Dr Sonia Joubert at thinkingfit

Apply them to all your problems! Through my own life and professional experiences over many years, I have developed a passion for thinking. It has been said that thinking is an art. It is an art that is well worth learning, because everything we do depends on it. Because we are able to think, unfortunately does not mean that we think in appropriate ways.

Dr Sonia Joubert is a registered psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa, a life- and business coach as well as a mentor in private practice, Linden, Johannesburg. Dr Sonia Joubert also does corporate training on topics like creative- and critical/logical thinking, developing a creative and innovative organizational culture, multi-cultural training, conflict resolution, change management, communication skills, Emotional Intelligence, etc. My deep interest in- and continuous efforts to improve my own thinking skills, started 25 years ago when I decided to pursue a doctorate with creative thinking as my topic. Subsequently, in 1994 I organised and facilitated a three day workshop during which I combined two groups of students from different races and opposite political orientations. Nine black students belonged to APLA/AZAPO, and nine white students belonged to the Afrikaner Volkstater Movement. In spite of the lapse of time, the techniques and methodology are currently still appropriate. My aim with the workshop was to shift the perspectives the groups held about one another with the purpose of cultivating more tolerance; it meant learning and applying more appropriate ways of thinking. I utilized a powerful creativity technique, called paradoxical thinking. This means developing the skills to look at situations objectively and from all angles; seeing reality with a fresh pair of eyes. The workshop was a huge success and recognized internationally. Subsequently, I won the De Kat/Johannesburgse Sakekamer prize as one of ten unsung heroes in 1994. I became even more convinced that the acquisition of effective thinking skills has the potential to turn lives around. It is the only way to change. On a personal level, I practiced and applied these skills relentlessly and overcame extreme challenges, from depression, divorce, raising four children on my own and serious financial difficulties. If they worked for me, they will most definitely work for you too!