Counsellor profile
Dr. Amanda Van Der Westhuizen, HCPC
United Kingdom
HCPC registered counsellor - Trauma and anger
Continue with AmandaKey details
- CredentialsHCPC
- RegistrationHCPC, United Kingdom / PYL040429
- Experience17 years
- LanguagesEnglish, Afrikaans
- LocationUnited Kingdom
About
- Client-centred work
- EMDR informed practice
- Complex presentations
About Amanda
Dr. Amanda Van Der Westhuizen is registered with the HCPC and has 17 years of professional experience in the UK and South Africa. She works with adults across a wide range of concerns, including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, trauma, and anger. Sessions are offered in English and Afrikaans and she welcomes international clients.
She prefers straightforward, person-focused conversations that pay attention to background and identity. She often supports people with more complex difficulties, including neurodiversity and co-occurring mental health conditions. That can mean moving at a steady pace and checking in about how each step feels.
Her work draws on client-centred principles, Trauma-Focused Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. In practice she listens for what matters most to the person, then helps plan next steps based on their goals. She uses conversation and evidence-informed techniques to address patterns such as avoidance, control issues, or low self-esteem.
People come for many reasons: grief, addiction, relationship strain, career stress, anger, or struggles with identity. She also supports people working through attachment wounds, abandonment, or family of origin problems. Practical problem solving and coping skills are part of the sessions when they are useful.
Her style is direct and respectful. She aims to build a working relationship that allows steady progress, whether the focus is trauma processing, managing intense feelings, or making life changes. To start, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and book a first session.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online work
Dr. Van Der Westhuizen uses client-centred methods to create a practical, conversational base for therapy. This approach focuses on what the client wants to achieve and uses open dialogue to set goals and plan steps that fit day-to-day life.She also draws on Trauma-Focused Therapy to address the effects of traumatic experiences. That approach centres on processing memories and reactions so they interfere less with daily functioning. Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is used as a method for working with difficult memories and intense emotional responses when the client and therapist agree it is suitable.
Choosing an approach is collaborative. She will discuss the options with the client, consider their goals and preferences, and try methods that suit their pace. The focus is on finding what helps reduce reactivity, improve coping, and support clearer relationships and decision-making.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can help fit therapy into busy schedules, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Registered or accredited professionals can adapt conversations, trauma work, or EMDR-informed exercises to an online setting when appropriate.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
17+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English, Afrikaans
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, trauma, anger and a range of related issues such as addiction and grief.
What is her therapeutic style?
She uses a person-focused approach that prioritises listening and practical steps. Techniques from Trauma-Focused Therapy and EMDR are used where appropriate.
How much experience does she have?
She has 17 years of professional experience working in the UK and South Africa.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is registered with the HCPC and practices in the United Kingdom while also holding registration in South Africa.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English and Afrikaans.
Can international clients work with her?
Yes, she accepts international clients.
How are sessions arranged and what formats are offered?
The biography does not list specific session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How much do sessions cost and how do payments work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A registration can be checked with the body that issued it.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is unsafe, use the crisis numbers.