Call him the combi counsellor: Khayelitsha resident Andreas Banetsi is taking free mental healthcare to the streets. Since late 2015‚ Banetsi‚ a registered psychological counsellor‚ has been driving around Khayelitsha in his trusty combi and reaching out to potential clients.“I use the combi mostly as an entry point for young people‚” he says.“There is a lot of stigma around speaking to a psychologist. So if I invite someone to my mobile clinic‚ they don’t mind hopping in‚ having a chat and some therapy.”He then invites them to further sessions at the Township Parents and Children Counselling Centre in Mandela Park.Banetsi’s mobile clinic was officially launched on Thursday in partnership with the South African College of Applied Psychology‚ which supports Banetsi with a stipend and the running costs of the combi.As one of five practitioners who serve Khayelitsha’s population of about 400,000 residents‚ Banetsi manages an “overwhelming caseload”.He counsels 10 to 15 children daily‚ some of whom even go to his home to speak to him.“I hate turning them away because I might be exposing the child to further trauma or further risk. So I always try by all means to lend an ear to them.”He does not charge for counselling and intends to keep it that way. “One session can be between R350 to R650. That’s one week’s wage for most of the people in the township‚ if they are lucky enough to have that wage.”Even though Banetsi began this project focusing on youth‚ parents are fast becoming his primary clients and their children secondary clients. He sees three to four parents a week.“It sometimes arises that parents have gone through depression themselves‚ so we provide care for them as well.”Parents increasingly seek out his services and sometimes even force their children to come along for counselling‚ he says.Banetsi aims to have 10 counselling combis serving Khayelitsha within five years‚ and is working towards a longer-term goal of a rehabilitation centre that serves clients who speak Xhosa and other African languages. – TMG Digital/The Times..