Welcome – I’m Amanda

Do you feel stressed, tired and overwhelmed or find it difficult to relax? You may be considering exploring new opportunities and wanting to move away from outdated patterns within a safe, non-judgemental environment. Your workplace, surgery or college may have recommended counselling or mindfulness training as part of a CPD or support package. 

Specialising in stress reduction and psychoeducation, I have over 20 years’ experience working in the counselling, holistic wellbeing and education sectors. Common presentations I am currently supporting clients with include:

- Occupational burnout and stress

- Boundaries and safety

- Stress trauma response recognition and management

-  Psychoeducation: Understand and be empowered

- Identity, acceptance and compassion

- Exploring diversity, neurodiversity, SEN, ADHD

- Autopilot and outdated patterns - managing change

- Perfectionism, negative thought loops

- Mindfulness, relaxation techniques and breathwork

- Counsellors and therapists in training requiring therapy

- Holistic and somatic approaches to wellbeing

- Creative approaches include: craft, journaling and story

- Sensory based approaches include:

    sound, movement, imagery, card, sand and stone work

- Eco outdoors, nature and green therapy

- Training

Counselling and psychotherapy (talking therapies) include different modalities or approaches that are used to create a healthy therapeutic environment. They can be focused on a specific mode or integrated (mixed). It is important to speak with a therapist to recognise whether the therapist and therapy is right for you, and to tailor an approach that fits your style of enquiry. I provide talking therapy sessions in clinical, online and eco/outdoor settings.

For updates and useful therapy ideas:

~ Facebook: Chalice Therapies & Workshops. Therapeutic, wellbeing, mindfulness support, affirmations and exercises

~ https://mindfulnessteachers.org.uk/user/amandabutler/

COUNSELLING and PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES

~ One to one counselling, coaching and mindfulness 

~ In-clinic, community and in-house corporate/college settings

~ Eco/nature therapy: outdoors, seasonal celebration work

~ On agreement, a session could include both talking therapies and mindfulness stress reduction practices

~ Group workshops, bespoke sessions and programmes

~ Online (Zoom or Whatsapp)

~ Follow up session notes and activities. Skills, mindfulness and meditation worksheets (can send via text or email) 

~ 50 minutes full session and 25 minute mini/support sessions

Modalities

Integrative

Humanistic and Person Centred

Gestalt psychotherapy

Psychoeducation and holistic education

Cognitive DBT techniques, brief/solution focused

Creative arts and crafts. Mandala and labyrinth work

Nature/eco therapies. Outdoor walk talk therapies

Card work, stone work psychotherapeutic enquiry

Archetypes, dream work, symbolism

Mindfulness: Sensory awareness, relaxation skills, meditation, sound, breathwork and movement.

HOLISTIC SOMATIC THERAPIES and MINDFULNESS

~ Mindfulness: Sensing and observing physical, emotional and thought responses. A range of exercises can support self compassion and stress reduction. Practical exercises include body scan, meditation, recognising autopilot and thought loop narratives, story-work and craft 

~ Holistic somatic therapies for wellbeing and tension release:

Bodywork for stress reduction, breathwork and energy work. Reflexology, aromatherapy, movement and tuition

~ Sound baths. Movement. Energy modalities

~ Mixed therapies for stress reduction, fatigue and fibromyalgia

ECO NATURE THERAPIES

I offer one to one and group counselling in outdoor spaces, engaging with the natural world, resources and environments. We can walk and talk, practice mindfulness for relaxation and create natural art. The natural world contains metaphor and symbolism that provides alternative ways to communicate and express oneself.  

Outdoors, environmental and transpersonal work also include collaborations with organisations such as the National Trust, Youth Service, adult education colleges, Woodbrooke Quaker College, chaplaincy/Church of England, Glastonbury Temple and events, Glastonbury Festival, Forest Church/moon lodges and Red Tent women's groups. Sound bath collaborations.