Dr. Amanda Van Der Westhuizen, HCPC
17 years in practice
Dr Amanda Van Der Westhuizen is a HCPC-registered counsellor with 17 years of experience working in the UK.
License and registration
- HCPC
- PYL040429 · expires May 2027
- Years in practice
- 17
- Languages
- English, Afrikaans
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check the registration with the body that granted it.
About Amanda
Dr Amanda Van Der Westhuizen is a HCPC-registered counsellor with 17 years of experience working in the UK. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression and trauma. She also supports people facing struggles with self-esteem, relationships and identity.
Her work often includes clients with complex presentations, such as co-occurring mental health issues and neurodiversity. She listens for each person’s priorities and adapts conversations to match their pace. The aim is practical progress rather than technical language.
Background and approach
Dr Van Der Westhuizen uses a client-centred stance in sessions. That means she follows what matters most to the client and helps them find ways forward. She also draws on trauma-focused methods and EMDR to address painful memories when appropriate.
Sessions cover many concerns, including grief, addiction, ADHD, compassion fatigue, chronic illness and intimacy issues. She also works on attachment-related difficulties such as abandonment, codependency and family of origin problems. Work can include coaching elements to support life and career changes.
Dr Van Der Westhuizen offers therapy in English and Afrikaans and accepts international clients. She tailors plans to each person and aims to create a respectful, calm space to explore change. The focus is on steady steps toward the life the client wants.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Amanda lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Dissociation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Infidelity
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Visually impaired
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Amanda names
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.
Online support
How therapeutic approaches translate to online care
Client-Centred Therapy focuses on what matters most to the person. The therapist listens carefully, reflects what she hears and helps clients set their own goals. This approach suits people who want a supportive space to make decisions and try new ways of coping.Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, often abbreviated to EMDR, involves structured processing of distressing memories. It can help reduce the intensity of traumatic images and emotions and is commonly used for trauma-related problems.
Trauma-Focused Therapy targets the impact of past harm on current life. It combines talking and practical strategies to reduce symptoms and improve day-to-day functioning. It can be useful for people dealing with complex or repeated trauma.
Finding the right approach is a shared process. The therapist will discuss options and tailor methods to the client’s goals, needs and preferences. Decisions about using EMDR or trauma-focused techniques are made together and adjusted as therapy progresses.
Online formats offer practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions suit shorter check-ins or when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text-based messaging let people work in moments that fit their schedule or when typing feels easier than speaking. These options make it simpler to keep continuity and fit therapy around work, family and daily life.
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Questions people ask
What issues does this counsellor help with?
The counsellor supports people with stress, anxiety, depression and trauma. She also helps with relationship problems, self-esteem, addiction, grief and many other difficulties listed on her profile.
How would you describe her therapy style?
She takes a client-centred approach, listening first and adapting sessions to each person. Trauma-focused work and EMDR methods are used when they fit the client’s needs.
What is her professional background?
She has 17 years of professional experience working in therapeutic roles. Much of her work has involved people with complex or co-occurring difficulties.
Where is she based and how is she registered?
She practises in the United Kingdom and is registered with the HCPC as stated in her credentials.
Which languages are supported in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and Afrikaans. International clients are also accepted.
What formats are available for online sessions?
Sessions can be held by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging according to the options listed on her profile.
How are sessions paid for and what do they cost?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability. Sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule sessions according to the therapist’s availability.
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