Bringing Harmony Home | Tehilla Luttig
Tehilla Luttig is the proud and incredibly humble owner of KAWA Counselling here in the heart of town. She was originally born in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, and grew up as a Bos-kind in the Kruger Park and Sabi Sands game reserves.
Their family (mom, dad and three brothers) moved here in 1997, so that she could completed her schooling. She loved Hermanus for its spectacular beauty; quaint small town feeling; and the family and friend connections that were established here. After school Tehilla lived and worked mostly in Cape Town, but also spent some time in Switzerland and Pretoria, before settling down again in Hermanus, where her husband-to-be and close family lived, and where she had the opportunity to complete her psychology internship.
See what this local lady had to say to us…
Describe yourself in 3 words…
Enthusiastic, compassionate, sincere.
My 3 favourite things in the world are…
Love, life and laughter.
What made you decide to open/create KAWA Counselling in Hermanus?
“It is said that the most important component of nation building is the family unit. In essence, the quality and state of the family determine the quality and state of a society and consequently the nation…The equation is simple – many families make up a community; many communities make up a society; and many societies make up a nation. Therefore the quality of the family is the quality of the nation.” – Dr. M Mitchell
I did my internship at Die Bron Primary, Mount Pleasant Primary (and a little bit at Blompark Primary) schools. After my time there, and having worked with children for the past 12 years, I have witnessed the dire need for focus to be bought back to the family in all our social classes and communities. I firmly believe that families are the backbone of society, and that we can only make effective changes to our country when we realise, respect and restore the family system and its values. So many families are in desperate need to help them bring harmony home (and a little bit of love, understanding and non-judgement go a long way). The world can be rather scary, and children as well as adults need the security of a safe base – home, to face the many challenges presented in life.
My focus is on bringing professional and affordable therapy to families and building bridges between all our communities (through private practice therapy and through sustainable projects, for example, the Boys2Men project – connecting professional men with children without father-figures as role models).
More information on my projects and practice is available on my website: www.kawacounselling.org
If you are not in your office what are you doing?
Spending time with my hubby, being in our garden, walking, time with friends / family and camping. I also love crosswords, sudoku, scrabble, brain teasers, etc…And lately I’m spending a lot of time daydreaming about the little miracle that’s busy growing inside me – what a great, glorious gift life is!
The best part of KAWA counselling is?
Helping harmony home. Getting phone calls from parents or couples with a new zest for life and hearing the changes that have taken place at home. Seeing the happiness, security and comfort that has been worked back into their relationships.
Hermanus is…
Hermanus has the potential for greatness! It has the most beautiful scenery, wonderful variety of weather and activities, incredible whales, decadent wine, wonderful markets, clean air, beautiful beaches, magnificent fynbos, all sorts of shops, and amazing people. But our families are suffering, and the negligence or break-down of family is showing in the malicious rumours, violence and bad business ethics often talked about in Hermanus..
I think instead of spending time around the braai talking about how bad things have gotten we should all do more to re-prioritise our families and make sure our own homes are kept before we start pointing fingers. Remember – we all need help sometimes! Recognising this does not make you weak but wise!!
Side note: Money can make things easier perhaps, but it certainly doesn’t buy happiness! I’ve worked with the richest (financially) and the poorest of families and their core familial problems are the same, their worth and happiness was missing because it was looked for in the wrong places! You cannot measure a family’s happiness by their wealth – that would be like trying to measure the temperature with a ruler!
I love Hermanus in the…
I love ALL the seasons – each one has its own unique flavour and offers its own joys.
My favourite place in Hermanus is…
My home. It’s where my husband is and our dreams are being built.
I wish I knew then what I do now about…
“When you are your authentic self, you have no competition…” – unknown.
My best memories are…
Always in the making…