Dr. Amanda Van Der Westhuizen, HCPC

Dr. Amanda Van Der Westhuizen brings 17 years of clinical experience to her practice in the United Kingdom. She is registered with the HCPC and supports people facing a wide range of difficulties. Her work often focuses on stress, anxiety, trauma, relationship strain, and life transitions such as midlife changes.

She welcomes people from diverse backgrounds and pays attention to differences in identity and experience. Her approach is person-centred and collaborative, with a focus on tailoring conversations and plans to each person. Sessions move at a pace that feels manageable for the individual.

Amanda has particular experience with complex presentations, including co-occurring mental health conditions and aspects of neurodiversity. She also supports people with mood concerns such as depression and bipolar features, as well as struggles with addiction, grief, and compassion fatigue.

Her work includes addressing attachment and abandonment wounds, family of origin patterns, and intimacy-related issues. She also helps with practical areas like career stress, commitment and control issues, and coping with chronic pain or long-term illness.

Amanda uses trauma-focused methods alongside a client-centred stance to help people process distress and rebuild everyday functioning. She aims to walk alongside clients as they set goals and try new ways of living. If someone is ready to take a first step, she guides practical next steps toward a more satisfying life.

How Amanda’s approaches translate to online work

Amanda practises client-centred methods that focus on the person's own goals and experiences. This approach means conversations are shaped around what matters most to the individual and what they want to change, such as coping with midlife transitions, managing anxiety, or rebuilding self-esteem.

She also uses Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which involves structured processing of traumatic memories to reduce their emotional intensity. EMDR is commonly used for trauma-related symptoms and can help with flashbacks, intense distress, and some forms of dissociation.

Trauma-focused therapy in her work involves carefully paced steps to address and make sense of painful events. This can include learning strategies to manage trauma reactions and building skills to function better day to day.

Choosing the right approach is part of the process. Amanda works collaboratively to decide which methods fit a person's needs, goals and preferences, and she reviews progress together as therapy continues.

Check the session format options before booking to confirm what is available. Online sessions can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy life, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time so people can attend from different locations. Registered and accredited professionals can offer effective remote work when the approach and practical arrangements suit the individual.