Dr. Amanda Van Der Westhuizen, HCPC

Dr. Amanda Van Der Westhuizen is a HCPC-registered counsellor who has practised for 17 years in the UK and South Africa. She welcomes people from diverse backgrounds and aims to meet them with respect and compassion. Amanda focuses on building trust and moving at a pace that feels comfortable to each person.

She often supports people dealing with trauma, depression and anxiety. She also helps those managing relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, identity concerns and addictive behaviours. Her work includes attention to neurodiversity and co-occurring mental health conditions.

Amanda uses approaches that centre the person in therapy and that address traumatic memories when needed. She tailors sessions to individual needs and adjusts the plan as progress is made. The goal is practical change and clearer day-to-day coping.

In the room she aims for straightforward, honest conversations. She will listen, reflect, and help people try new ways of handling difficult feelings and situations. Practical tools and emotional understanding are both part of the process.

Clients can expect a collaborative style where goals are set together. Amanda describes the work as walking alongside someone while they make changes. Many people come to explore grief, anger, career stress, intimacy concerns, or challenges linked to chronic illness and family of origin issues.

Sessions are offered in English and Afrikaans. International clients are accepted, and arrangements about session timing and format are made during the matching and scheduling steps.

How Amanda’s approaches translate to online therapy

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on the person’s own priorities. The therapist listens carefully, reflects what she hears, and helps people set goals that matter to them. This approach is useful for relationship strain, self-esteem work and coping with life changes.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is a trauma-focused method used to process distressing memories. It involves guided attention and structured steps to reduce the intensity of painful memories and is commonly used for trauma and abuse recovery.

Trauma-Focused Therapy concentrates directly on the effects of traumatic events. It combines talking, emotional processing and practical strategies to help reduce symptoms and improve day-to-day functioning after trauma.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and current difficulties and recommend which methods to try first. Decisions are made collaboratively and adjusted as progress is reviewed.

Confirm the available session formats before booking, as the biography does not list them. Online therapy can help fit appointments into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, reduce travel time and make it easier to schedule around work or caregiving commitments. Registered or accredited professionals can tailor sessions to fit each person’s routine and needs.