SADAG Counselling Container – Diepsloot

About SADAG

The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) is Africa's largest mental health support and advocacy group, established in 1994 and registered as NPO 013-085. SADAG operates a national 15-line counselling call centre 7 days a week, runs over 180 free support groups nationwide, and manages South Africa's only dedicated Suicide Crisis Helpline (0800 567 567, 24 hours).

The Diepsloot Counselling Container

Diepsloot is a rapidly growing township located roughly halfway between Johannesburg and Pretoria, home to over 250,000 residents — many of whom face ongoing poverty, unemployment, and high rates of crime and GBV. The township has only two clinics, and the nearest psychiatric facility is over 20 kilometres away. In partnership with Janssen-Cilag, SADAG established a walk-in Counselling Container in Diepsloot specifically to bridge this gap and bring professional mental health support directly into the community.

The Container is staffed by trained SADAG counsellors who deliver free, face-to-face counselling, referrals, psychoeducation, and crisis support. Services are provided in a culturally competent, holistic manner and include marital and relationship counselling, family counselling, trauma debriefing, and individual support for depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

GBV and Trauma Services

GBV is explicitly listed as a driver of the psychosocial distress that SADAG's Container counsellors address in Diepsloot. Survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and intimate partner abuse are among those who access support at the Container. The team's trauma-informed approach is designed to support individuals who may be presenting with complex trauma, PTSD, or acute crisis following an incident of violence.

Community Outreach

Beyond in-person counselling, the Diepsloot team conducts school talks, clinic talks, and community awareness events. In a single year, the Container team reached over 16,000 individuals through outreach and awareness activities. The team also facilitates free support groups, including gender-specific groups where survivors can share their experiences in a safe, peer-supported environment.

National SADAG Helplines

While the Container is the in-person service, residents can also access SADAG's national support at any time: - Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0800 567 567 (24 hours, toll-free) - SADAG Office: 011 234 4837 (8am–8pm, 7 days a week) - Cipla Mental Health Helpline: 0800 456 789 (24 hours, toll-free) - WhatsApp (Cipla): 076 882 2775 (8am–5pm)