Carryn Hennessy – Lecturer/ Intern Supervisor

Carryn Hennessy is a Clinical Social Worker, lecturer, and supervisor who is deeply passionate about people and grounded in the belief that every person holds the intrinsic capacity to heal and transform — both their own life and the lives of those around them.

Although she initially intended to pursue a career in psychology, Carryn found herself drawn to social work’s broader, systems-based perspective. She graduated cum laude from the University of Johannesburg in 2005 with an Honours degree in Social Sciences, and went on to complete her Masters degree in Clinical Social Work — also cum laude — in 2019.

Her career has taken her into a variety of spaces including welfare organisations, schools, and children’s homes, offering her rich and diverse experience in the field. In 2009, she began working in private practice part-time and eventually transitioned to full-time work in this setting. Over the years, she has had the privilege of walking alongside countless families, children, and individuals on their healing journeys — an experience she continues to hold with deep gratitude.

Carryn’s work is anchored in trauma-informed, attachment-focused, and brain-based approaches. She incorporates the latest understandings from neuroscience, including the polyvagal theory, the role of the nervous system in trauma responses, and bottom-up approaches to healing. She firmly believes that helping clients understand the workings of their own brain and body can be a powerful tool in empowering them to reconnect with themselves and move toward regulation, resilience, and self-compassion.

In addition to her therapeutic work, Carryn has a strong passion for education and professional development. She joined Humanitas in 2022, where she lectures on the Trauma Counselling, Crisis Management, Self-Care, and Working with Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse modules. She also contributes to the Play-Based Intervention (PBI) course, where she has facilitated the Attachment-focused modules.

Carryn is also a supervisor at Humanitas and finds great meaning in journeying alongside students during their internship. She sees supervision not only as a space to build clinical skills, but also as a place to hold the emotional and reflective aspects of becoming a helping professional.

A lifelong learner herself, Carryn has attended numerous trainings in trauma, play therapy, attachment, and body based work, and continues to explore new ways of understanding the human experience. She values curiosity, presence, and kindness — both in her work with clients and in her engagement with students.

When lecturing, Carryn aims to create a learning environment that is both deeply informed and deeply human. She encourages open conversation, values lived experience alongside academic learning, and hopes to equip students with practical tools they can carry into the counselling room.

Self-care, for Carryn, is not a luxury but a necessity in the field of trauma work. She believes that practitioners who care for themselves are better able to hold space for others and that understanding our own nervous systems is key to preventing burnout and remaining grounded in our roles.

At the heart of Carryn’s work is a desire to see people reconnect with themselves and others. She holds great hope for the next generation of helping professionals — that they will work with insight, integrity, and compassion, and that they will bring healing not only to their clients but also to the systems they work within