Relational Best with Amanda Williamson

Are You Ready to Embrace Meaningful Change in Your Life? I offer sessions both online and face-to-face from my dedicated premises on Southernhay East in the center of Exeter, Devon. In this professional and confidential space, you are warmly invited to offload, explore, develop, and discover.  I specialise in working with individuals and couples  -be they life partners or business partners - who understand the transformative power of structured, meaningful conversations. Together, we will: - Expand your thinking - Clarify your professional and personal goals - Overcome personal obstacles - Explore and realise your full potential Life often presents profound challenges; be it loss, illness, relationship upheavals, career transitions, or episodes of depression and anxiety. Such events compel us to re-examine our ways of being. I invite you to seize these moments as opportunities to embrace change and become the best version of yourself. Alternatively, you might feel the need for...

I write out of deep concern for the way artificial intelligence is heading and what it might mean for us all as human beings. For many years I have worked as a counsellor and coach and campaigned for regulation in my profession. I know what it means when systems fail to protect the vulnerable and when human dignity is ignored. Today I see a greater and more far reaching risk with AI. If we are not careful, this technology could erode what makes us truly human; our kindness, our ability to connect, our very sense of choice. In 1739,  David Hume , in his Treatise of Human Nature, argued that morality arises from human feeling, particularly sympathy, which he saw as the foundation of our ethical responses to others. His recognition that partiality limits sympathy laid early groundwork for understanding how excluding others from our moral concern enables dehumanisation.  In 2011 I saw an episode of SouthPark entitled Funnybot. Funnybot was created to be funnier than anyone on eart...

I provide therapeutic coaching for individuals who identify as neurodivergent, including those with ADHD, autism spectrum differences, or other forms of neurodiversity. My work is grounded in a relational and pluralistic approach that respects the uniqueness of each person's experience. Coaching can be beneficial to those who are wired to think outside of the box. There are many benefits to thinking differently but there can also be challenges that can be explored and navigated within a structured coaching conversation.  There are often two interwoven aspects of neurodivergence that we might explore together: The functional aspect : how a differently wired brain can lead to challenges in a world largely designed for more typical ways of thinking and behaving. The emotional impact : the experience of being different can sometimes bring feelings of guilt, shame, or a sense of "not being good enough" or wondering "what's wrong with me". I don’t follow a formula...

In my work as a therapeutic coach , it is vital to hold space for the complexity of being human. No single model or theory ever feels enough because the human psyche just isn’t that tidy. I often reflect on the interplay between the frameworks I use professionally, and the philosophies that shape me personally. This piece brings some of those threads together, mapping the three gunas from yogic philosophy (a lens that shapes how I understand energy and states of being), alongside  Bowlby’s attachment theory   and Pete Walker’s 4 F trauma responses , which form key parts of my professional framework, particularly in terms of the therapeutic aspect.   I have been exploring aspects of yogic philosophy with my friend, also a therapist. We have been away twice to immerse ourselves in yoga practice and discussion, using the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as a guide. On our last trip, a few weeks ago, we leant into the concepts of  Vairagya  (non-attachment) and the  G...

"A profession rooted in compassion, nuance, and relational understanding should reflect those values in how it treats its own members." On April 18th 2025, I will lose the “Senior” part of my BACP Senior Accreditation. * I earned my Senior Accreditation with the BACP in 2019 after submitting extensive written work, supervisor reports, and paying the necessary fees. It marked a meaningful milestone in my professional journey. It recognised not only my experience and capability but my commitment to the therapeutic field over many years. Now, in the wake of the BACP’s adoption of the SCoPEd framework, that recognition is being stripped away. A Shifting Landscape The BACP’s new SCoPEd-aligned system changes what it means to be a Senior Accredited therapist. Despite the BACP having a dedicated Coaching Division, and despite the fact that my Level 7 qualification is in coaching, specifically designed for experienced therapists, I no longer meet the new eligibility criteria for Seni...