Dr. Amanda Van Der Westhuizen

• Stress and anxiety
• EMDR and trauma work
• Client‑centred approach

About Amanda

Dr Amanda Van Der Westhuizen helps people working through stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, and issues with self‑esteem and identity. She uses client‑centred work alongside trauma‑focused methods and EMDR where appropriate. She is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, HCPC, and has 17 years of professional experience in the UK and South Africa.

Her practice suits people facing complex or overlapping difficulties, such as neurodiversity combined with mood concerns, co‑occurring mental health issues, or chronic pain and illness. She also supports people dealing with grief, addiction, career pressures, and compassion fatigue. Sessions can include discussion of attachment, abandonment, intimacy and boundary issues.

In sessions she focuses on clear, practical conversation and collaborative planning. She listens to what matters most and works with each person to set goals and manageable steps. Techniques may involve exploration of past events, processing traumatic memories, and strengthening coping skills for day‑to‑day life.

Her background includes long experience with trauma‑related work and relationship difficulties. She draws on Client‑Centred Therapy to centre the person in the room, Trauma‑Focused Therapy for safety and pacing, and EMDR for processing traumatic memories when appropriate.

She offers counselling in English and Afrikaans and sees people in the United Kingdom. International clients can be supported, and she has experience across a wide age range and life situations. To start, readers should use the site matching process to arrange an initial session and discuss practical arrangements.

How her approaches translate to online counselling

Client‑Centred Therapy focuses on attentive listening and collaborative goal setting. Online sessions can still use these conversations to identify priorities, set small goals, and review progress over time.

Trauma‑Focused Therapy involves careful pacing, stabilisation and step‑by‑step processing of traumatic memories. In remote work this may include grounding techniques, tracking triggers, and rehearsing coping skills between sessions to manage everyday life.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, EMDR, uses structured procedures to process distressing memories. When EMDR is used the therapist explains each step and adapts the pacing to the person’s needs before proceeding.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The counsellor will discuss options and agree a plan based on the person’s needs, goals and preferences. This is a collaborative process and may change as therapy progresses.

Practical benefits of online sessions include fitting counselling into a busy week and reducing travel time. Confirm the specific session formats available with the service before booking, as the biography does not list formats. Discuss timing, pacing and any adjustments needed to make sessions manageable within your daily routine.

Topics Amanda lists

• Stress and anxiety
• Relationship issues
• Trauma and abuse
• Self-esteem
• Depression
• Addictions
• LGBT
• Family conflicts
• Grief
• Intimacy-related issues
• Anger management
• Career difficulties
• Bipolar disorder
• Coping with life changes
• Coaching
• Compassion fatigue
• ADHD
• Abandonment
• Attachment issues
• Avoidant personality
• Chronic pain, illness, and disability
• Co-morbidity
• Codependency
• Commitment issues
• Control issues
• Dependent personality
• Dissociation
• Domestic violence
• Emptiness
• Family of origin issues
• First responder issues
• Forgiveness
• Guilt and shame
• HIV and AIDS
• Infidelity
• Jealousy
• Life purpose
• Midlife crisis
• Mood disorders
• Multicultural concerns
• Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
• Personality disorders
• Phobias
• Post-traumatic stress
• Prejudice and discrimination
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Self-harm
• Sexual assault and abuse
• Social anxiety and phobia
• Somatization
• Visually impaired
• Women's issues
• Young adult issues

Ways of working

• Client-Centred Therapy
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Trauma-Focused Therapy

Questions about Amanda

Does she work with anxiety?

Yes. She helps people with anxiety using client‑centred and trauma‑focused approaches to build coping strategies and reduce day‑to‑day distress.

What kind of counselling does she offer?

She uses Client‑Centred Therapy alongside Trauma‑Focused Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) where appropriate.

How much experience does she have?

She has 17 years of professional experience working in the UK and South Africa.

Is she registered with a professional body in the UK?

Yes. She is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council, HCPC.

Can I have sessions in Afrikaans?

Sessions are offered in English and Afrikaans.

Can I be seen from outside the UK?

Yes. She accepts international clients; confirm any time‑zone or practical arrangements when you book.

How are sessions arranged and what formats are available?

Please confirm current session options before booking by using the site matching process, as the biography does not specify session formats.

How much do sessions cost?

Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.