Amana van Staden

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My personal experiences took me on an extensive journey of self-discovery, one that would ultimately lead to a complete overhaul of my life. I was adamant to break the cycle of generational trauma and to find a better path for myself. Personal psychotherapy was central to understanding and working through my own development and emotional world; also, to experience ‘being a client’ allowed me to understand the experience of psychotherapy from both perspectives. In addition to this, daily meditation and regular immersion in nature further contributes to my continued healing and learning. I bring these collective experiences to my work, which is further informed by several years of academic study.

In an earlier career, I lead an EMEA business function for a global technology company. Working in a corporate environment gave me a first-hand experience of the pressures of corporate culture and the personal and group challenges that can arise. After retraining, I gained an MSc in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and worked at several mental health organisations before setting up a private practice in Bloomsbury, London. My post graduate qualification encompasses Group Dynamics and therefore, as well as seeing individual clients with a broad range of mental health challenges I also have the professional expertise and personal experience to run group therapy sessions.

Just as the pandemic was emerging, I moved to the East Sussex countryside where I have moved my counselling practice solely outdoors. The move was borne out of my intimate relationship with nature and the profound effect it has had on my mental health and general wellbeing. 

My Therapy Practice:

My work with clients takes place outdoors. Working outside can allow clients to feel more expansive and enlivened by the experience, it can be far more rich and dynamic compared to traditional indoor counselling, which many have said feel less natural and more constricted.

My Outdoor Therapeutic Space:

As I am based in East Sussex, I see clients for psychotherapy sessions in a nearby area of access land, equidistant from Winchelsea and Pett. This area of land offers a good deal of variety for the work, including woodland, open spaces, hills to gain far reaching views across the landscape, or we could instead meet at Pett Level if you feel more drawn to ocean views. The land where I work has public access, that being said it is not over-run with people, and there are ample opportunities to get off the track in order to walk and sit in more private spaces. 

How I Work:

I only work outside and usually meet individual clients once per week for 60 minutes. The session takes the form of simply walking and talking. As we go we may stop from time to time or decide to sit in a particular spot, or vary our route a little from session to session. There is potential for a great deal of flexibility here, governed by client preference, physical ability, and weather. There is also the option to incorporate mindfulness meditation or somatic orienting, which some clients find helpful. When working outdoors the focus is not on fitness so we can sit, stand or walk, and may vary our route from session to session. There is potential for a great deal of flexibility here, governed by client preference, physical ability, and weather.

However, all the traditional boundaries for effective psychotherapy will still apply, including a mutually agreed focus for our work, time keeping, and agreements concerning confidentiality. The latter, particularly important, as we may occasionally encounter other people whilst outside.

You do not need to be 'super fit' or even particularly outdoors-orientated to benefit from this setting for your therapy.

I also offer clients (space permitting and when I think it could benefit) the opportunity to join a weekly therapy group in addition to their individual sessions.

Your First Session:

If you are interested in outdoor therapy I will usually have a brief conversation with you on the phone first, this will also be to discuss the practicalities of working outdoors. If it seems like this way of working would be suitable for you, then we will agree on a time for an initial assessment session outdoors at my outdoor therapy space. This will be an opportunity for you to meet me, meet the 'place' and talk about what brings you to therapy and what you hope to gain from it. It will also give you a better sense of what therapy outdoors with me may offer you. If we are both happy at this point we will then agree on further times to meet for either individual or group therapy.