Dr. Amanda Van Der Westhuizen

How Amanda’s approaches translate to online therapy

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and working at the client’s pace. The therapist offers empathic listening and helps people set goals based on what matters to them. This approach is useful for issues like low self-esteem, relationship worries and coping with life changes.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, often called EMDR, is used to process distressing memories and reduce their emotional impact. In online sessions this involves guided eye movements or other bilateral stimulation while talking through difficult memories, which can help with trauma and abuse recovery.

Trauma-Focused Therapy concentrates on addressing how past events affect current life. It combines careful discussion with strategies to manage strong emotions and reduce avoidance, helping with symptoms of PTSD, dissociation and complex trauma-related problems.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss options and help choose methods that match your goals, pace and comfort. Sessions are collaborative and reviewed as work progresses so the plan can change if needed.

Online sessions offer practical flexibility. Video calls let you use visual cues for deeper conversation, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited, live chat is useful for short check-ins, and text messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy around life, work and other commitments.