Retha Bloem is a social worker with a 25 year academic research history. As a graduate from the University of Pretoria, born in 1968, she obtained her B.SW, BA (Hons) industrial Sociology, (cum laude) Magister Atrium,(cum laude)  Masters of Social work (play therapy) (cum laude)  and Ph.D. (UP) under promotorship of Prof Rina Delport  in a period of 10 year.

I am a lecturer at the Centre for Child, Youth and Family Studies (Faculty of Health Sciences) at the North-west University.

I have obtained a BA degree in Social Work at the University of Stellenbosch in 1995.  In 1997 I have obtained a MA in Social Work (Play Therapy) at the University of Pretoria.  I have also completed my PhD in Social Work at the University of Stellenbosch in 2011.  The title of my PhD was:  Occupational stress and the handling thereof by social workers involved in intervention with sexually abused children.