Staff Profiles

Ms Boitumelo Vavani graduated with a Bachelor of Psychology degree from the University of Botswana and Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology at Leiden University, the Netherlands.

Ms Vavani is currently employed as a lecturer by the University of Botswana in the Department of Psychology. Her work involves research, course development and teaching as well as some administrative tasks. She has taught various courses within the Bachelor of Psychology program. Furthermore, she is a licensed clinical psychologist and serves as a clinical supervisor for interns completing their Bachelor of Psychology degree. Ms Vavani also provides mentorship and supervision to other students studying psychology and teaching assistants. She also provides psychotherapy and other psychological services to members of the community.

She is and has been a member of several committees within and outside the University, such as advisory committees. She is also a member of the Botswana Association of Psychologists.

Ms Vavani has taught several psychology courses, including:

Abnormal Psychology

Cognition and Learning

Counselling

General psychology

Health Psychology

Psychotherapy

Psychological Challenges of HIV/AIDS

Psychological Testing and Psychometrics

Social Psychology

Ms Vavani is currently working on a PhD project in which she has been involved in the design and study of the effectiveness of effectiveness of a self-help intervention program for people with HIV and depressive symptoms in Botswana. She is interested in research that investigates interventions for mental health problems in both children and adults.  She has published articles on peer reviewed journals and has presented at international conferences on the above subject.

Vavani, B., Kraaij, V., Spinhoven, P., Amone-P’Olak, K., Plattner, I. E., & Garnefski, N. (2020). Intervention targets for people living with HIV and depressive symptoms in Botswana. African Journal of AIDS Research, 19:1, 80-88.

Vavani, B., Kraaij, V., Spinhoven, P., Amone-P’Olak, K., Plattner, I. E., & Garnefski, N. (2019). A booklet self-help intervention to reduce depressive symptoms among people living with HIV in Botswana: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials, 20:486. 

Amone-P’Olak, K., Vavani B., & Mberengwa, D.S. (2019) Cognitive emotion regulation strategies and mental health problems in war-affected youth in Northern Uganda: findings from the WAYS study. Journal of Mental Health, 28:2, 125-131.