About Edwina

Brief Therapy. Deep Healing. Real Change.
 

I’m Edwina Van Der Westhuizen, a therapist, coach, trainer and facilitator with a deep belief in the wisdom each person carries. Since 2010 I have supported individuals, couples, families and groups to reconnect with their truth, release what holds them back and live with more clarity, purpose and connection.
 

I call myself a brief therapist because I do not believe healing needs to take years. Most clients move through the core of their issue in one to six sessions. This is not because we avoid the hard work. It is because I create a safe and grounded space where deep transformation can take place. I meet you with compassion, curiosity and tools that genuinely support change.
 

My approach is integrative, systemic and tailored. I draw from a wide range of modalities including Family Constellations, Brainspotting, somatic and nervous system work, EFT, parts integration, attachment theory and trauma-informed practice. There is no one-size-fits-all method. Together we work at the pace that feels right for you and focus on what brings movement.
 

I also have extensive experience working with individuals and families impacted by domestic violence. I have supported clients to rebuild safety, self-worth and empowerment after trauma. This work has strengthened my understanding of courage, resilience and the human capacity for renewal.
 

I don’t see people as broken or as problems to be fixed. I see every experience through a systemic and compassionate lens. Our choices, even the painful ones, often come from a place of trying to belong, survive or love. Many of us repeat inherited patterns because at some level we were loyal to our system. That blind love once kept us safe.
 

Awareness changes everything. When we understand the field we have been living in—the trauma, the loyalties, the unspoken rules—we also discover our ability to choose differently. We can move from blind love to enlightened love and begin living our true path with clarity, purpose and freedom. This is the heart of my work.
 

I am also someone who walks my talk. I have done, and continue to do, my own healing work. I believe this is what allows me to hold a space where anything can be brought into the light and met with care, steadiness and respect. No topic is too complex or too tender.

Whether you are navigating trauma, grief, parenting challenges, intergenerational patterns, identity, relationship stress or a sense of feeling stuck, I walk alongside you with grounded support and practical tools. My aim is not to keep you in therapy forever. My aim is to support your own inner capacity so you can continue your life with clarity and strength.
 

My work is shaped by a lifelong commitment to justice, dignity and human potential. I was born in South Africa during apartheid and grew up deeply aware of inequality and systemic forces. That understanding informs everything I do, from one-on-one sessions to group programs and facilitator training.
 

Healing does not need to take forever. You are already wired for wholeness. Sometimes all you need is the right support to remember who you are.