From the December 2021 issue of YOU Magazine
From the December 2021 issue of YOU magazine. Michael was quoted extensively in the article highlighting the fact that some of the best relationships are based on love and commitment. Michael also strongly believes that most couples today miss out on communicating effectively with each other.
I Got My Covid-19 vaccination plus booster
In February 2021, I was administered the J and J vaccine as part of the Sisonke project. This took place at the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg – the third biggest hospital in world. In December of the same year, I had the J and J booster vaccine, also as part of the Sisonke project. […]
The four things South Africans are obsessed with
It was a little over two years ago that I returned to live in Johannesburg after spending most of my adult life abroad — in New York, Berlin and London. I must be in the minority, as most people I encounter want to know “why” as they scamper to find an exit route from SA […]
Getting vaccinated: A therapists account
Early last month (FEB) I registered with the Department of Health on their EVDS portal in advance of the Covid-19 vaccine arriving in South Africa. At the time, I had no idea which manufacturer would be acceptable to the South African authorities. However, just last week, a colleague alerted me to a new link for […]
Covid puts relationships in a pressure cooker. Here’s how to relieve the stress
We create our conflicts – and we can resolve them too Life is like a pressure cooker, but there are ways to relieve the stress, writes Michael Kallenbach Most relationships, whether with the person you live with, your spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend, will have struggled in some way since last March when the first lockdown […]
How to survive in January
“Everyone seems to know someone who is either ill at the moment, recovering from Covid-19 or has recently died. “No one wants to see a family member or friend die or get ill, so this is the cloud that’s hanging over all of us at the moment.” Kallenbach said that unlike any other event in […]
Counselling in the time of Covid
“I’ve been consulting virtually for awhile now, even prior to lockdown, and use an online platform called Vectera.It has proved invaluable, with the onscreen clarity being superb” says couples’counsellor Dr Michael Kallenbach.S Write down issues or pressure points “Many of my colleagues complain that these online sessions take a lot out of you. Perhaps that’s […]
Couples refuse to listen until it’s too late
I was most interested to read Howard Feldman’s insightful thoughts after the passing of his father in last week’s SA Jewish Report (23 October 2020), titled “That damn kittel”. As a couples therapist, I’m often left wondering why those in a relationship so often refuse point-blank to listen to the advice or suggestion given by […]
Why the Covid-19 pandemic has made people look and feel older
“The Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone – young or old, wherever they live in the world,” Parktown North therapist Michael Kallenbach says. “Any time there is additional or unexpected stress put on someone’s life, this can have an impact on the ageing process. Kallenbach says that being confined to home for long periods has left […]
Unprecedented spike in divorce applications during lockdown
“The lockdown had an unusual impact – for good and bad – on people’s relationships and they were faced with problems and situations they never faced before,” Parktown North couples and relationship counsellor Michael Kallenbach explained. “Suddenly you notice that the person you’ve been living with for years, and whom you thought you knew so […]