Amanda Lusty

During these difficult times I am offering on line sessions for both EMDR and talking therapy.   I am able to offer individuals the space to be heard in a non-judgemental, confidential and safe environment via Zoom.   As an EMDR Consultant my specialism is trauma.

EMDR is a unique and powerful therapy which is very successful in helping people recover from problems triggered by disturbing events in their lives past and present.  It stops difficult memories causing so much distress by helping the brain to reprocess them properly.  Until recently, these conditions sometimes proved difficult to treat with talking therapy. EMDR is a breakthrough therapy because it can bring quick and lasting relief for most types of emotional distress.

EMDR is a proven treatment for trauma, but it has also been found to help with the following problems: Abuse, Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Behavioural & Substance Addictions, Attachment Disorders (relationship difficulties), Agoraphobia, Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, IBS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Complicated Grief, Eating Disorders, Insomnia, Low self-esteem and OCD, Phobias, Performance Enhancement and Self-harming. EMDR can be useful for people who have witnessed or experienced an event like a car accident, a violent crime, sexual or emotional abuse, bullying, a social humiliation or the sudden loss of a loved one, and are struggling to recover.

Sometimes old disturbing memories can be stored in the brain dysfunctionally and this distressing material keeps getting triggered in the here and now which prevents healing from taking place.  Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can cause disturbance and distress in current day functioning and EMDR is a highly effective therapy to alleviate this distress.  EMDR aims to help the brain to reprocess the memory properly so that it is no longer intense. It also helps to desensitise the person to the emotional impact of the memory, so that they can think about the event without experiencing such strong feelings.   You already have most of the information you need to resolve this problem but the two just cannot connect. This is where EMDR can help, allowing new information to come to mind and resolve the old problems - similar to what happens spontaneously in REM or dream sleep.

When a person’s mental health problems have their roots in a distressing life event, EMDR can be very effective very quickly. Studies have shown that EMDR can significantly decrease PTSD and that the effect is long lasting (e.g. Ironson, Freund, Strauss, & Williams, 2002; Scheck, Schaeffer, & Gillette, 1998). People who have experienced several traumatic events, neglect or poor treatment as children usually need more sessions.

EMDR is a complex therapeutic process that should always be delivered by a properly trained therapist.

It was developed by Francine Shapiro and was primarily used for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but is now used worldwide to treat a wide range of distressing symptoms.  EMDR is well evidenced as a successful treatment, and is one of the few trauma treatments recommended by NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) For further information do contact me, or view EMDR UK & Ireland Association website.

I am a Counselling Psychotherapist and Supervisor and an EMDR Accredited Consultant and hold a Masters Degree in EMDR.   I am a founder partner of Serafina Counselling Partnership. I utilise various models of Humanistic, Solution Focussed and EMDR therapy to offer my clients short or long term therapy. I have experience within an NHS Surgery and run a private practice at my therapy room in Crowthorne.

I graduated from Greenwich University with a BA (Hons) in Counselling and I am a Senior Accredited member of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists and abide by their ethical framework for good practice.

I graduated from Worcester University with a Masters Degree in EMDR.

Clinical Supervision

I am a BACP Senior Accredited therapist and an EMDR UK & Europe Accredited Consultant & Supervisor.   I have an MSc in EMDR. 

I offer clinical supervision for talking therapy and also for EMDR therapists.    

I have a Diploma in Counselling Supervision and offer individual and group supervision to both experienced and student therapists in line with the BACP Ethical Framework.

If you would like to discuss your supervision needs with me then please call or email for more information.

My fee for supervision is £100 per hour.

£100 per session - if self funded

£100 for Clinical Supervision

Many clients have healthcare insurance policies that cover my fees if you have been referred by a General Practitioner or Psychiatrist.

Healthcare provider for: AXA PPP

HOME VISITS considered dependent on reason, location and availability.
Individuals and couples £100 for a 60 minute session.



Free parking at my office in Crowthorne.

About Counselling

'Life, at its best, is a flowing, changing process in which nothing is fixed.' (Rogers, 1961) 

What benefits can I expect?

Counselling can help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself, increasing your self esteem and confidence thus allowing you to live life more fully.

As a person-centred counsellor I aim to facilitate you to trust yourself, make your own choices and find your own answers;

'When a person comes to me, troubled by his unique combination of difficulties, I have found it most worth while to try to create a relationship with him in which he is safe and free.  It is my purpose to understand the way he feels in his own inner world, to accept him as he is, to create an atmosphere of freedom in which he can move in his thinking and feeling and being, in any direction he desires.'  (Rogers, 1961)