About the Practitioner
My Whakapapa, experience and more about how I work as an Integrative Counsellor and Coach
Hello! I’m Amanda
MBACP PGDip, Provisional NZAC
My private practice weaves together a range of therapeutic modalities, always tailored to the unique needs and preferences of each person or group I work with. With a trauma-informed approach, I have experience supporting those navigating CPTSD, complex life transitions, and the strengths and challenges of neurodiversity.
In addition to one-to-one online sessions, I facilitate online workshops and host group EFT session on Insight Timer, creating safe and collaborative spaces for reflection, connection, and growth.
2025-2026 is also a time I’m working as a digital nomad, where my work is enriched by learning from the cultures and healing practices of the countries I travel through, expanding my perspective beyond a Western frameworks.
At the heart of my practice is a commitment to partnership, curiosity, and unconditional acceptance, meeting people where they’re at, and walking alongside to move toward clarity and well-being
Whakapapa / Lineage
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa
Greetings to you all
Ko Rangitoto te maunga,
Ko Te Awa o Thames te awa,
Ko Te Moana-nui-ā-Kiwa te moana,
Ko Salvara te whānau.
Rangitoto is my mountain,
The River Thames is my river,
The Indian Ocean is my ocean,
Salvara is my family name.
He uri ahau nō Ingarangi, nō Āwherika, nō Āhia.
I am a descendant of England, Africa, and Asia.
Ko [Mother’s Name] tōku whaea,
Ko [Father’s Name] tōku matua.
[Mother’s name] is my mother,
[Father’s name] is my father.
Nō Greenwich ahau i whānau ai.
I was born in Greenwich.
Kei te ao whānui tōku turangawaewae.
E noho ana ahau hei kaipūtaiao ngākau hauora, hei manuhiri whenua, hei kaiwhakarongo.
The world is my place of belonging.
I live as an integrative therapist, a traveller, and a listener to the wisdom of the lands.
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.
Therefore, greetings, greetings, greetings to us all.
Ko wai au? Who am I?
No wai au? From whom do I come?
These questions sit at the centre of my being, grounding me in the understanding that I am not only myself, I am the continuation of rivers, oceans, mountains, and the many lives that have walked before me. My whakapapa is the foundation upon which I stand, my anchor in moving waters.
My mother’s lineage flows through London, carried by the River Thames. It is the river where my ancestors crossed, travelled, and gathered, and where I too was conceived and born. This awa remains for me a place of return and reflection, a living current that has held generations and continues to hold me.
My father’s lineage carries the vastness of migration across Africa and Asia, woven through continents and oceans: Angola, where the Portuguese name Salvara was pressed by Portuegese Colonisers; Congo and Kenya; Madagascar and the Malagasy people of Southeast Asian descent; India, and then Mauritius before journeying on to London, UK. The Indian Ocean, that wide expanse holds these passages, the movement of ships carrying both survival and loss, mingling of cultures and continuities of spirit. The name Salvara itself carries significance in my healing practice today, a reminder of the work of decolonisation and the responsibility of being born into a colonial name, and within a colonial country.
The maunga (mountain) I connect with, the one that welcomes me, is Rangitoto in Aotearoa. It was the first mountain I encountered when arriving here, walking the waters nearby and drawing strength from its presence. Rangitoto anchors me to place and wairua (spirit) beyond my lands of origin, reminding me that belonging also arises in relationship, not only inheritance.
Whakapapa teaches us that we are never separate, never lost. I am shaped not only by the physical lineage of blood and bone, but by the spiritual inheritance of resilience, memory, and vision carried through generations. In my therapeutic work. These are also whakapapa, ways of remembering and teaching that live through me and move forward into the people I work alongside.
My presence here is not my strength alone. As the whakataukī reminds us:
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē.
My strength is not that of one, but of many.
I stand with my ancestors, my teachers, and the lands and waters that hold me. This is my grounding. This is my whakapapa.
Approach
Counselling, psychotherapy and coaching is a unique process for each individual, which is why an integrative approach looks at your preferences and environments to customise a therapeutic plan that work best for you.
When you have an idea of what it is you need but not quite sure of where to start, Integrative therapy looks at;
- where you are at and where you would like to be,
- limiting thoughts and behaviour patterns,
- exploring the ’cause and effect’,
- collaboratively checking in what’s working or not working,
- the internal and external environments.
Our work together looks at leaning in with curiosity, and courage. There will more than likely be challenges and resistance to being outside the ‘comfort zone’, so together, we’ll look at what’s coming up for you with integrity and unconditional acceptance.
Whether that is in recovery, growth or maintenance within your life, we look together at the resources available to you and integrate any changes or adaptions, managing challenges along the way.
Experience
Private practice with 1-to-1 Sessions
Online integrative therapy and face-to-face sessions in London and Auckland.
Single Session Counsellor and Coach at [Spill.Chat]
Providing accessible support for employee wellbeing and mental health over the Slack based app, Spill.Chat.
Music Meetup Facilitator with The Jam
Collaborative music workshops in London. Moved onto JamKazam app during lockdown months.
Volunteer Counsellor and Therapist at The Mix
Counselling and Psychotherapy over the phone and web chat for young people aged 14-25 with The Mix mental health charity.
Volunteer Counsellor at MOSAC
Person-Centred counselling with carers of abused children. Long-term, face-to-face sessions based in London and over the phone.
Training
University of East London
BACP accredited Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy
Counselling Tutor
Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling
NLP World
Master NLP Practioner, Clinical Hypnotherapy and Coach certification
The Coaching Room
NLP, Neuro-Semantic Practitioner and meta-coach certifications
London College of Music and Media
Bachelor of Music in Popular Music Performance
Testimonials
If you’re currently seeking support for your goals, or a looking for a space to process what’s showing up for you at the moment, schedule in a free 15 minute call below to discuss how Integrative Counselling and Coach could help.