Pictured above: Amanda Johnson

A female entrepreneur has launched the very first divorce coaching business to be based in Horsley Woodhouse, Derbyshire.

The brainchild of 46 year-old Amanda Johnson, The Derbyshire Divorce Coach will officially open its doors on Friday in a bid to support those suffering with domestic violence relationships, separation and divorce.

Amanda, who has a firm grounding in both counselling and life skills, said: "The services I offer are very much tailored to the needs of the client. Due to the legal, counselling and life coaching skills I have and the fact that I have seen separation from practically all angles, I am best placed to offer the kind of advice that people need at the time of a relationship breakdown. 

"In essence, The Derbyshire Divorce Coach aims to act as a stepping stone between the solicitor and a counsellor and I am keen to show that when a relationship is breaking down, sometimes it is better to consult a third party rather than aggravate the situation by visiting a solicitor from the outset."

For those who are certain that divorce is the only path for them, The Derbyshire Divorce Coach is a divorce advice service which deals with the emotional side of the separation providing the client with the practical skills to move forward as an individual.

Amanda added: "Often clients have swapped the child institution of family to the institution of marriage and don't know how to be a strong independent person that doesn't necessarily need someone else to make them complete.  The process is all about learning to love yourself and being completely happy in your own skin."

Based in her summerhouse surrounded by the beautiful Amber Valley countryside, The Derbyshire Divorce Coach is very personal to Amanda's life after she too suffered at the hands of divorce and domestic violence.

Amanda added, "I got married at the age of 20, and five years later after the birth of my daughter we got divorced.  Some years later whilst working at Wilson & Kirwan solicitors as a secretary, I had a relationship with a man which led to a domestic violence situation, in which he broke two of my fingers. 

"When the matter was heard at the Magistrates Court, he was found not guilty as it was supposedly my fault for the way I twisted away from him!  I was completely outraged!  Andrew Wilson, the solicitor I was working for at the time encouraged me to research the matter and ask them to 'State a Case' which I finally did.  This was when I got my first taste of doing legal research and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

"Although I obtained a response, they stuck by their decision that this man was not guilty.  Despite this, I did obtain compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.  The rest is history and I am now a Fellow of the Institute of Paralegals and an Associate of the Institute of Legal Executives."