More About Us
‘Dóchas’ means ‘Hope’ in Irish. Dóchas was set up in 2021 by Catherine and Naomi, who have worked together for many years in the NGO sector in Mwanza. Through their work, they both saw that there is a real gap in mental health services being provided in Mwanza, especially in the form of counselling and psychotherapy. They have a vision that mental health services can become available to the population in Mwanza and across Tanzania through direct provision, training, capacity building, and supporting networks, training institutes, and universities to ensure improvements and strengthening of the mental health profession within the country.
Our Objectives
What we Aim To Do
Committed to international
ethical standards and
culturally relevant care.
To provide quality counselling services to children, youth, and adults who request these services through a private practice
To provide counselliTo provide counselling services to students in schools on requestng services to students in schools on request
To provide short-term counselling and trainings or workshops on mental health and well-being in the workplace to staff on request
To provide quality training in counselling and psychotherapy to service providers, adapted to the cultural context
To provide supervision for service providers during their placement/field hours so they can increase their counselling skills, ensure reflective practice in their work, promote personal and professional development, and address challenges they face in the field
To partner where possible with counselling and psychotherapy networks with the aim of strengthening those networks and promoting the profession within the country
To partner where possible with training institutes and universities that provide counselling and psychotherapy training and qualifications, to strengthen the training and the profession within the country
To perform all duties in accordance with national laws and internationally recognised ethical principles and standards for good practice in counselling and psychotherapy
To make every effort to meet clients’ expectations, being flexible to adapt to requests, and remaining culturally sensitive
Our Services
Services We Offer
Find a safe space tailored
completely to your
personal growth.
01
Individual and Group Therapy — Private Practice
Counselling is available in English by Naomi, either face to face at our office in Ryan’s Bay Hotel in Mwanza town, or online.
Individual therapy is available to children, teenagers, and adults. Sessions are usually carried out once a week for a one-hour period, but can be adapted on request.
Naomi uses an integrative approach to counselling, bringing together different elements of specific therapies. She believes that counselling is best adapted to individual needs and personal circumstances. Naomi has a special interest in Emotionally Focused Therapy. She also uses client-centred therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy. She understands the importance of being culturally aware and sensitive.
02
Services for Companies / Workplaces
- Short-term counselling or brief therapy sessions can be offered to employees struggling with workplace-related stress or personal issues that may be affecting their work performance or productivity
- Mediation or conflict management can be provided within the workplace
- Workplace workshops or training sessions with a focus on mental health, self-awareness, self-care, and conflict management can be offered in both English and Swahili
Invest in your team’s
mental health and reduce
workplace burnout.
Comprehensive support
for students, parents,
and educators alike.
03
Services for Schools
- Individual counselling sessions in English can be provided to students referred by teachers or who refer themselves, regarding educational, social, and emotional challenges or concerns
- Identified student groups can be provided with group life skills sessions and restorative circles to address challenges, concerns, or conflicts the students are experiencing
- Assistance and training can be provided to teachers and parents to support their understanding of child and adolescent development, as well as parenting skills and discipline
04
Training in Counselling and Psychotherapy for Service Providers
- Specialised training in counselling and psychotherapy can be provided in English and Swahili to service providers in NGOs or other related fields. Training can be tailored to the level and needs of service providers who support individuals, families, or communities exposed to or experiencing psychosocial or psychological challenges. The training will focus on counselling through skills-based learning and reflection, together with theory and evidence-based practice, using participatory and interactive techniques. This will enable participants to specialise, lead, and work towards better outcomes for individuals or groups with complex needs.
- Supervision services can be provided for service providers during their placement/field hours so they can develop their counselling skills, ensure reflective practice in their work, address challenges they face in the field, and promote personal and professional development.
- Personal therapy is available to service providers to ensure good levels of self-care and to promote personal and career development.
Equip your team with
advanced skills for
better community outcomes.
Our Experience
Meet Our Team
Naomi Power
Naomi Power is from Ireland. She has lived and worked in Tanzania for over 15 years. She was awarded a master’s in counselling and psychotherapy from the Irish College of Humanities and Science in September 2022. She has been providing counselling since this time through private practice, both in person and online, to children, youth, and adults, in addition to primary and secondary school students at an International School in Mwanza.
Naomi also graduated in 2008 with an honours degree in International Relations from Dublin City University. She has 10 years of experience working with a locally run, grassroots NGO in Mwanza (North Tanzania) that works to reduce the number of children living or working on the streets and to build a better relationship between these children, their families, relatives, and their community, to break the cycle of violence and abuse that exists within these families. Over these years of working in Mwanza, she gained a lot of training, skills, and experience in best practices of providing interventions to individuals and families in this context and building the capacity of staff in providing therapeutic interventions.
She has received continued professional development training over the last number of years on Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Child and Adolescent Development, Trauma, Attachment Theory, Systemic Theory, and Adoption.
Naomi has a deep interest and passion for counselling and psychotherapy, as well as for building the capacity of grassroots organisations. She realised this through her experience of working in Tanzania and seeing the real need to improve and expand counselling and psychotherapy services within the country, as well as experiencing how effectively this could be carried out through training and capacity building at a grassroots level.
Catherine K. Mongella
Catherine Kakolo Mongella is a development strategist and advocate whose work bridges leadership, equity, and social transformation across the Global South. With over 15 years of experience leading programs in health, education, climate, and gender justice, Catherine has worked with organizations and movements that challenge inequality and reimagine sustainable development.
As a co-founder of DOCHAS, she is Passionate about systems change and inclusive leadership. Catherine uses storytelling and collaboration to connect global conversations with local realities. Her work centers on one question: how can we build fairer systems where people, not power, define progress?”
Rates
Affordable And Accessible
Private Practice
The general fee: 75,000tsh per one-hour session.
It is also possible to pay in advance for several sessions at a reduced rate
Please do contact however, if you cannot afford this, as possible sliding scale reduced rates may apply for students and also for special circumstances
Workplaces, Schools, & Service Providers
As these are tailored services, we can negotiate directly with you on what the need is and agree on a rate depending on the resources and time of these services provided
Let’s Talk
Naomi Power
Phone: +255785507978
Email: naomiapower@gmail.com
Catherine Mongella
Phone: +255784766820
Email: kakolo88@gmail.com
Office Address
Ryan’s Bay Hotel, P.O. Box 1904, Station Road, Capri Point, Mwanza