Dr. Amanda Van Der Westhuizen, HCPC

Dr. Amanda Van Der Westhuizen is a HCPC registrant with 17 years of clinical experience. She has practised in the UK and South Africa and supports people facing a wide range of issues. Her style is warm and respectful and she aims to move at a pace that feels right for each person.

She often works with people coping with trauma, depression and anxiety. Relationship strain, low self-esteem and identity concerns are also common themes in her practice. She has experience with more complex presentations, including neurodiversity and co-occurring mental health conditions.

Dr. Van Der Westhuizen adopts an individualised approach. Sessions focus on listening first, then building a plan that fits the client’s needs and goals. She uses client-centred methods and trauma-focused tools to help people process difficult memories and rebuild their day-to-day functioning.

People seeking support for stress, addictions, grief, intimacy-related issues, anger or career challenges will find practical, down-to-earth work in sessions. She also addresses attachment, abandonment and codependency concerns alongside issues such as chronic illness and compassion fatigue.

Therapy is presented as a collaborative process. The therapist aims to walk alongside clients while they make changes, using techniques such as EMDR where appropriate to address traumatic memories. Sessions are tailored so people move forward at their own pace.

How these approaches translate to online work

Client-Centred Therapy places the client’s experience at the heart of the work. It means sessions focus on listening, understanding and helping people find their own solutions to stress, relationship strain or identity concerns.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is a method used to help process disturbing memories. It can be used when trauma memories are getting in the way of daily life, so people can reclaim a sense of safety and normal routines.

Trauma-Focused Therapy concentrates on addressing the effects of past harm through paced, structured conversations and techniques that reduce distress and improve coping in the present.

Choosing an approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss options and adapt methods to fit the client’s needs, goals and preferences in a collaborative way. This means trying a method and adjusting it as progress is made or as needs change.

Practical benefits of online therapy include fitting sessions around work, family and medical commitments and avoiding travel time. Online work can make it easier to have shorter check-ins, quieter surroundings or sessions without needing to be on camera. Confirm the current session options before booking so you know which formats are available.