Dr. Amanda Van Der Westhuizen

Dr. Amanda Van Der Westhuizen brings 17 years of clinical experience to her work in the United Kingdom. She is registered with the HCPC and supports people facing a wide range of struggles. Amanda aims to offer steady, respectful care and tailors each conversation to the person in front of her.

Amanda enjoys working with people from many backgrounds and pays attention to how identity and difference shape difficulties. She has a particular interest in complex presentations, including neurodiversity and co-occurring mental health issues. Many clients seek her help for trauma, depression, anxiety and relationship concerns.

Her approach is collaborative and paced to suit the person. Amanda focuses on building a safe working relationship, then deciding what strategies or therapy work best. She helps people strengthen self-esteem, manage strong emotions and navigate life changes one step at a time.

Practical skills and emotional processing are both part of sessions when needed. Amanda also supports people dealing with grief, addiction concerns, compassion fatigue and career stress. She works with issues connected to attachment, abandonment and intimacy, and with long-term health or pain challenges.

Sessions are offered in English and Afrikaans, and she accepts international clients. To begin, people use the site Start Therapy button and complete a short matching questionnaire before scheduling according to availability. Amanda emphasises steady progress rather than quick fixes, and she aims to walk alongside people as they make changes.

How Amanda’s approaches translate to online therapy

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on the person rather than on strict techniques. It involves listening carefully, reflecting back what is said and helping people find their own solutions. This approach is helpful for building trust and for working through self-esteem and relationship concerns.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, often called EMDR, is a method used to process distressing memories and reduce their emotional charge. It can be useful for people who have experienced trauma and abuse and who want to lessen the intensity of traumatic memories.

Trauma-Focused Therapy concentrates on understanding and resolving the effects of traumatic events. It combines discussion and targeted techniques to help people reclaim daily life after trauma or prolonged stress.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Amanda will discuss goals, preferences and what feels manageable, and she will help decide which methods to try. This is a collaborative process and can change as progress is made.

If you are considering online sessions, please confirm the available session formats before booking. Online work can make therapy easier to fit into busy lives, allow shorter check-ins during a workday, and reduce travel time. It can also help people take part when living further away from the therapist.