts, Boston, Massachusettes, USA; Turning the Kaleidoscope of Family Conflict into a Prism of Harmony from May 31-June 3, 2017.
I have also presented the following papers in South Africa:
Unpacking the Forensic Psychologist’s Report – The relationship between Attorney and Expert. 1st Annual Family Law Conference, Johannesburg, RSA from 2-3 October 2014.
How to critique a psychological report. 2nd Annual Family Law Conference, Johannesburg, RSA from 1-2 October 2015.
Analysing Child Custody Reports. 2nd FAMAC (Family Mediators’ Association of the Cape), Cape Town, RSA, 14 & 15 September 2016.
Training
Training
Snyman, S. H. and Fasser, R. L. (2004-2009) Relationship Therapy workshops in South Africa. (CPD accredited)
Fasser, R. L. and Duchen, P. (2010). Alienation Workshop in Johannesburg in October 2010. (CPD accredited)
Affiliations/Associations
Affiliations and Associations
I am very proud to have affiliations to, or be associated with the following:
Appointed employee assistance programme counsellor for Maureen Kark and Associates.
Case consultant and supervisor for Family Life since 1998.
Member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts of America. (The AFCC is the leading international interdisciplinary association in the field of family law. It cuts across legal, mental health, dispute resolution, educators, scholars and social science research fields and professions. It is dedicated to improving the lives of children and families through the resolution of conflict.)
Please feel free to contact me at the practice in normal working hours. I look forward to engaging with you and hope that I can help with whatever your specific issues may be.
