Psychassess is run by Melanie Smith, with the assistance of Hansini Dhana & Chenelle Cohen

Melanie Smith
Psychometrist

Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Psychology and English) (University of KwaZulu Natal)

BA Honours Psychology (University of Johannesburg)

MEd (Psychology in Education) (Wits University)
Registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa

Melanie is a trained reading therapist in the Phono-Graphix Reading method. She has completed training with Read For Africa, and is registered as a reading therapist with ReadAmerica.

She completed her BA Honours Degree in Psychology at UJ, where she obtained distinctions for Developmental Psychology, Neuropsychology, Clinical Psychology, Social Psychology and Psychometrics. She obtained 83% on the Psychometrics Board exam and is registered as an Independently Practicing Psychometrist with the HPCSA. She has obtained her Masters of Education (Psychology of Education) at the University of the Witwatersrand focusing on learning difficulties and self-esteem in children. Her coursework modules were Language and Assessment (84%); Cultural Psychology in Education (75%); and Developmental Psychology (86%).

Melanie completed her one-year Psychometric Practical Internship at Glenoaks Remedial School, where she was involved in the administration and scoring of various psychological tests, the writing of reports, and also conducted interviews and feedback with parents.

Melanie has attended the Rape Crisis Counselling course in Pietermaritzburg, the Lifeline Personal Development and Counselling Skills course and the Dependable Strengths course. Melanie is accredited as a Feierstein Instrumental Enrichment practitioner.

Melanie has been involved in psychometric assessment and reading therapy in a variety of educational settings and schools for over five years, including remedial and mainstream schools, centres for mental and physical handicaps and the Read For Africa Organisation. Melanie also lectures Education and Psychology related subjects on a part-time basis at Varsity College.

Hansini Dhana

Psychometrist 

Bachelor of Arts (majoring in South African Sign Language & Psychology) (Wits University)

BA Honours Psychology (Wits University)

Registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa

Hansini majored in South African Sign Language and Psychology in her BA degree. She completed her BA Honours Degree in Psychology at Wits University where she obtained distinctions for Psychopathology, Research Design and Analysis, and Research Essay on an Approved topic which is currently in the process of being written up in a journal article. Hansini has additionally completed courses in Deaf Education. Hansini completed her Psychometric Practical Internship at Riverlea Primary / Secondary School, where she was involved in the administration and scoring of various psychological tests and the writing of reports. She is registered as an Independently Practicing Psychometrist with the HPCSA.
 

Hansini has been involved in parent advising, mentoring and psychometric assessment of deaf and hard of hearing children, looking at their overall development, through the HI HOPES programme based at the Centre for Deaf Studies at Wits University. Hansini has assisted at Deaf Education Conferences, and has attended the Basic and Advanced Counselling Skills Course at the Midrand Support Centre for Victims and Witnesses of Violence and Abuse. in addition, Hansini worked as a tutor at a remedial school where she worked on a one-to-one basis with a grade seven learning disabled pupil. This tutoring entailed remedial English, reading, writing and spelling assistance. During her honours year at Wits, she attended the Senior bursar/tutor workshops. Hansini is a qualified reading therapist trained by Read For Africa.